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 Pressure
Little Brother Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Unh, unh, unh, unh, let it, bounce
Unh, unh, unh, unh, let it, bounce
You know sometimes a nigga get tired of always
Talkin' about shit he ain't got, milkin on shit
Sometims you gotta make use of what you got here, man
We right here, doin it, let it bounce
Use to wish on a star that I'd have big plaques
Big awards right here on the wall, everything that gleam
Lamp shades, back stage, for this nigga askin'
Tay, would you work ten years for your dream
Seven years later, now I see just what he mean
Cuz this is real life and I'm livin' kinda regular
Got a house, got a car, got a wife, [?]
Big Dho, manager, HOJ's the team
You can say I'm satisfied, though I often analyze
Why this rap shit rip my hear at the seams
This ain't time to fantasize, I'm not a whippersnapper
I'm trying to get these crackers for all of they cream
Like Dairy Queen or Häagen-Dazs
Cuz the rap audience like the way I handle bars
Like it before they thoughts, Oh so easily, just like Sheila E
When she was singing Hollyrock, Oh, check out the scene
We ain't got time for your bullshit schemes
Cuz once Tay begins, they say depends
Much bigger than a sword and I'm a lyrical Lance-A-Lot
I ain't gotta dance a lot, check the way I lean
[Chorus: Rapper Big Pooh (Phonte)]
Yes, yes, now! You now rockin' wit' the muh'fuckin' best now
Think of fuckin' wit the team, I suggest not
Real shit, you can feel it in your chest, now
Got y'all feelin' the pressure
(Got ya'll feelin' the pressure
Phonte feelin' the pressure, feelin the pressue
Got ya'll feelin' the pressure
Big Pooh feelin' the pressure so feel the pressure)
[Rapper Big Pooh:]
Niggaz block, women jock on your cock, round the clock
Get it, get it, don't stop, catch you on the rise
Made a lil' dough in this rap game slow
See my video, so they swear I'm movin' pies
Old whip, new kicks, few flicks, same chick
New picks, same bitch, no I'm not a star
Let my hair grow, put my mic game down
This the third time round, I'm shootin for a par
We came this far, and no one assisted
Co-signed, or enlisted, like we ain't gifted
We be gettin' lifted of the beats and drank liquor
We call women hoes, that's if the name fits
Put me in the box, I ain't wrappin' up shit
Made music my career, some of y'all just spit
Homie, just sit back, pay attention
Forgot to mention Hall of Justus is the click
[Chorus]
[Outro: Rapper Big Pooh (Phonte)]
Can you feel that?
That tight grip around your neck, nigga
That's pressure nigga
That's pressure nigga
(Let it, bounce)
Yeah, nigga, Mick I think that's enough
Yeah, that's your new name, "Nigga Mick"
(Hehe, nigger) NIGGER YOU'RE MY NIGGER!
The first verse of "The Pressure" by Little Brother is a reflection of the journey of Phonte's rap career thus far. He starts by saying that sometimes he gets tired of always talking about things he doesn't have and he needs to appreciate what he has now. Phonte mentions how he used to wish for big plaques on his walls and awards but now he's living a regular life with a wife, a house, and a car. He reflects on how he's been in the game for seven years and now he finally understands the importance of putting in the work. Phonte wants to get paid for his hard work but he's not just in it for the money, he truly loves making music. At the end of the verse, he talks about how the audience likes the way he handles bars and that his rap career is much bigger than a sword.
The second verse is by Rapper Big Pooh, where he talks about how he's been grinding in the rap game too. He makes a play on words by saying "Niggas block, women jock on your cock, round the clock" and it means that people are watching and paying attention to your every move. Pooh mentions how he's made a little bit of money but it's not like he's moving weight, and people just assume that he is because he's a rapper. He reflects on how he's put in a lot of work to get this far and no one has assisted him, and he's proud of that fact. He also mentions how they call women hoes only if the name fits and how they don't rap about wrapping things up because they're not trying to act like something they're not.
"The Pressure" is about the struggles of pursuing a rap career and how it's not all about money, it's about the love of the music too. The two verses from Phonte and Rapper Big Pooh show that they both have been around for a while and accomplished some things, but there's still so much more work to do. The song also has a catchy, repeating chorus that's meant to make the audience feel the pressure, as if they're in the rap game themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Unh, unh, unh, unh, let it, bounce
Starting the song with a command to let the beat 'bounce'
You know sometimes a nigga get tired of always
Sometimes tired of always talking about things they don't have
Talkin' about shit he ain't got, milkin on shit
Continuing from the previous line, referring to bragging about nonexistent possessions
Use to wish on a star that I'd have big plaques
Reflecting on past dreams of awards and fame
Seven years later, now I see just what he mean
Realizing the reality of the music industry after seven years
Cuz this is real life and I'm livin' kinda regular
Acknowledging a more mundane, everyday life rather than dream fame
You can say I'm satisfied, though I often analyze
Content with life but still reflecting and analyzing decisions
Trying to get these crackers for all of they cream
Working hard to monetize and profit off of music
Cuz the rap audience like the way I handle bars
The audience enjoys his rhyme skills and wordplay
Much bigger than a sword and I'm a lyrical Lance-A-Lot
Similar to the character Lancelot, extremely skilled in his craft
Got y'all feelin' the pressure
The chorus, emphasizing a feeling of pressure for themselves and others
Niggaz block, women jock on your cock, round the clock
Receiving attention from both male and female admirers
Made a lil' dough in this rap game slow
Slowly making money in the rap industry
Put my mic game down
Focusing on improving his rhyming and lyricism abilities
We came this far, and no one assisted
Success was achieved through their own hard work and talent, without help from others
We call women hoes, that's if the name fits
Acknowledging the negative language and attitudes towards women in the music industry
Put me in the box, I ain't wrappin' up shit
Refusing to conform to expectations and limitations
Can you feel that?
The outro, referencing the previous feeling of pressure
That tight grip around your neck, nigga
Continuing the metaphor of pressure suffocating and restricting
NIGGER YOU'RE MY NIGGER!
A final ad-lib, repeating the use of a controversial word
Contributed by Max O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.