Intro:
Ever since the summer of 2019, I've always been really interested in artist Lil Baby. The first song I had heard by him was Yes Indeed in 2018, featuring Drake. This song is still relevant today, as it was one of the most popular songs in Lil Baby's album Harder Than Ever. Also in 2018, he dropped his Drip Harder album. I listened to the mainstream songs Drip Too Hard and Pure Cocaine from this album. After I listened to the song Baby in 2019, I started being really intrigued by his music and started listening to him more and more.
In 2020, he released his album My Turn and My Turn (Deluxe). Immediately, I got into this album and listened to every song. my favorite song from the deluxe album is We Paid, featuring 42 Doug and Commercial featuring Lil Uzi Vert. After he dropped this album, he came out with a single, The Bigger Picture. This song has so much meaning behind the lyrics, as almost all Lil Baby songs do. That's why I've chosen to write about his song, The Bigger Picture. The difference between the rest of his songs and The Bigger Picture is the fact that it's not only a song to blatantly sing along to but to put out a message to his audience.
Artist Background:
Lil Baby was born on December 3rd, 1994 as Dominique Jones. He grew up in Atlanta Georgia. As a young boy, he was almost immediately involved with drugs and crime, due to where he lived and his neighbors around him. He was never interested much in academics, which always worried his mother about his future.
Luckily, the genre "Gangsta rap" peaked in the '90s, and Dominique was influenced by this style of music. As he was getting older, he noticed most of his friends making successful careers in the music industry, while he was selling illegal drugs on the streets. Refusing to change his plans, he began to feel left out. Music had always been a passion for him, but selling drugs and leading a life as a criminal sounded much easier to him. He was soon sentenced to 5 years in prison for selling drugs.
Seeing signs of improvement, Dominique got an early release and only served 2 years in prison. After being released, he realized he needs to change his path, and decided to get back into music. Childhood friend Kevin Lee, or Coach K, came forward and offered to help Dominique start his career. Coach K is the founder and COO of record label Quality Control. Quality Control has Migos, City Girls, and Lil Yachty signed to the label as well as Lil Baby. Dominique debuted in 2017 with his mixtape Perfect Timing. This is also the first time Dominique came out with his rapper name Lil Baby. the mixtape features some of Lil Baby's closest childhood friends. Almost immediately, his mixtape took Georgia by storm, being played in many pubs, bars, and cafes. Coach K was proud of him; Lil Baby's debut mixtape was a hit, and he would go on to become a star.
Song Introduction:
The song I chose to focus on of Lil Baby's is his most recently released single, The Bigger Picture. The first time I ever heard this song I already could tell how powerful his message was. It focuses on the Black Lives Matter Movement and protests. Lil Baby sang in his perspective about the movement and police brutality. WARNING: EXPLICIT CONTENT
Lyrics:
Protests and growin' national outcry continues over the death of George Floyd (Section 8 just straight cooked this motherfucker up) Last night, people protestin' in Minneapolis escalated As demonstrators were lashed by tear gas and rubber bullets The main message here, the main message here, the main message here Is that they want to see those officers involved They want to see those officers arrested Officers arrested (I can't breathe, I can't breathe)
Trade my 4x4 for a G63, ain't no more free Lil Steve I gave 'em chance and chance and chance again, I even done told them please I find it crazy the police'll shoot you and know that you dead, but still tell you to freeze Fucked up, I seen what I seen I guess that mean hold him down if he say he can't breathe It's too many mothers that's grievin' They killin' us for no reason Been goin' on for too long to get even Throw us in cages like dogs and hyenas I went to court and they sent me to prison My mama was crushed when they said I can't leave First I was drunk, then I sobered up quick When I heard all that time that they gave to Taleeb He got a life sentence plus We just some products of our environment How the fuck they gon' blame us? You can't fight fire with fire I know, but at least we can turn up the flames some Every colored person ain't dumb and all whites not racist I be judgin' by the mind and heart, I ain't really into faces
Fucked up, the way that we livin' is not gettin' better, you gotta know how to survive
Crazy, I had to tell all of my loved ones to carry a gun when they goin' outside
Stare in the mirror whenever you drive
Overprotective, go crazy for mine
You gotta pay attention to the signs
Seem like the blind followin' the blind
Thinkin' 'bout everythin' that's goin' on
I boost security up at my home
I'm with my kind if they right or they wrong
I call him now, he'll pick up the phone
And it's five in the mornin', he wakin' up on it
Tell 'em wherever I'm at, then they comin'
I see blue lights, I get scared and start runnin'
That shit be crazy, they 'posed to protect us
Throw us in handcuffs and arrest us
While they go home at night, that shit messed up
Knowin' we needed help, they neglect us
One of them who gon' make them respect us
'Cause I can see in your eye that you fed up
Fuck around, got my shot, I won't let up
They know that we a problem together
They know that we can storm any weather
It's bigger than black and white It's a problem with the whole way of life It can't change overnight (nah) But we gotta start somewhere Might as well gon' 'head start here We done had a hell of a year I'ma make it count while I'm here God is the only man I fear
Fuck it, I'm goin' on the front line He gon' bust your ass if you come past that gun line You know when the storm go away, then the sun shine You gotta put your head in the game when it's crunch time I want all my sons to grow up to be monsters I want all my daughters to show out in public Seems like we losin' our country But we gotta stand up for somethin', so this what it comes to Every video I see on my conscience I got power, now I gotta say somethin' Corrupted police been the problem where I'm from But I'd be lyin' if I said it was all of them I ain't do this for the trend, I don't follow them Altercations with the law, had a lot of them People speakin' for the people, I'm proud of them Stick together, we can get it up out of them I can't lie like I don't rap about killin' and dope, but I'm tellin' my youngins to vote I did what I did 'cause I didn't have no choice or no hope, I was forced to just jump in and go This bullshit is all that we know, but it's time for a change Got time to be serious, no time for no games We ain't takin' no more, let us go from them chains God bless they souls, every one of them names
It's bigger than black and white
It's a problem with the whole way of life
It can't change overnight (nah)
But we gotta start somewhere
Might as well gon' 'head start here
We done had a hell of a year
I'ma make it count while I'm here
God is the only man I fear
They trainin' officers to kill us, then shootin' protesters with these rubber bullets They regular people, I know that they feel it These scars too deep to heal us What happened to COVID? Nobody remember It ain't makin' sense, I'm just here to vent It happen to one of your people, it's different We get it, the system is wicked, just learn how to pick it Knowledge is power, I swear I'm a witness, I know that I'm gifted I won't go too deep 'cause I'm scared they'll get me Ain't scared to admit it, some shit I can't mention It's people who can, well, here's the chance I won't take the stand, but I'll take a stand for what I believe Must not be breathin' the air that I breathe You know that the way that I bleed, you can bleed I never been a fan of police But my neighborhood know I try to keep peace So it's only right that I get in the streets March for a reason, not just on GP Our people died for us to be free Fuck do you mean? This was a dream Now we got the power that we need to have They don't want us with it and that's why they mad, yeah
It's bigger than black and white It's a problem with the whole way of life It can't change overnight (nah) But we gotta start somewhere Might as well gon' 'head start here We done had a hell of a year I'ma make it count while I'm here God is the only man I fear It's bigger than black and white It's a problem with the whole way of life It can't change overnight (nah) But we gotta start somewhere Might as well gon' 'head start here We done had a hell of a year I'ma make it count while I'm here God is the only man I fear
Song Analysis:
The images that are shown above connect to the song. Unity; we're all in this fight together, no matter the color of you're skin. We will fight together in unity. We fight against police brutality and we protest for what we believe in: equality. This song lets you see a perspective from someone who has experienced all of the above. It makes me want to stand up and protest even more because I know there are tons and tons of stories similar to Lil Baby's that are not told in the public eye.
In the very beginning, the song starts out with a prerecorded news report about the protest in Minneapolis. One certain line stood out to me in this report; "I can't breathe, I can't breathe". The protesters there that night were chanting this in protest against police brutality.
Musically, it starts out with only a piano playing, almost one key at a time. Once Lil baby starts rapping, drums are added in with the piano to create a beat. This beat repeats throughout the whole song and doesn't really change.
The beginning of the song tells Lil Baby's view on how the police treat black people. He talks about the dishonesty in the police force and how they seemingly don't care about black lives. And since Lil Baby isn't the only one who feels this way, lots of black people starting protesting. Another line in his song explains how people are supposed to peacefully protest against police brutality while being shot with rubber bullets and tear-gassed. If the whole point of protesting peacefully is the peaceful part, then why do cops have to cross the line. In the chorus, Lil Baby explains that black inequality isn't just a clearly seen problem. It is so much bigger than seeing black and white. "It's a problem with the whole way of life" -Lil Baby.
He wants people to understand that this problem can't just be changed overnight, but protesting and getting people to help in any way they can is a start. The ending of the song is where Lil Baby states that the song is his place to vent about everything going on. "It ain't making sense, I'm just here to vent". He is voicing his frustration combined with fear, and telling his audience the need to act on what's going on right now.
Conclusion:
Li Baby came out with this song almost as a protest. I think he did an incredible job not only with the lyrics but the message he put out to his audience. Along with this song, I love listening to his songs, sometimes for the beat, sometimes for the lyrics. But this song I listened for not only the beat and lyrics but the extremely strong message he had to share. Thank you for reading!
Sources:
Goerlitz, Fenrik, et al. “Review: Lil Baby Drops 'The Bigger Picture'.” The Eastern Echo, 26 July 2020, www.easternecho.com/article/2020/07/review-lil-baby-drops-the-bigger-picture.
Miki Hellerbach·TRACKS·June 13, 2020, et al. “Lil Baby Drops Black Lives Matter Protest Song, ‘The Bigger Picture.’” EUPHORIA., 13 June 2020, www.euphoriazine.com/blog/2020/06/music/tracks-lil-baby-the-bigger-picture/.
“Who Is Lil Baby? Everything You Need to Know.” Lil Baby - Bio, Facts, Family Life of Rapper & Hip Hop Singer, www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/lil-baby-35862.php.
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