Travis Miller (born May 13, 1984) is an American rapper, singer and record … Read Full Bio ↴Travis Miller (born May 13, 1984) is an American rapper, singer and record producer from Richmond, Virginia. He has recorded under multiple aliases in various genres since his first known released project in 2005, including Lil Ugly Mane, Shawn Kemp, Vudmurk and Bedwetter.

Miller rose to popularity in the early 2010s with an experimental approach to Southern hip hop. His debut album Mista Thug Isolation gained him notoriety in the underground hip hop scene. Since then, he has experimented with a number of styles within and outside the hip hop genre, most recently releasing the indie rock album Volcanic Bird Enemy and the Voiced Concern. His other work spans genres including instrumental and abstract hip hop, black metal, free jazz and noise music.

Career

Miller began recording music in the 2000s under a number of aliases. Much of his early music cannot be found today on the internet, however some of it has been re-released, such as on his Register compilation album. Some of his early work included the black metal projects Vudmurk and Seidhr, the industrial and noise projects Across, Public Garden and Rats, and the underground hip hop group The Legacy, during which time he rapped under the name Young Gus.

Miller began releasing hip hop under the name Lil Ugly Mane on Bandcamp and producing beats for himself and other artists under the name Shawn Kemp in 2010, releasing his debut mixtape Playaz Circle in 2011. His early work under the Lil Ugly Mane name drew on various styles of underground Southern hip hop from the 1990s such as Memphis rap and chopped and screwed. His style was similar to that of the contemporaneous Raider Klan collective, with whom he collaborated. His 2012 debut album Mista Thug Isolation earned positive reviews from Mishka NYC, among others and support from members of the popular hip hop collective Odd Future. The album has since been hailed as a classic of the 2010s underground hip hop scene, earning later praise from Pitchfork and The Needle Drop. The album was followed by a number of smaller releases, including the Uneven Compromise EP, which is ranked in the top 10 greatest EPs of all time by user-generated music review site RateYourMusic, and the single "On Doing an Evil Deed Blues", in which he outlined his grievances with the music industry and his intention to retire the Lil Ugly Mane project.

Miller announced he would release one final album under the Lil Ugly Mane name, and began sporadically releasing compilations of beats and older material on Bandcamp, including the Three Sided Tape series, the final installment of which, Third Side of Tape, received positive coverage from Anthony Fantano of The Needle Drop among others. In 2015, Miller released what was intended to be the final Lil Ugly Mane album – Oblivion Access and the final Shawn Kemp project – Trick Dice, a collaboration with rapper Nickelus F. Oblivion Access saw Lil Ugly Mane taking a more experimental approach divorced from his earlier '90s Southern rap influences.

In 2017, Miller announced he would continue rapping under the name Bedwetter and released his debut project under the name – Vol. 1: Flick Your Tongue Against Your Teeth and Describe the Present. The album continued with the more introspective and experimental style of Oblivion Access. Around the same time however, Miller began rapping under the Lil Ugly Mane name again as part of the group Secret Circle with Antwon and Wiki. After releasing a few singles, the group disbanded and scrapped their debut album due to a personal falling out. Miller began working with the remaining members of GothBoiClique, however then appeared to go on hiatus, only releasing small collections of older material sporadically.

In 2021, Miller began releasing new music under the Lil Ugly Mane name. He released the single "Headboard", followed by "Porcelain Slightly" and then his third major release under the Lil Ugly Mane name – Volcanic Bird Enemy and the Voiced Concern, which was covered positively by Sputnik Music and Stereogum. Around the same time, Miller released a new black metal demo under the Vudmurk name.

Tell Dem Boyz Ima Skeleton
Lil Ugly Mane Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yeah it′s Lil Ugly Mane in this bitch
Tell dem boyz Ima skeleton 2011
It's the new shit, mayne, it′s the new shit
I ain't got a heart, mayne
I ain't got none of that human shit, mane
I′m just a skeleton, mayne
Coming at you through da skulls and the fire
I ain′t got a heart, tell dem boyz ima skeleton

I ain't got a soul, tell dem boyz ima skeleton
I ain′t got a brain, tell dem boyz ima skeleton
I just got this pistol and this chain
Boy I'm tellin ′em!
The game need a shape-up, I'm the motherfucking trapezoid
Go to sleep and never wake up, I ain′t laughing boy
'Cause Imma start clappin' at ′em ′fore I'm even half annoyed
Not only did I pass the haters (Ugly Mane done lapped the boys)
Pockets on pickle, hand on the nickel
Hoes want the dollars, they can′t even get a trickle
Standing in my way, I'm about to blow the whistle
Make me wanna come erry time I pull the pistol
Playaz circle murder posse gang bang
Cookin′ cookies in the pots and pans, mayne
Not to be confused with the biscuits
That be rippin' up yo frame, mayne
Watch me change lanes in a Range with the dame that you claim, mayne
Trust me, that boy so ugly
Hold ya head underwater, that′s what I call bubbly
Catch me with a boner and a pocket full of money
With yo girl butt-naked with my babies in her tummy
I ain't got a heart, tell dem boyz ima skeleton
I ain't got a soul, tell dem boyz ima skeleton
I ain′t got a brain, tell dem boyz ima skeleton

I just got this pistol and this chain
Boy I′m tellin 'em!

Overall Meaning

Lil Ugly Mane's song "Tell Dem Boyz Ima Skeleton" is a gritty, no-holds-barred track that showcases the rapper's skills and attitude. At its core, the song is about Ugly Mane's prowess as a rapper and his ability to intimidate his enemies. He refers to himself as a skeleton, representing his cold, unfeeling persona devoid of human emotions such as love and empathy.

The song is characterized by Ugly Mane's aggressive delivery, as he raps about his dominance over his rivals in the rap game. He brags about his shape-up, his ability to take out his enemies effortlessly, and his willingness to use violence to get what he wants. He also touches on themes of drug use and sexual conquest, referring to his ability to seduce women and his use of drugs to enhance his performance.

Overall, "Tell Dem Boyz Ima Skeleton" is a powerful and confrontational song that showcases Lil Ugly Mane's unique style and talent as a rapper. It is a song that will appeal to fans of hardcore rap and those who appreciate raw, unfiltered music.

Line by Line Meaning

Yeah it's Lil Ugly Mane in this bitch
Introducing himself as the singer, Lil Ugly Mane.

Tell dem boyz Ima skeleton 2011
Letting people know that he's not like them and he's not gonna behave like a regular human being.

It's the new shit, mayne, it's the new shit
Expressing that he's unique and his behavior is different from others.

I ain't got a heart, mayne
Saying that he doesn't feel emotions like other people do.

I ain't got none of that human shit, mane
Repeating that he's not like other humans, he's different.

I'm just a skeleton, mayne
Emphasizing that he's just a vessel and doesn't have any feelings or emotions.

Coming at you through da skulls and the fire
Referring to the way he's expressing himself through his music and the energy in it.

I ain't got a heart, tell dem boyz ima skeleton
Repeating that he doesn't have emotions.

I ain't got a soul, tell dem boyz ima skeleton
Asserting that he's not like other people and he doesn't have a soul.

I ain't got a brain, tell dem boyz ima skeleton
Describing that he doesn't have a thought process like humans do.

I just got this pistol and this chain
Indicating that he only has material objects and he doesn't have emotional attachments to anything.

Boy I'm tellin 'em!
Stating that he's not joking and that he means what he says.

The game need a shape-up, I'm the motherfucking trapezoid
Referring to the rap industry needing to change and that he's the artist to do it.

Go to sleep and never wake up, I ain't laughing boy
Saying that he's serious about his music and his work, he's not joking around.

'Cause Imma start clappin' at 'em 'fore I'm even half annoyed
Stating that he's not afraid to attack his critics even before they get to him.

Not only did I pass the haters (Ugly Mane done lapped the boys)
Expressing that he's already surpassed all the haters and done better than the others.

Pockets on pickle, hand on the nickel
Referring to having a lot of money and being well-off financially with the slang.

Hoes want the dollars, they can't even get a trickle
Saying that people want his money and attention but he doesn't give it to them.

Standing in my way, I'm about to blow the whistle
Warning people that if they try to stop him, he's going to retaliate.

Make me wanna come erry time I pull the pistol
Suggesting that he gets excited and power-hungry whenever he has a gun in his hand.

Playaz circle murder posse gang bang
Using controversial and violent language in his lyrics.

Cookin' cookies in the pots and pans, mayne
Using a metaphor that describes doing something illegal in order to make a living.

Not to be confused with the biscuits
Clarifying that the metaphor is not talking about something as harmless as baking biscuits.

That be rippin' up yo frame, mayne
Saying that the illegal activities he's involved in can harm other people.

Watch me change lanes in a Range with the dame that you claim, mayne
Bringing up how people claim to have relationships that they don't really have and how he can easily move on from them.

Trust me, that boy so ugly
Repeating his name and also making a statement on how people perceive him.

Hold ya head underwater, that's what I call bubbly
Using dark humor to express how he feels about hurting people.

Catch me with a boner and a pocket full of money
Again expressing that he's well-off financially and also adding a touch of humor to it.

With yo girl butt-naked with my babies in her tummy
Making a statement on how he can easily win women over and impregnate them.

Writer(s): Dale Kruegler

Contributed by Makayla C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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