Little Brother formed in Durham, NC at North Carolina Central University in 1998. The group began as a trio, featuring members Phonte (Phonte Coleman), Big Pooh (Thomas Jones), and producer 9th Wonder (Pat Douthit). They are founding members of the North Carolina hip-hop collective called The Justus League, under the umbrella music group The Hall of Justus.
Their official debut came in August 2001 with their first recording, Speed; the song talks about making it big in the music business while still dealing with the troubles and hardships of life and holding down a full-time job. They continued to work the local scene and were picked up by ABB Records. In 2002, they released the cult hit 7" single Atari 2600, with lyrics centering around video games. In 2003, the group released their first full length album, The Listening. This record boosted the group to higher acclaim, but national recognition came when Jay-Z tapped 9th Wonder for the song Threat, off of his eighth offering The Black Album.
That fall, they opened for the Hieroglyphics crew on their Full Circle national tour. Little Brother’s sophomore album, The Minstrel Show, saw increased success due to their raised popularity. It's theme compares present day rap music and the music industry to the minstrel shows of the late 1800s.
In 2005, Little Brother became embroiled in a short-lived feud, when Young Jeezy's protege Slick Pulla challenged the group to a battle after hearing an interview in which Phonte voiced some disapprovments concerning drug rap and the "snowman mascot". Little Brother did not respond, and instead, Phonte called Slick Pulla and the pair resolved the misunderstanding.
Outside of the group, Phonte collaborated with producer Nicolay as The Foreign Exchange, on Connected. Rapper Big Pooh released a solo album entitled Sleepers. 9th Wonder has produced songs for major artists like De La Soul and Destiny's Child, as well as underground artists such as Sean Price, Hieroglyphics, Splash, and fellow members of The Justus League.
In addition, 9th has produced whole albums for Jean Grae (Jeanius), Murs (Murs 3:16: The 9th Edition), Buckshot (Chemistry) and a remix album of Nas' God's Son entitled God's Stepson. In this way he has helped to facilitate the return of albums done entirely by one MC and one producer, which have seen something of a resurgence (RJD2 and Aceyalone's Magnificent City, the upcoming DJ Premier and Royce da 5'9" joint album). He is also working on a second Buckshot/9th album, to be called The Formula.
In late 2006, Little Brother began recording their third album, and second for Atlantic Records, Getback. However, in a drastic turn of events, the group announced in January, 2007 that they would be parting ways with Atlantic. This move was likely due to the commercial failure of The Minstrel Show, and creative differences over their future material. Big Pooh was quoted as saying "We as a group just felt that it was not in our best interest to remain in a situation where our needs were constantly being overlooked. We didn't have an A&R for The Minstrel Show. We don't have any type of relationship with our current A&R. There are just a lot of internal issues that ended up working against us." Their manager Big Dho added that there were no "ill feelings towards their (Atlantic) company."
More of a surprise to fans was news that the group has also parted ways with their longtime producer 9th Wonder. Although 9th Wonder's role in the group was that of a producer, the group's tours only consisted of the other two members and his contribution to recent Little Brother releases such as Separate But Equal were less than before (although it is worth noting that this release was a mixtape and not an official album). Nonetheless, news that he would be playing a smaller role and contributing less to their third album indicated a divide between the members. Big Pooh stated that the decision was amicable on both sides, saying "This is just a decision that had to be made so all three of us could move forward and continue to provide the world with dope music."
Little Brother formally announced the group's breakup in 2010.
Producer DeAndre Keaton (DJ Flash) who is featured on The Chittlin Circuit 1.5 is the official tour DJ for Little Brother.
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There is also second artist called Little Brother who is based in Brighton, Sussex. Using guitars, keyboard and a range of other instruments, little brother creates a unique alternative 'electronic' sound
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There is a third artist called Little Brother
Little Brother is the Acoustic Emo project of Newcastle-based singer/songwriter John Floreani (Trophy Eyes).
Drawing inspiration from the stylistic sensibilities of Daniel Johnson, Owen and Right Away, Great Captain!, Little Brother is an exploration of love, loss and heartache.
The project’s debut 6 track EP, 'Terrace' will be released late 2014.
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There is a fourth artist called Little Brother
Little Brother is a lo-fi singer/songwriter project, who released their first album ('Green for a While') on 18th August 2022.
Make Me Hot
Little Brother Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hold me down Pete
Make me hot Pete
Hold me down Pete
We was in the club
That's where I saw you
It was my nigga Pete
Wanted to get your number
So I could call you
Coming to missy's aunt's
Oh Pete don't fall dude
Just make me hot Pete
Hold me down Pete
Make me hot Pete
Hold me down Pete
Pete my singer don't know how to sing
Just make me hot
Pete I ain't got no hook
Just make me hot
Pete I don't know how to write sixteen bars
Just make me hot
Pete, oh just make me hot
Just make me hot Pete
Hold me down Pete
Make me hot Pete
Hold me down Pete
The lyrics to Little Brother's "Make Me Hot" are an interesting combination of desire, confidence, and vulnerability. The singer of the song is a man who is very attracted to a woman he meets in a club. He enlists the help of his friend Pete to "make him hot" so that he will be attractive to her. He lists all the things he lacks - singing ability, a good hook, and the ability to write full bars - but he still has faith that Pete can help him win the woman over.
The phrase "make me hot" is likely a reference to the idea of someone being attractive or desirable. In this context, it seems that the singer is asking for Pete's help in building his confidence and making him more appealing to the woman he has just met. It is interesting that he turns to his friend for this help, rather than trying to build his confidence himself. This suggests a certain level of trust and intimacy between the two men.
The final lines of the song - "Just make me hot Pete/Hold me down Pete" - are particularly poignant. The singer seems to be admitting that he needs someone to support him and help him feel good about himself. At the same time, he puts a lot of trust in Pete, indicating that their friendship is strong enough to withstand this kind of vulnerability. Overall, the song is a powerful reflection on the ways we seek validation and support from those around us.
Line by Line Meaning
Make me hot Pete
I need you to make me sound amazing, Pete. I need you to bring the heat and make me stand out.
Hold me down Pete
I need you to support me, Pete. I need you to keep me grounded and focused on my goals.
We was in the club
The story starts in a club where the singer spots someone they're interested in.
That's where I saw you
The artist saw the person they're interested in for the first time in the club.
It was my nigga Pete
The artist's friend, Pete, was with them in the club.
He was a tall dude
The person the singer is interested in is tall.
Wanted to get your number
The singer is interested in getting to know the person better, so they want to get their phone number.
So I could call you
The artist wants to call the person and potentially go out with them.
Coming to missy's aunt's
The artist and their friend, Pete, are going to Missy's aunt's house.
Oh Pete don't fall dude
The artist is telling Pete not to mess up or embarrass them in front of the person they're interested in.
Pete my singer don't know how to sing
The singer is admitting that Pete isn't the best singer, but they still need his help.
Pete I ain't got no hook
The artist doesn't have a catchy hook yet for their song.
Pete I don't know how to write sixteen bars
The singer is admitting that they're not the best writer and need Pete's help to create their song.
Pete, oh just make me hot
The singer is reiterating their need for Pete to make them sound amazing, no matter what.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: P. COLEMAN, PATRICK DOUTHIT, T. JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
missbonita23
phonte performed this at a show with 9th a few months. greatest moment of the nightttt
SF Pastrami King
If anyone ever saw this song live - you got a treat.
Eric Stewart
Phonte got me cracked up harder. His just being funny with that Percy Miracles ego.
jrandomyo
R.I.P. Percy Miracles
Soala John
These guys are definitely De La Soul's little brothers, it reminds me of them
The Jeneral J.U.-ICE 2022
🗣️"Gotdamn it! I'm Roy Lee, I know what the young boys like". 😭😂
altaariq
This joint was always hot to me. Wonder what the sample is
Ricky Moss
Gil Scott-Heron The Klan
MoNicholasLaird
Why were the last two comments flagged as spam? Gil Scott Heron is a LEGEND! RIP
gammakrush905
I'm guessing "P" is Pat (9th Wonder's first name).