I'm Gay (I'm Happy)

I'm Gay (I'm Happy)
Studio album by Lil B
Released June 29, 2011
Recorded 2010–2011
Genre Hip hop
Length 44:00
Label Amalgam Digital
Producer BigBoyTraks, Keyboard Kid, Rick Flame, Clams Casino
Lil B chronology
Angels Exodus
(2011)
I'm Gay (I'm Happy)
(2011)
Choices and Flowers
(2012)

I'm Gay (I'm Happy), is the fifth studio album by California rapper Lil B. The album was suddenly released digitally on June 29, 2011. On June 30, 2011, the rapper provided a free download link on his Twitter account.[1][2] The album entered the Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart at number 56 and the Heatseekers Albums chart at number 20 for the week of July 16, 2011.[3] The album's cover is an allusion to Marvin Gaye's 1976 album, I Want You.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AbsolutePunk(favorable)[4]
Consequence of Sound[5]
DJBooth.net[6]
HipHopDX(favorable)[7]
Pitchfork Media(8.1/10)[8]
Slant Magazine[9]
URB[10]
XXL (L)[11]

I'm Gay (I'm Happy) received positive reviews; fans commented on the album's wide variety of positive messages and also the unique beats and lyrical styles not common to mainstream hip-hop. Lil B rapped about many controversial issues in the album including race relations, poverty, humanity and the justice system. The album, according to many fans, shows the "true" side of Lil B, many noting the album's inspirational theme. I'm Gay received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 73, based on 10 reviews. However, Lil B was the subject of controversy because upon the album's release he decided to provide a free version via a download link on Facebook. Many believed this to be a publicity stunt; however, he cleared the controversy when on his Facebook page he posted: "for all my fans who don't have 10 dollars to buy my album, here it is for free."[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19]

Controversy

Lil B was criticized for deciding to name his album I'm Gay, even receiving death threats at one point.[20] Many saw the move as a publicity stunt; however, the rapper has said that the title is meant to be used as the formal definition of 'gay' (merry) and that his references to being gay were not meant to be taken literally. However, he states it simply means "I'm Happy".[21] After all the controversy and receiving death threats, he added "I'm Happy" in parentheses to the title.

Track listing

No. TitleProducer(s) Length
1. "Trapped in Prison"  Lou Pocus 4:00
2. "Open Thunder Eternal Slumber"    2:47
3. "Game"  BigBoyTraks 3:43
4. "Unchain Me"  Clams Casino 3:54
5. "Neva Stop Me"  Talen Ted 2:36
6. "Gon Be Okay"  Caleb Mak 2:23
7. "The Wilderness"  Pyramid Boss 3:29
8. "I Hate Myself"  Keyboard Kid 5:45
9. "Get It While It's Good"  Talen Ted 3:36
10. "I Seen That Light"  BigBoyTraks 4:02
11. "My Last Chance"  BigBoyTraks 4:04
12. "1 Time Remix"  Clams Casino 4:00
Samples

Chart performances

Charts (2011) Peak
position
US Billboard Heatseekers Albums[22] 20
US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums[22] 56

References

  1. [Lil B From The Pack on Twitter "Twitter"] Check |url= value (help). Twitter.
  2. Lil B Offers New ‘I’m Gay’ Album For Free. Rapfix.mtv.com (July 1, 2011). Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
  3. "Lil B Album & Song Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
  4. Walker, Ian (July 11, 2011). "Lil B – I'm Gay". AbsolutePunk. Retrieved 2011-07-16.
  5. Choudhery, Möhammad (July 7, 2011). "Album Review: Lil B – I’m Gay (I’m Happy)". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
  6. Slavik, James (July 12, 2011). "Lil B review". DJBooth.net. Retrieved 2011-08-09.
  7. Paine, Jake (July 7, 2011). "Lil B – I'm Gay (I'm Happy)". HipHopDX. Cheri Media Group. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
  8. Greene, Jayson (July 14, 2011). "Album Reviews: Lil B: I'm Gay (I'm Happy)". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
  9. Cole, Matthew (July 11, 2011). "Lil B: I'm Gay (I'm Happy) – Music Review". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2011-07-13.
  10. Shahan, James (July 4, 2011). "Lil B – I’m Gay (I’m Happy)". URB. NativeSon Media. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
  11. Greenfield, Henry (July 6, 2011). "Lil B, I’m Gay". XXL. Harris Publications. Retrieved 2011-07-15.
  12. Album Review: 'I'm Gay (I'm Happy)' by Lil B. Ology (July 6, 2011). Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
  13. Lil B, I’m Gay. Xxlmag.Com (November 8, 2011). Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
  14. Album Review: Lil B – I’m Gay (I’m Happy) « Consequence of Sound. Consequenceofsound.net (July 7, 2011). Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
  15. [Album Review] | Lil’ B – “I’m Gay (I’m Happy)”. K1ngEljay.com (July 4, 2011). Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
  16. Weiss, Dan. (2011-07-05) Lil B's I'm Gay: More Bashful Than Expected – San Francisco Music – All Shook Down. Blogs.sfweekly.com. Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
  17. Lil B – I’m Gay (Album Review + Download) | Yung Drew's Hip Hop Music. Yungdrew.com. Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
  18. Lil B – I’m Gay | Album Review. SoulCulture (July 1, 2011). Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
  19. Lil B ‘The Based God’-I’m Gay (Album Review). Prolificmovementblog.com (June 30, 2011). Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
  20. Lil B's 'I'm Gay' Album Title Results In Death Threats. Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
  21. Rapper Lil B on 'I'm Gay': 'We're all one people'. CNN.com (May 31, 2011). Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
  22. 1 2 "Lil B Album & Song Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
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