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.
ricochet
Lil Ugly Mane Lyrics
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The cabinets filled with medicine and unfamiliar sounds
The cat was dying and it crawled under the house
Let me be, let me be where I belong
I'm happy that you feel depraved
You wrestled me into the grave
Next to me was where you laid
Put on your execution hood
Release your weapons grade contagion
These flies aren't capable of good
Besieged by righteous indignation
Understanding restlessness on underpasses
Is an understated feeling and I'm unenthusiastic
I'm just a slug, just a pile on the mattress
Let me be where I belong
I'm happy that you feel depraved
You wrestled me into the grave
Next to me was where you laid
Terror always ricochets
This city breathes out its exhaust
This city leaves its own abrasions
This city breathes out its exhaust
That skunk just watched your fever breaking
In Lil Ugly Mane's song Ricochet, the lyrics depict a sense of despair and isolation. The opening lines describe the singer spending all their money on drugs and being surrounded by unfamiliar sounds, indicating a lack of control over their situation. The mention of the dying cat crawling under the house adds to the already somber tone of the song. The chorus "I'm happy that you feel depraved, You wrestled me into the grave, Next to me was where you laid, Terror always ricochets" suggests that the singer is resigned to their fate and is almost sarcastically happy that others are also experiencing pain and suffering.
The second verse shifts focus to violence and aggression. The line "Put on your execution hood" implies that some sort of punishment or revenge is being sought, and the "weapons grade contagion" suggests the intention to harm a large number of people. The mention of "flies" being incapable of good indicates a dehumanization of the intended targets. The next couple of lines seem to criticize the glorification of recklessness and restlessness, describing it as "an understated feeling" that the singer is unenthusiastic about. The last couple of lines of the song "This city breathes out its exhaust, That skunk just watched your fever breaking" imply that the singer is stuck in a dirty and unpleasant environment.
Overall, Ricochet is a bleak and disheartening song that showcases Lil Ugly Mane's unique style of combining underground rap with experimental and noise elements.
Line by Line Meaning
I spent the wrong side of a dollar getting down
I wasted a lot of money on drugs and alcohol
The cabinets filled with medicine and unfamiliar sounds
There were a lot of drugs and pills in the cabinets that I didn't recognize
The cat was dying and it crawled under the house
My cat was sick and it went to hide under the house
Let me be, let me be where I belong
I want to be left alone to deal with my problems and be in my own space
I'm happy that you feel depraved
I'm glad that you understand the darkness and despair that I feel
You wrestled me into the grave
You pushed me to my limit and caused me to reach a breaking point
Next to me was where you laid
You were there with me as I was going through this difficult time
Terror always ricochets
When you feel scared or anxious, it can affect those around you and cause them to feel the same way
Put on your execution hood
Prepare to face the consequences of your actions
Release your weapons grade contagion
Let your harmful attitude and behavior infect those around you
These flies aren't capable of good
The people around us are not always helpful and may even contribute to our problems
Besieged by righteous indignation
Feeling anger and resentment towards the world and the people in it
Understanding restlessness on underpasses
Feeling a sense of unease and discomfort in dark and crowded places
Is an understated feeling and I'm unenthusiastic
Feeling restless and uncomfortable is a common experience that I don't really care to talk about
I'm just a slug, just a pile on the mattress
I'm feeling lazy and unmotivated, just laying around like a slug
This city breathes out its exhaust
The city is polluted and unhealthy
This city leaves its own abrasions
Living in the city can be rough and leave you feeling battered and bruised
That skunk just watched your fever breaking
Even animals are aware of how sick and feverish I feel
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Travis Miller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind