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.
Tension
Little Brother Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And we do it like this, y'all
All day, everytime don't miss y'all
It's Little Brother, Phonte don't quit y'all
It's Big Pooh, 9th Wonder on the shit y'all (LB, baby)
It's like this, it's like that, keep it goin on (you know we back)
It's like this, it's like that, keep it goin on
(...tension on y'all niggaz)
[Rapper Big Pooh]
I'm ready to fight, every last hatin-ass, fakin-ass
blantant-ass stoytellin pussy magellan
(NO!!!) You ain't know, I came ready to scrap
I'm a chill-ass nigga 'til you push me black (aight?)(OHH!!!)
Yeah, that's my nigga there, he got my back
We ride that bitch until the wheels fall off, and the rims gon crack
A-matter of fact, we back on attack
Tay and Pooh rock mics, niggy-9th on the track
The League is here, please beware
We were hungry for a while muh'fuckers, we gon eat this year
(YEAH!!!) I'm ready to do it, I'm ready for whatever
No matter the weather - rain, sleet, snow, hail, or sunshine
And I'ma get mine, and I'm get right
I don't care what you crab critics write
Despite the fact LB still fat to death
The last ones left STAY holdin your breath, nigga!
[Chorus 1 - 2X]
Yo, without a doubt, tun it out, give it to you raw
Never seen, never heard, never did before
I'm feelin tension in the air, yo
But I ain't goin nowhere, we right muh'fuckin here, yo
[Phonte]
Check it out, yo Phonte the rap patter familias
Man of constant sorrow that's in the booth killin you niggaz with
a highly flammable style that's burnin your villages
and got everybody runnin cause they see just how real it is
Cause that's what it takes to get through
And all of you faggotty niggaz who fronted, no we won't forget you
Who tried to fuck around with our sound credentials
But now, when we come around, you sound pre-minstrel
I'll bring it to you live when it's time to
But I got bigger things on my mind and I know we gon shine thru
You creepin and I know where to find you
I copped the 12-inch, how you let your instrumental out-rhyme you, nigga?
My whole team come through like the task force
Makin niggaz sit down is all we can stand for
You fake fifteen-and-a-half-bar rap stars
Take ya caps off, LB bout to blast off, what?
[Chorus 2]
Yo, without a doubt, tun it out, give it to you raw
Never seen, never heard, never did before
I'm feelin tension in the air, yo
But we ain't goin nowhere, we right muh'fuckin here, yo
Yo, without a doubt, tun it out, give it to you raw
Never seen, never heard, never did before
I'm feelin tension in the air, yo
But we ain't runnin nowhere, we right muh'fuckin here, yo
[Rapper Big Pooh]
Aiyyo, I'm Gon Git You Sucka, every hero needs
some theme music, and this is mine
You feelin danger, then press rewind
I press and Clydesdale wack MCs', God rich with the rhyme
[Phonte]
Let's hit the pedal yo and let's burn out
I see the bitch in some of y'all heels and ya press-perm out (okay)
I'm hungry like the Wolf of London for a fresh turn-out
That goes out, to each and every last ONE of y'all fag-niggaz
Been tryin to get on for years, now you mad wit us
Wanna-be MCs', but better off ad-libbers (uh){both} I jab niggaz...
[Rapper Big Pooh]
...who claim they rode with mad killas
I got your album, every joint sound like bad fillers
We constantly spinnin, like a set of perrellis
We retro-fitted like a chick rockin jellies (uh)
It's all from the soul to my belly
You better pick up your celly and let the world know Big Pooh is BACK (nigga, OH!)
[Chorus 1 + 1/2 Chorus 2 w/ ad-lbis]
We doin this for y'all yo...
and that's wassup
The song "Tension" by Little Brother begins with an introduction where they're declaring their presence, and it's essentially an ode to their own greatness. The lyrics are filled with braggadocio, and they're not holding anything back. The song's message can be broken down into three themes: Little Brother's tenacity, the opposition they face, and the constant pressure to create something new.
The first rapper, Big Pooh, is essentially spoiling for a fight with the people who doubt him. He's not going anywhere, and he's got his crew to back him up, even to the point of riding it like a car until the wheels fall off. He's ready to take on anything or anyone who stands in his way. The second rapper, Phonte, is no different. He follows Pooh's lead and continues to proclaim Little Brother's greatness. He even goes on to call out the "naysayers" and those who have tried to impede their progress, stating that they won't get the best of him.
The chorus emphasizes that Little Brother is here to stay, despite any tension or opposition. They're stepping up their game and creating something new every time. They've got the talent and determination to make it, and they aren't letting anyone stand in their way.
In conclusion, "Tension" is a rap song about Little Brother's determination to keep pushing forward despite the challenges they face. Their lyrics are filled with bravado and a sense of world-weariness, but ultimately, they're persistent in their pursuit of success. They're not going anywhere, and they'll continue to make music until the world takes notice.
Line by Line Meaning
And we do it like this, y'all
This is how we do it, always
All day, everytime don't miss y'all
We do this every day, all the time without fail
It's Little Brother, Phonte don't quit y'all
We are Little Brother, and Phonte never quits
It's Big Pooh, 9th Wonder on the shit y'all (LB, baby)
Big Pooh and 9th Wonder are here too, representing Little Brother
It's like this, it's like that, keep it goin on (you know we back)
We keep it going on, you know we're back
(...tension on y'all niggaz)
We're bringing tension to our haters
(f'real) What you think this shit is, man?
This is real, don't underestimate us
I'm ready to fight, every last hatin-ass, fakin-ass
I'm ready to fight against all the fake haters
blantant-ass stoytellin pussy magellan
People who lie and make up stories are cowards
(NO!!!) You ain't know, I came ready to scrap
You don't know that I'm ready to fight
I'm a chill-ass nigga 'til you push me black (aight?)(OHH!!!)
I'm a calm person until you push me, then I'll fight back
Yeah, that's my nigga there, he got my back
My friend has my back
We ride that bitch until the wheels fall off, and the rims gon crack
We stick together until the end, no matter what happens
A-matter of fact, we back on attack
We're back and ready to fight
Tay and Pooh rock mics, niggy-9th on the track
Tay and Pooh are rapping and 9th Wonder is producing the track
The League is here, please beware
Our group is here, watch out
We were hungry for a while muh'fuckers, we gon eat this year
We've been working hard for a while and we're going to succeed this year
(YEAH!!!) I'm ready to do it, I'm ready for whatever
I'm ready to do whatever it takes
No matter the weather - rain, sleet, snow, hail, or sunshine
We will succeed no matter what the conditions are
And I'ma get mine, and I'm get right
I'll succeed and I'll be successful
I don't care what you crab critics write
I don't care about negative critics
Despite the fact LB still fat to death
Despite the fact that Little Brother is still successful
The last ones left STAY holdin your breath, nigga!
We're still here and we're not going anywhere
Yo, without a doubt, tun it out, give it to you raw
We're giving it to you real
Never seen, never heard, never did before
This is something new and fresh
I'm feelin tension in the air, yo
I can feel the tension and animosity in the air
But I ain't goin nowhere, we right muh'fuckin here, yo
But we're not going anywhere, we're right here
Phonte the rap patter familias
Phonte is the leader of this rap family
Man of constant sorrow that's in the booth killin you niggaz with
Phonte is a talented rapper who can't be stopped
a highly flammable style that's burnin your villages
Phonte's style is intense and powerful
and got everybody runnin cause they see just how real it is
People are intimidated and run because they see how real and talented Phonte is
Cause that's what it takes to get through
This is what it takes to succeed
And all of you faggotty niggaz who fronted, no we won't forget you
We won't forget about those who doubted us
Who tried to fuck around with our sound credentials
Those who tried to undermine our sound
But now, when we come around, you sound pre-minstrel
Now that we're successful, you sound like you're from a long-gone era
I'll bring it to you live when it's time to
I'll bring it to you live when the time comes
But I got bigger things on my mind and I know we gon shine thru
I have more important things to focus on, but I know we'll succeed
You creepin and I know where to find you
I know where our haters are hiding
I copped the 12-inch, how you let your instrumental out-rhyme you, nigga?
I bought your instrumentals and used them better than you did
My whole team come through like the task force
We come through powerfully like a task force
Makin niggaz sit down is all we can stand for
We won't tolerate anyone who discredits us
You fake fifteen-and-a-half-bar rap stars
You're a fake rap star who can't even rap properly
Take ya caps off, LB bout to blast off, what?
Take your hats off, Little Brother is about to become even more successful
Yo, without a doubt, tun it out, give it to you raw
We're giving it to you raw and unfiltered
Never seen, never heard, never did before
This is something new and fresh
I'm feelin tension in the air, yo
I can feel the tension and animosity in the air
But we ain't goin nowhere, we right muh'fuckin here, yo
But we're not going anywhere, we're right here
We doin this for y'all yo...
We're doing this for our fans
and that's wassup
And that's what's important
Contributed by Charlie K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.