San Francisco Bay Area rapper Lil B made a name for himself as part of that area’s hyphy movement (Google it) with The Pack, but when he signed his first solo album deal hip hop critics called him the second coming, a “brilliantly warped, post-Lil-Wayne deconstructionist,” according to Slate. His mixtapes are legendary and tracks like “Pretty Bitch” and “I’m God” earned Lil B a massive following—even among oft-neglected LGBT hip hop fans.
The heterosexual rapper received death threats this year for calling his newest album I’m Gay (I’m Happy) as a nod to his gay fans, but his newest track might raise even more eyebrows.
The cover of his new album, BasedGod Velli, is an homage to the late rapper Tupac Shakur, and among the songs sure to divide listeners is a new AIDS awareness anthem, urging listeners to get tested for HIV and other STDs.
The song, “I Got AIDS,” is a ‘90s style throwback — think Tupac meets TLC — but the message is straightforward, refreshingly non-homophobic, and sure to hit at the heart of young hip hop listeners who are among those most likely to get diagnosed with HIV this year. —Diane Anderson-Minshall
