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.
blue sand
Lil Ugly Mane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bones ground up in your oyster shells
Homes ground up in your sand castles
Dreams all buried in the ocean swells
Take exit thirty five on the left just right up here
See the earth for what it's worth
Get yourself a souvenir
She said, "I'd just end it all if I was you"
I've got that ice cream man tinnitus
All I hear is, "The Entertainer"
"I'm laughing at your problems"
Said the irritated doctor to the patient
Take exit thirty five on the left just right up here
See the earth for what it's worth
Get yourself a souvenir
I'd probably boil water if I swam in this mood
She said, "I'd just end it all if I was you"
Take exit thirty five on the left just right up here
See the earth for what it's worth
Get yourself a souvenir
I'd probably boil water if I swam in this mood
She said, "I'd just end it all if I was you"
In Lil Ugly Mane's song "blue sand," the lyrics convey a deep sense of loss and destruction. The opening lines set the tone, painting a picture of how many beaches were once important cities, but now merely a memory. The imagery of bones ground up in oyster shells and homes ground up in sand castles implies the destruction of entire civilizations, reduced to tiny fragments scattered across the beach. The line "Dreams all buried in the ocean swells" further emphasizes that the hopes and aspirations of those who once lived and thrived in these cities are now lost in the vastness of the sea.
The chorus acts as a sort of guide, indicating the exit number to take to reach the visual experience that the artist is describing. However, it feels as though the excursion is not a happy one. The line "See the earth for what it's worth, Get yourself a souvenir" suggests a kind of finality, as if the destination can offer nothing but a trinket or memento to remember what once was. The lines "I'd probably boil water if I swam in this mood, She said 'I'd just end it all if I was you'" express a deep and pervasive sense of hopelessness. The water is no longer safe, reflecting the pollutants that have made it unsafe and threatening. The lyric speaks to the state of the environment and how bleak our collective outlook on the future can be.
In conclusion, Lil Ugly Mane's "blue sand" is a commentary on the state of our environment and the importance of preserving the history and memories of those who lived and thrived in now-vanished cities. Through the use of evocative and symbolic language, the artist reminds us all of the fragility of life and the impermanence of even the most significant aspects of our world.
Line by Line Meaning
So many beaches used to be cities
There were once many urban areas where coastlines now reside
Bones ground up in your oyster shells
Calcified remains are now part of the mollusk formations
Homes ground up in your sand castles
Structures are now part of the sediment used to make beach sculptures
Dreams all buried in the ocean swells
Aspirations are lost in the vastness of the sea
Take exit thirty five on the left just right up here
Follow this route indicated on the map to reach your destination
See the earth for what it's worth
Recognize the value and importance of this planet
Get yourself a souvenir
Take home a memory of your current experience
I'd probably boil water if I swam in this mood
If I were to take a dip in my current state of mind, I'd likely do something drastic
She said, "I'd just end it all if I was you"
Someone is suggesting that suicide may be the best course of action
I've got that ice cream man tinnitus
I constantly hear the same tune that ice cream vendors play
All I hear is, "The Entertainer"
The only sound in my head is the song "The Entertainer"
"I'm laughing at your problems"
The doctor is finding the patient's troubles amusing
Said the irritated doctor to the patient
The physician spoke to their client in a vexed manner
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Travis Miller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
ohianaw
I hope Travis continues this type of style. This along with singles he released this year is almost hyping up to some change in his style
Kaili W.
It reminds me of that one song he released on Third Side of Tape, the serving I think it was
Ghost Hermes of Emerald Tablet
I love that genre doesn't have to be a prison
srzlqnrt
this legit sounds like it was recored in 1998 and thats p damn cool
Bellamafia Quackafella Records
Need an album with this type of shit
Kaili W.
Downloaded this track as soon as I heard it, been listening to it non stop since
Poopy Joe
it’s so beautiful
ycantiseethesunspots
holy fuck dude is going full title fight
Ned Flanders
i'm not mad
machine_elf
amazing this is the same guy who made Mista Thug Isolation. Such a stark contrast musically, love both styles. Lil Ugly Mane can do no wrong 🎃