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.
On and On
Little Brother Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yeah, LB's back in this
Please bear witness
"On and on and on and on and on and..." --> Q-Tip
To the one and only Rapper Big Pooh
Phonte, 9th Wonder y'all
Y'all know how we do every time we come out
Check it out uh, yo, uh
They wanna know Pooh and this rap life
They wanna know what it's like not to sleep nights
They wanna do joints, have 'em sound butter
They wanna roll with the League and know Scudda
They wanna know Dilla, they wanna know Dho
Topshop, Missians(?) their studios
They wanna rhyme with 'Te, get beats from P
Be the third member yelling out LB's
They wanna role trip, niggas trip on the roll
Plenty clowns, they wanna know Mike now
They wanna know Po', they wanna know Wu
End '98, they wanna help start something new
They wanna know this hunger, they wanna know
why hate seems to fuel niggas longer
They wanna know if they can make me quit
Muh'fuckers, I'm built for this, so get your game right
[Chorus: Darien Brockington]
And on and on and on and on
And on and on and on and on
And on and on and on and on and on, ohh, ohhhh
[Phonte]
They wanna know 9th, they wanna know Pooh
But they ain't tryna know the crazy shit they go through
Like four AM in the booth recording vocals
or at the club watching fake niggas approach you
They wanna know 'Te, the one that's wild and crazed
Not the nigga with a child to raise
Not that nigga that's dead broke and writes a page
to keep his faith through the long nights and faceless days
Shit, niggas be eyeing me down
Wanna be my appetite for destruction but I'm died in now
Wanna see my team fall out or step out of bounds
so they can try and take control of the crown
But as long as fam is holding me down
it's crunch time with a minute to go
I'm at the baseline stealing the show
And when I make a million or so, still focus on God
Cause rap might decide it don't feel me no more
[Chorus]
[Darien Brockington]
And on... oooh
You can't stop to the break of dawn
You can't stop no, no
[Rapper Big Pooh]
I wanna know joy, get away from pain
Have money in my pocket taking care of things
Not the dookie role-pairing bone or finger rings
But a house with some land, real estate man
I wanna know success, get away from hate and
It's enough food, we all get a plate and
[Phonte]
Break bread like Merida and Sunbeam
One team coming through in your speaker for one thing
In a short time went from unsigned and unseen
to outshining you niggas without the sunscreen
We home run hitters, y'all niggas just bun sing
On a quest to make history tryna run things, LB
[Chorus]
The song "On and On" by Little Brother is a reflection on the experiences of three rappers - Rapper Big Pooh, Phonte, and 9th Wonder - in their rap life. The song is an introduction of sorts as the trio talks about what people want to know about them. Throughout the song, they touch on different aspects of their experience as rappers, from the hunger that drives them to the hardships they have to face. Despite everything, they remain committed to their craft.
Rapper Big Pooh talks about the romanticized notion of being a rapper and what people think the experience is like. He talks about the desire to do joints, have them sound "butter," roll with the league, and know Scudda. Phonte talks about the level of commitment it takes to be a successful rapper, the struggle to balance personal and professional life. Finally, Darien Brockington sings the chorus repeatedly, offering a resounding testament to the persistence and durability of Little Brother as a group.
The song is a powerful reminder that being a successful rapper isn't always glamorous, and the dream doesn't always match the reality. It's a reflection on the price of success, the hard work it takes to achieve it, and the resilience it takes to continue pursuing it.
Line by Line Meaning
Yeah, LB's back in this
Little Brother is back with a new song
Please bear witness
Pay attention to our lyrics
"On and on and on and on and on and..." --> Q-Tip
Referencing Q-Tip's song "Excursions" from the album "The Low End Theory" which uses the same phrase
To the one and only Rapper Big Pooh
Referring to Rapper Big Pooh as the one and only
Phonte, 9th Wonder y'all
Acknowledging Phonte and 9th Wonder, the other members of Little Brother
Y'all know how we do every time we come out
Our fans know what to expect from us
Check it out uh, yo, uh
Listen carefully to what we have to say
They wanna know Pooh and this rap life
People are curious about Rapper Big Pooh's life as a rapper
They wanna know what it's like not to sleep nights
They want to know about the sleepless nights that come with the rap life
They wanna do joints, have 'em sound butter
They want to make good music
They wanna roll with the League and know Scudda
They want to be part of the Little Brother crew and meet producer Scudda
They wanna know Dilla, they wanna know Dho
They want to know J Dilla and Dho from Topshop Studios
Topshop, Missians(?) their studios
References Topshop and Missie Ann of Topshop Studios
They wanna rhyme with 'Te, get beats from P
They want to collaborate with Phonte and get beats from Rapper Big Pooh
Be the third member yelling out LB's
They want to be the third member of Little Brother
They wanna role trip, niggas trip on the roll
They want to go on a road trip but they're afraid of the risks
Plenty clowns, they wanna know Mike now
There are lots of fake people who only want to meet Little Brother's manager, Mike
They wanna know Po', they wanna know Wu
They want to know Rapper Big Pooh and the Wu-Tang Clan
End '98, they wanna help start something new
In 1998, they want to be part of Little Brother's new movement
They wanna know this hunger, they wanna know
They want to understand the drive and hunger that motivates Little Brother
why hate seems to fuel niggas longer
They want to know why some people are fueled by hate and negativity
They wanna know if they can make me quit
They want to know if they can break Rapper Big Pooh's spirit
Muh'fuckers, I'm built for this, so get your game right
Rapper Big Pooh is not going to give up easily, so those who want to take him down need to step up their game
And on and on and on and on
The chorus repeats the phrase from the beginning of the song
And on and on and on and on and on, ohh, ohhhh
Repeating the chorus with a slight variation
They wanna know 9th, they wanna know Pooh
People want to know more about 9th Wonder and Rapper Big Pooh
But they ain't tryna know the crazy shit they go through
People don't want to know about the hardships and struggles they face as artists
Like four AM in the booth recording vocals
The late hours spent recording music in the studio
or at the club watching fake niggas approach you
Dealing with fake people who only want to use them to advance their own careers
They wanna know 'Te, the one that's wild and crazed
People want to know Phonte as the wild and crazy rapper
Not the nigga with a child to raise
Phonte is also a father whose responsibilities extend beyond his rap career
Not that nigga that's dead broke and writes a page
Phonte has had financial struggles but continues to write music
to keep his faith through the long nights and faceless days
Drawing on his faith to get through difficult times
Shit, niggas be eyeing me down
People are watching him closely, waiting for him to fail
Wanna be my appetite for destruction but I'm died in now
His critics want him to fail but he is not going to give them the satisfaction of seeing him fall apart
Wanna see my team fall out or step out of bounds
People want Little Brother to fail as a group
so they can try and take control of the crown
People want to take over as the top group
But as long as fam is holding me down
As long as his family and friends are supporting him
it's crunch time with a minute to go
They are under pressure but still have time to succeed
I'm at the baseline stealing the show
Going for the win and standing out from the competition
And when I make a million or so, still focus on God
Even if he becomes successful and wealthy, he will continue to prioritize his faith
Cause rap might decide it don't feel me no more
Acknowledging that the rap industry can be fickle and may not always support him
You can't stop to the break of dawn
The beat and music won't stop until the early hours of the morning
You can't stop no, no
Continuing to emphasize that nothing can stop them
I wanna know joy, get away from pain
Rapper Big Pooh wants to experience happiness and avoid pain
Have money in my pocket taking care of things
He wants financial stability to take care of himself and his responsibilities
Not the dookie role-pairing bone or finger rings
He doesn't want to be flashy or show off his wealth with high-end accessories
But a house with some land, real estate man
He wants to invest in real estate and own property
I wanna know success, get away from hate and
He wants to be successful and avoid negativity
It's enough food, we all get a plate and
There is enough success to go around and everyone can benefit from it
Break bread like Merida and Sunbeam
Sharing food and prosperity with others like Merida and Sunbeam bread
One team coming through in your speaker for one thing
Little Brother is committed to making good music as a united team
In a short time went from unsigned and unseen
Little Brother went from being unknown and unsigned to becoming successful quickly
to outshining you niggas without the sunscreen
They are outperforming the competition without needing any protection
We home run hitters, y'all niggas just bun sing
Little Brother is hitting home runs while others just bunt
On a quest to make history tryna run things, LB
Little Brother is striving to make their mark on the music industry and be successful
And on... oooh
Repeating the chorus one last time
Contributed by Camilla A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Phumlile Mzimela
My ringtone for 2 years 🙆♀️😍😍🙌😭
Chano26 Illmind
This feels legit 🎼🎶🎵
waterdlyed
🔥🔥🔥💥
ImSoDoLo
Whoa!!!💪💪💯💯
Richard Nyombi
This is so like ..Daamn !
Brad Nicolas
thats sick
Mark Reid
bad boy tune
A M Leavy
Boom!
Salkebulan
Damn... Chitlin Circuit !
Salkebulan
Ahahaha yessssss !