Flowers Vol.5: The Little Brother
For a hip-hop fan as such as myself, there are very few groups I hold close to my heart like Little Brother. The NC groups imprint on hip-hop is everywhere, from it’s modern day superstars, to the blog era as a whole and more. If ‘”everyday life” had a lane to itself, Little Brother reminds me of it the most.
Starting off with the dual threat known as Phonte, and the perfect complement, energetic delivery with Big Pooh, both of these MC’s fused together for one of hip-hops biggest 1-2 punch its’ ever seen. Last, but not least, the glue that is 9th Wonder, an extreme talent, and chopping skills like no other. The groups biggest strength is balance. Everyone has their time to shine and nobody feels left out. Everyone makes the most of their opportunities.
The greatness in Little Brother comes from many angles. One of them being how well they were able to be comedic or satirical, but without overdoing it or it taking over their music. The Minstrel Show, being a satire of stereotypical commercials and more is a prime example of how to execute these concepts in the correct way. But, it did not overshadow the topics they talked about from song to song. From the rap game, to settling down, to a phenomenal parody with Cheatin, the Minstrel Show marked itself in time and is a staple in rap forever. But, their ability to tackle such a wide subject range does not stop at that album. For instance, on the Listening, they talk about how sometimes life can be too fast with Speed, and with Chitlin Circuit, talking about gaining success in addition to watching your back, cause someone is always watching.
When we talk about the imprints the group had on the blog era, we can’t fail to mention how raps biggest star does not exist, or is a completely different rapper with Phonte. But, even more, Cole and Kendrick also stating how much Little Brother has played in their musical progression as well.
Little Brother has one of the most unsung legacies in hip-hop, a blueprint for how to build a group, executing comedy in music the right way, and connecting with the listener through everyday life situations anyone can relate to.
What good are your flowers if you can’t smell them?
