Length 94:53 Artist Lil B Producer Lil B | Choices and Flowers
(2012) Tears 4 God
(2012) Release date 17 May 2012 Label BasedWorld Records | |
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Released May 17, 2012 (2012-05-17) Genres Ambient music, Outsider music Similar Tears 4 God, Rain in England, Angels Exodus, Obama BasedGod, Roses Exodus | ||
The basedgod lil b choices and flowers
Choices and Flowers is the first instrumental studio album by American rapper Lil B, released under the moniker The BasedGod. It was digitally released on May 17, 2012, through Lil B's own record label, BasedWorld Records. The album, which consists of seventeen instrumental tracks, is Lil B's self-procaimed "classical music debut," although critics mostly categorized its style as new-age music. The album was followed by a second "classical music" release at the same year, titled Tears 4 God and also released under The Based God moniker.
Contents
- The basedgod lil b choices and flowers
- 01 lil b i made the right choice
- Background
- Critical reception
- Track listing
- Songs
- References
The album charted at Billboard New Age Albums chart, peaking at number 6.
01 lil b i made the right choice
Background
Despite being labeled as "classical music" by Lil B, the album features new-age instrumental tracks, recorded on a multitracked synthesizer. The songs are improvised and feature descending patterns and varied rhythms, without any "recognizable meter." All songs, except the last track "Welcome to America", are pitched to C-B-A-G notes. The compositions feature various keyboard patches and pads to produce string, electric piano, oboe, clarinet, sitar and koto sounds.
Lil B credited himself as the executive producer of the album, echoing the imitation of two different personas. The cover art of the album was painted by artist Roberta Stewart and was compared to the works of painter Marlene Dumas.
Critical reception
The album received mixed reviews, with many critics questioning the authencity of the "classical tag" and focusing on the song titles. Christian Hertzog, the classical music critic of LA Weekly criticized Lil B's use of the tag, citing "the extensive use of synthesizers, uninteresting" improvisation and the limited melodies. Nevertheless, he also noted that "Lil B has will and the musical curiosity" and urged him to learn to play an instrument and take theory and composition lessons. Duncan Cooper of The Fader described the album as "95 minutes of atonal synth noodling" and compared it to Lil B's previous ambient hip hop album, Rain in England (2010). Miles Raymer of Chicago Reader wrote that "the album sounds like Lil B loaded up some strings and pads in a synth program, did about a hundred bong rips, and just let the music flow out of him, despite the fact that he maybe doesn't technically 'know' how to play the keyboard."
Track listing
All tracks composed by The BasedGod.
- "I Made the Right Choice" – 5:44
- "Lessons from the Wind" – 7:12
- "Walking Through Berkeley" – 6:06
- "My Mistakes" – 4:17
- "New York I'm Home" – 6:24
- "Where Are You Going" – 3:37
- "Lost in the Sky of Love" – 4:47
- "Save the Animals" – 5:22
- "Happy to Live" – 7:21
- "What Came First Are We Alive" – 8:05
- "Tokyo" – 3:03
- "Tribute to Lil B" – 4:54
- "At the Zoo With Mom" – 4:49
- "Dreams Are Real" – 5:10
- "Exhale With Love in Your Chest" – 3:29
- "Wooden Hotel" – 5:42
- "Welcome to America" – 12:27
Songs
1I Made the Right Choice5:45
2Lessons from the Wind7:12
3Walking Through Berkeley6:06