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.
The Becoming
Little Brother Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To droppin' a classic album muhfuckers couldn't find
Took my respect, took lessons and took the time
And if you want a success story, just take a look at mine
I was blessed with the right components, so precise
Cause I write so tight within the moment
And spit like my life depended on it
I target you herbs
Tay rhymes are real life, yours are so 'for instance'
Taxin' these niggas like no dependents
12 bar courtroom drama with no co-defendants
Don't beat it off, come to your senses
Hard rock, my block is where you better be from
Top of the line, my team will never settle for crumbs
And he's hated, but still rated 2nd to none
I'm everything you wanna be but have yet to become
It all started back in '99 when time was hard
North Carolina Central but we called it the yard
Cause niggas wasn't trying to study abroad
They was trynna study a broad or two ir three up in the dorms
Met my nigga Chaundon and I started to ponder
"Fuck this, I'mma quit the football team tomorrow"
Did shows around town and word got around that battling Tay
Was like yelling 'spic' in Tijuana
Build my rep up, that's when Pooh and 9th stepped up
9th was old school, Pooh was young and playing catch-up
Cool, cause he could still rock an instrumental
Our first joints, yeah they was wack
But niggas could hear potential in 'em
Honing our skills for survival, hustling
Our flyers passed out like mamma at revival
The real deal on how I repped my peeps
You ain't goin' find this in no press release
Hard rock, my block is where you better be from
Top of the line, my team will never settle for crumbs
And he's hated, but still rated 2nd to none
I'm everything you wanna be but have yet to become
And "he's shook"
That's what your team is telling me, son
Still hated, but still rated 2nd to none
And Greensboro, cause that's the only 'boro I'm from
I'm everything you wanna be, but have yet to become
In Little Brother's song The Becoming, the lyrics speak to the journey of the artist from being told he shouldn't rhyme to becoming successful. The first verse talks about taking respect, lessons, and time while also having the right components for success. The artist explains how his writing is precise, and he spits like his life depended on it, showing his dedication to the craft. He also talks about targeting "herbs" on some "teleprompter shit," meaning he knows how to manipulate his words and get the upper hand in any situation.
In the second verse, the artist talks about his humble beginnings at North Carolina Central, where he met his friend Chaundon. He describes how he quit the football team to pursue his passion for music, and his reputation grew by battling other artists. Little Brother, composed of Pooh and 9th, stepped up to join him, and together they honed their skills and passed out flyers to promote their shows like "mamma at revival." The artist takes pride in representing his people and their journey towards success.
Overall, The Becoming is a song about overcoming challenges and obstacles to become successful. Through hard work and dedication, the artist and his crew have honed their craft and succeeded, inspiring listeners to follow their dreams and work towards achieving their goals.
Line by Line Meaning
I went from niggas tellin' me I really shouldn't rhyme
At first, people advised me not to become a rapper
To droppin' a classic album muhfuckers couldn't find
But then, I released an amazing album that people couldn't stop talking about
Took my respect, took lessons and took the time
I gained respect and learned valuable lessons by working hard and taking time to perfect my craft
And if you want a success story, just take a look at mine
My journey is one of success, and serves as an example of what can be achieved through hard work and dedication
I was blessed with the right components, so precise
I was lucky to have natural talent and skill that allowed me to be highly precise in my rapping
Cause I write so tight within the moment
I am able to write raps in a moment's notice, and do so with precision and skill
And spit like my life depended on it
When I rap, I put everything into it and give it my all as if my life depended on it
I target you herbs
I am focusing on weak, inexperienced rappers who can't match my level of skill
On some teleprompter shit I got you watching your words
My raps are so clever and precise that they leave other rappers stumbling and unable to come up with a good response
Tay rhymes are real life, yours are so 'for instance'
My raps are based on real life experiences and emotions, unlike other rappers whose lyrics feel contrived and fake
Taxin' these niggas like no dependents
I'm taking advantage of these weak rappers and charging them like I have no dependents
12 bar courtroom drama with no co-defendants
My raps are so strong that I feel like I could defend myself in court and win without any help
Don't beat it off, come to your senses
Stop trying so hard to be something you're not and come to your senses about your own abilities and limitations
Hard rock, my block is where you better be from
I come from a tough, hardworking community where only the best survive
Top of the line, my team will never settle for crumbs
My team is the best of the best, and we will never settle for anything less than the top spot
And he's hated, but still rated 2nd to none
Despite the hate and criticism I receive, I am still considered one of the best in the game
I'm everything you wanna be but have yet to become
I embody the traits and skills that other rappers aspire to have, but haven't yet achieved
And Greensboro, cause that's the only 'boro I'm from
I represent my hometown of Greensboro, and it's the only place I identify with
And 'he's shook'
Other rappers are intimidated by my skills and are afraid to go up against me
That's what your team is telling me, son
I'm aware that other rappers are intimidated by me because their teams have told me so
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PATRICK DOUTHIT, PHONTE COLEMAN, TIM DULAINE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind