Lil B – Black Ken (Mixtape Review)

So Lil B had a buzz at one time, and it was one of the weirdest ones to me: it was like no one took him seriously, but at the same time people had mad respect for him because he was a professional at not being serious (Confusing? Very!) Well with this Mixtape, theBasedGod looks to either remind people how historically bad he is, or surprise us with how not so bad he is.

TOP 5

5. PRODUCED BY THEBASEDGOD INTRO

BasedGod does beats now? I like it folks! Actually, this s–t sorta sounds PaRappa the Rappa.

So why is this instrumental in my top 5? Because I think that is a very dope way to open up an album! Also, this is the one song on the Mixtape that doesn’t have his goofy ass talking.

4. THE REAL IS BACK

This is a diss record towards Soulja Boy people; how come no one is flabbergasted by this?

Lil B tries his hardest at dropping some kill-a-rapper bars, but comes across as trying a little too hard to me; nonetheless, his bars (Which I’m sure it took some time for him to write) were not bad at all.

The level of delusion on this song is jaw dropping… This dude literally thinks he deserves fame/Hood points….HE LITERALLY COMPARED WHAT WE ARE HEARING ON THIS SONG TO JESUS!!!! I am officially clocking out!

All in all, the song wasn’t that bad.

3. BAD MF/STILL RUN IT

I am very impressed with Lil’B’s approach on both of these songs!
It feels like he took the onous to drop some hard 90’s California
s–t on it, with the mindset that he was going to do what other rappers weren’t doing these days.

We will never mistake Lil B for Eazy-E, but I can appreciate him paying homage to people like him (I am assuming that’s what he’s doing here).

2. GETTING HOT

Lil B sounds like Keak Da Sneak and/or Lil Jon on this song.

This song might have gotten 5/5 if it was 2004, but since it is 2017, it’ll get a little lower than that (The song just has that Lil Jon and the Eastside Boyz sound to it that no one wants to hear in the present times).

I like the energy on the track, and I also like the role playing B is doing too (Once again, I am assuming he is role playing here). B is able to keep your attention with his party-like sound throughout, which is the least I can ask for from him.

1. GLOBAL

I actually made no exceptions, no curving, or no handing out of sorry points for this song – I legit think this track is good!

Makonnen is on the track, and he gives us this techno-inspired sound that already makes the song unique from the others. I actually enjoy when Makonnen doesn’t try to do too much on a song like this, because I think he sounds God-AWUL when he tries to sing.

Lil B is fantastic lyrically on this song! (Ok not fantastic, but pretty damn stomachable) B gives us some nice punchlines on his verses, rapping with this cockiness that cannot be ignored by us mere mortals.

Two gay rappers collaborating? Let the questions swirl in your head! (Swirl is such an appropriate word)

SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN

1. PRODUCED BY THE BASED GOD INTRO (3.7/5)

2. STILL RUN IT (4.2/5)

3. BAD MF (4/5)

4. WASUP JOJO (4.2/5)

5. HIP HOP (2./5)

6. Dj BASEDGOD (3/5)

7. BERKELEY (3.1/5)

8. FREE LIFE (2.8/5)

9. YOUNG N****Z (2/5)

10. GETTING HOT (3.7/5)

11. GO STUPID GO DUMB (2.7/5)

12. GLOBAL (4.2/5)

13. RIDE (HOLD UP) (3.8/5)

14. ZAM BOSE (2.1/5)

15. GO SENORITA GO (3/5)

16. TURN UP (TIL YOU CAN’T) (2.6/5)

17. AIN’T ME (2.2/5)

18. RAW (1.8/5)

19. WEST COAST (1.8/5)

20. THE REAL IS BACK (3.3/5)

21. RAWEST RAPPER ALIVE (3/5)

22. DA BACKSTREETZ (1.9/5)

23. RARE ART (2/5)

24. LIVE FROM THE ISLAND (1/5)

OVERALL RATING (4.4/10)

Yep, this Mixtape is not good…

Lil B is the musical version of Eddie Murphy on ‘Coming to America’ on this album: HE’S EVERYONE INVOLVED IN ITS MAKING! He’s the DJ, he’s the beat maker in some songs, he’s the rapper, he’s the promoter, he’s the exec that’s trying to book himself for a show (WTF), and he’s even the damn hype man! (Who plays their own f–kin’ hype man?!) That should tell you just how serious you should take this album.

Out of 27 songs (Yes, 27 f–kin songs!) maybe 3 of them are actual real songs (And that’s being nice). Either a song has some good rapping on it and everything else is horrible, or a song has a good topic and the rapping is off; either way, Lil’ B has trouble putting together a complete song, and it is frustrating as hell!

I truly believe this man is trolling (he has to be). For someone to sit in the booth and produce music like this, he has to be paid by some sort of entity that doesn’t want us to know that they pay him to be bad.