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 Brotherβs 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 projectβs 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.
Shorty On The Lookout
Little Brother Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey yo rollin' out the cribe about a quarter to six (quarter to six) (okay)
Fresh tims bubble goose all in the mix (all in the mix)
Y'all niggas know my stee's and how crazy I get (uh huh)
I'm lookin' for the broad shaking ass and tips (shake it down now)
I got the j-league bangin' hard out the whip (hard out the whip)
Picked up the phone and hit my nigga pooh on sip (ring)
I got the call from 'te about a quarter to eight (quarter to eight)
Don't about y'all niggas but I sure look great (sure look great)
I went to change that's how I meet in place (you know)
There go 'te and all damn he always late (always late)
Hop in the whip it's the leagues new shit (yeah)
What up with this chicks yo I'm trying to hit (trying to hit)
Hey yo these chicks around here and trying to give me no play (oh word)
They mad at my verse from whatever you say
Yo sorry about the shirt I'll hit you with pay (okay)
You still rockin' that punch from the video day (say word)
We about to take it over to the median stay
Just bounce to the beat bounce, rock and sway
Shorty hit the brakes to late (check it out now slow it down now)
Looking at me 'cause I am just keeping it thoroughly
Shorty hit the brakes to late (check it out now slow it down now)
We shine it right for every man, child, woman and girl
To my man's in it (c'mon) and my peep's in it (c'mon) and my girls in it
(C'mon) put your world in it (ooh)
Shorty hit the brakes to late (check it out now slow it down now)
Looking at us because we on top of the world
Shorty hit the brakes to late (check it out now slow it down now)
And every state, every city, every town and girl
And to my freaks in it (c'mon) and the fam in it (c'mon) and the ladies in
It (c'mon) it's all gravy in it (ooh)
Hey that nigga Median ain't never at home (never at home)
He trying to be a player like Rome and dome (slow it down boy)
Probably at a coffee shop trying to bone (okay)
Gassing up these chicks like sharon stone (say what)
Got these young broads thinking that they grown (okay)
Nigga need to go and get a cellular phone (that's what you need to do)
'Te I see him at a party just last week (just last week)
He had him around his arm a little dark skin freak (dark skin freak)
MC on the table on the mic you meet (you meet)
Broads around median trying to speak (trying to speak)
I guess that's the life walking the his shoes (I don't know)
All we need now is a dutch and a brew (okay)
It's mid December in her (mid December in her)
Seventy degrees and the sky's are clear(sky's are clear)
Feel's so good like the vein in hear (vein in hear)
Dude thow's stars and stripes mean that the end is near (end is near)
No time got evicted got a cribe to clear
Move on don't stop house parties and all
And we going to ball till the break of dawn
Shorty hit the brakes to late (check it out now slow it down now)
Looking at me 'cause I am just keeping it thoroughly
Shorty hit the brakes to late (check it out now slow it down now)
We shine it right for every man, child, woman and girl
To my man's in it (c'mon) and my peep's in it (c'mon) and my girls in it
(C'mon) put your world in it (ooh)
Shorty hit the brakes to late (check it out now slow it down now)
Looking at us because we on top of the world
Shorty hit the brakes to late (check it out now slow it down now)
And every state, every city, every town and girl
And to my freaks in it (c'mon) and the fam in it (c'mon) and the ladies in
Man we you in we trying to lay this jam (lay this jam)
All we here is songs the invisible man (invisible man)
Girls they go hard get-getty and stuff (getty and stuff)
That's why we won't you we ain't pretty enough (pretty enough)
To the neisan we going to lay these plans (lay these plans)
Next week we record it at missy yan's (missy yan's right)
Probably think I be playing with this (it ain't like that)
I can here them niggas pooh and phonte in this shit (phonte in this shit)
If only they knew that a brother could holdin' it down
Grindin' till the day we be controllin' it now (controllin' it now)
To the break of dawn (break of dawn) to the break of dawn (break of dawn)
Flow's hot just open up your mind baby (baby)
The blind lead the blind make the grind crazy (grind crazy)
Why maybe just co-signed baby (co-signed baby)
Median would like to know your baby (know your mind)
J-lizzy is about to blow your mind baby (mind baby)
Lunch time, crunch time, punch line baby (punch line baby
Our time now what is that a crime now baby (crime baby)
Shorty hit the brakes to late (check it out now slow it down now)
Looking at me 'cause I am just keeping it thoroughly
Shorty hit the brakes to late (check it out now slow it down now)
We shine it right for every man, child, woman and girl
To my man's in it (c'mon) and my peep's in it (c'mon) and my girls in it
(C'mon) put your world in it (ooh)
Shorty hit the brakes to late (check it out now slow it down now)
Looking at us because we on top of the world
Shorty hit the brakes to late (check it out now slow it down now)
And every state, every city, every town and girl
And to my freaks in it (c'mon) and the fam in it (c'mon) and the ladies in
"Shorty On The Lookout" is a track by Little Brother, a hip hop group from Durham, North Carolina. The song starts with a man taking a drive to search for women while listening to J-League music in his car. The narrative then shifts to a group of friends talking about their recent experiences with girls. Throughout the song, the notion of being on the lookout for women and different experiences in life is heavily reinforced.
As a whole, the song is about the urge to explore the world and the people in it, sometimes in a silly or reckless way. It is also about the thrill of being young, attractive, and adventurous. The line "shorty hit the brakes too late" serves as a metaphor for the young woman in question being unable to resist the charms of the singer.
In a broader sense, "Shorty On The Lookout" is a tribute to the romanticism of hip-hop culture. The lyrics are filled with references to hookups, music, fashion, and pop culture from the 90s and early 2000s.
Line by Line Meaning
Shorty hit the brakes to late
Shorty was driving too fast and stopped the car too late.
Hey yo rollin' out the cribe about a quarter to six (quarter to six) (okay)
I'm going out of my house at around 5:45 PM.
Fresh tims bubble goose all in the mix (all in the mix)
I'm wearing fresh Timberlands and a bubble goose jacket.
Y'all niggas know my stee's and how crazy I get (uh huh)
You know me and how wild I can be.
I'm lookin' for the broad shaking ass and tips (shake it down now)
I'm looking for a woman who's dancing suggestively.
I got the j-league bangin' hard out the whip (hard out the whip)
The music in my car is blasting loudly.
Picked up the phone and hit my nigga pooh on sip (ring)
I called my friend Pooh on his cell phone.
I got the call from 'te about a quarter to eight (quarter to eight)
My friend 'Te called me at around 7:45 PM.
Don't about y'all niggas but I sure look great (sure look great)
I'm feeling good about how I look.
I went to change that's how I meet in place (you know)
I went to change my clothes before we met up.
There go 'te and all damn he always late (always late)
'Te is here, and as usual, he's late.
Hop in the whip it's the leagues new shit (yeah)
Get in the car, it's the latest model from the car company.
What up with this chicks yo I'm trying to hit (trying to hit)
What's the deal with these women? I'm trying to hook up with them.
Hey yo these chicks around here and trying to give me no play (oh word)
These women around here are not interested in me.
They mad at my verse from whatever you say
They don't like my lyrics from the song 'Whatever You Say.'
Yo sorry about the shirt I'll hit you with pay (okay)
I'm sorry about the shirt- I'll buy you a new one.
You still rockin' that punch from the video day (say word)
Are you still wearing that bracelet from the day we made the video?
We about to take it over to the median stay
We're going to hang out in the center of the road.
Just bounce to the beat bounce, rock and sway
Just dance to the rhythm of the music.
Looking at me 'cause I am just keeping it thoroughly
People are looking at me because I'm being real.
We shine it right for every man, child, woman and girl
We're doing our best for every person, regardless of gender or age.
To my man's in it (c'mon) and my peep's in it (c'mon) and my girls in it
(C'mon) put your world in it (ooh)
To all my friends and acquaintances, let's do this together.
Looking at us because we on top of the world
People are looking at us because we're successful.
And every state, every city, every town and girl
We're known in every place and by every girl.
And to my freaks in it (c'mon) and the fam in it (c'mon) and the ladies in
It (c'mon) it's all gravy in it (ooh)
To all the ladies and fans, everything's going well.
Hey that nigga Median ain't never at home (never at home)
Median is never at his house.
He trying to be a player like Rome and dome (slow it down boy)
He's trying to be a player like Rome and fool around with women.
Probably at a coffee shop trying to bone (okay)
He's probably at a coffee shop trying to pick up women.
Gassing up these chicks like sharon stone (say what)
Talking to these women and trying to make them feel good.
Got these young broads thinking that they grown (okay)
He's making these young women feel like they're older.
Nigga need to go and get a cellular phone (that's what you need to do)
He should buy a cell phone.
'Te I see him at a party just last week (just last week)
I saw 'Te at a party last week.
He had him around his arm a little dark skin freak (dark skin freak)
He had a woman with dark skin hanging on his arm.
MC on the table on the mic you meet (you meet)
The MC is on the turntable and you meet him.
Broads around median trying to speak (trying to speak)
Women are trying to talk to Median.
I guess that's the life walking the his shoes (I don't know)
I suppose that's what it's like to be in his shoes.
All we need now is a dutch and a brew (okay)
All we need now is a blunt and a beer.
It's mid December in her (mid December in her)
It's mid-December.
Seventy degrees and the sky's are clear(sky's are clear)
It's warm and sunny outside.
Feel's so good like the vein in hear (vein in hear)
It feels great.
Dude thow's stars and stripes mean that the end is near (end is near)
Do those stars and stripes mean that the end of the world is coming soon?
No time got evicted got a cribe to clear
I don't have time- I was evicted and need to find a new place to live.
Move on don't stop house parties and all
Let's keep going and partying.
And we going to ball till the break of dawn
And we're going to keep having fun until the sun comes up.
Man we you in we trying to lay this jam (lay this jam)
We're trying to make some good music together.
All we here is songs the invisible man (invisible man)
All we hear is music, but we didn't see who made it.
Girls they go hard get-getty and stuff (getty and stuff)
Women are out here partying and having fun.
That's why we won't you we ain't pretty enough (pretty enough)
That's why women don't pay much attention to us- we're not attractive enough.
To the neisan we going to lay these plans (lay these plans)
Let's make a plan and stick to it.
Next week we record it at missy yan's (missy yan's right)
Next week we're recording at Missy Yan's studio.
Probably think I be playing with this (it ain't like that)
Some people think I'm joking when I'm actually serious about making music.
I can here them niggas pooh and phonte in this shit (phonte in this shit)
I can hear my friends Pooh and Phonte being involved in this music.
If only they knew that a brother could holdin' it down
If only they knew that I'm keeping it under control.
Grindin' till the day we be controllin' it now (controllin' it now)
Working hard until we are in control of our music careers.
To the break of dawn (break of dawn) to the break of dawn (break of dawn)
We're going to keep partying until daybreak.
Flow's hot just open up your mind baby (baby)
Our music is great, just listen with an open mind.
The blind lead the blind make the grind crazy (grind crazy)
People who don't know what they're doing are making things difficult.
Why maybe just co-signed baby (co-signed baby)
Why not just agree with me for now?
Median would like to know your baby (know your mind)
Median wants to know your opinion.
J-lizzy is about to blow your mind baby (mind baby)
J-Lizzy is about to make you amazed.
Lunch time, crunch time, punch line baby (punch line baby
It's time to eat, make decisions, and come up with some great jokes.
Our time now what is that a crime now baby (crime baby)
It's time for us to shine and succeed, is that a problem?
Lyrics Β© BMG Rights Management
Written by: J. LIVINGSTON, P. COLEMAN, PATRICK DOUTHIT, T. JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
arclight
4:23 - that switch is so dope I'm getting the chills all the time. Classic album.
Luke Vaughan
Stylus - Hanginβ. Such a dope Aussie record
dubsmitty72
J-Lizzy... It's a shame more people didn't hear LB back then. These cats were the torch carriers for real hip hop. Phonte was the coldest mc you never heard of. That early ninth and phonte; they dropped jems. The whole Justus League, away team should have BEEN in far heavier rotation.
yoshiki takaya
dubsmitty72 hell yeah!!
Fred Rogers
Straight facts!!
Clive Gameinn Mg
One of the best tracks ever made in life
Midnight Marauder
Period
1trx2
word!
Aboriginal T
Classic hip hop at it's finest! Love this whole album still knocking this shit in '17.
nc_vince
Aboriginal knocking in 2020!!