First of all, let me apologize for not posting anything in a while. Last week was crazy…VERY crazy. I hated that my first post for this week had to be one saying farewell to a talented young man, but I felt like a tribute was in order. Now, that I’ve said that, let’s get down to business.
During the craziness that was last week, I watched my new favorite You Tuber, Lovely Ti, report on how Black Twitter was basically draggin’ an up and coming rapper named Lil’ Dicky because he was featured on XXL‘s 2016 Freshman Class cover. Oh, did I mention that he’s a white guy?
Me personally, I believe that music is music, and if there’s a genre that you love, no matter what race you are, you should pursue it. Mr. Bowie did R&B music for a hot minute (and did it damn well too, I might add!). Darius Rucker is a black man, and he sings with a country/rock twang (he’s the front man for Hootie and the Blowfish, for those of y’all that don’t know. If you were born between 1975-1986 and lived in South Carolina between 1994-1996, you probably know all too well). Besides, there’s been plenty of white rappers that can really flow: Eminem (of course), The Beastie Boys, MC Serch, Bubba Sparxxx, Mackelmore (yes, doggone it. I said Mackelmore. I happen to love “Thrift Shop”), etc.
Despite the aforementioned facts, white rappers—and white R&B singers, for that matter—are still catchin’ a lot of hell. Even Eminem continues to get put down to this very day, which personally astounds me. After 17 years (damn, I feel old saying that) he’s more than proven that he’s one of the GOAT’s. So, when Lil’ Dicky appeared on the cover of XXL, he was no exception to the rule. However, Ti mentioned in her video that Dicky actually has skills, and that piqued my interest. One of the reasons I became interested is because today’s Hip Hop doesn’t really do much for me (with the exception of a precious few artists), so I wanted to see if this guy really had the skills to get me interested in his music. Secondly, when I took a glance at this guy, I had to see if he could really show and prove as a Hip Hop artist. Not because of his race; like I said before, race has nothing to do with it. It was because, quite frankly, Lil’ Dicky looks nothing like a rapper.
Oh yeah, and check out the XXL cover:
A terry cloth robe and the thumbs up sign? No, Lil’ Dicky is the last person I’d think is a rapper. He looks more like the goofy, yet cool guy that you work with that you can always count on to cheer you up on a suck day. I had to hear this guy rhyme. So, I went on You Tube and looked up a few of his songs. I have to say…I was pleasantly surprised.
Ti was dead on the money, as usual. Dicky really can rap. Truth be told, he’s still goofy, but cool, and he’s not afraid to poke fun of himself in his rhymes. That’s what I like about his music. Not only that, but his flow, delivery, and the music he uses is on point. Not only that, but the man can freestyle…I mean, he can really freestyle (most seasoned rappers consider freestyling performing lyrics from songs they’ve already written and/or recorded. That’s not freestyling in the true sense of the word). I can actually see myself downloading some of his songs on my IPod. So far, my favorite songs from him are “Ex-Boyfriend” and “Molly” (no, not the drug).
“Ex-Boyfriend” is basically about a Kim Kardashian lookalike that Dicky’s dating who runs into her ex the night she’s supposed to give it up to Dicky for the first time. Naturally, the ex looks like a male supermodel, and Dicky really starts to get insecure when he sees the dude’s dick while in the men’s room. The song is hilarious, and catchy. It’s been in my head for the longest. “Molly” is a departure from Dicky’s comical side, and goes down a slightly darker path. This song is also about an ex, but this time, it’s Dicky’s former flame. He’s still madly in love with her, but he has to go through the heartache of seeing her get married to another man. The lyrics are really deep, and the video makes you want to cry. The other songs I listened to like “White Dude” and “Lemme Freak” had me noddin’ my head in enjoyment, too. Not only that, but they had me crackin’ up!
Lil’ Dicky is proof that you can’t always judge a book by its cover. He may not look like your typical rapper, but the man definitely has talent, and he deserved to be on the cover of XXL, thumb up and all. If there were more contemporary Hip Hop artists like him, I’d listen to more new rap music instead of living in the glory days of the 80’s, 90’s and early 2000’s. Seriously, I only know about ten or twenty new school rappers: Kendrick Lamar, Drake, O’Shea Jackson, Jr. (yes, he’s a rapper just like his daddy)… there’s more I can name, but I’m sure all of you reading this have better things to do with your day. In conclusion, don’t sleep on Lil’ Dicky. I easily see this dude changing the game.
Lil’ Dicky’s debut album, Professional Rapper, is available on ITunes.
—Written by Nadiya
So what do you think about Lil’ Dicky? Is he a phenomenal Hip Hop artist, or do you think that’s he completely wack? Do you think race is a consideration when it comes to Hip Hop music, or do you go by talent alone? Also, when you first saw Lil’ Dicky, did you think he wouldn’t be able to flow judging by his looks? Give me your thoughts!
Insights from a Southern Girl 