I'm Gay (I'm Happy)

I'm Gay (I'm Happy) is the fifth studio album by American 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.

I'm Gay (I'm Happy)
Studio album by
Lil B
ReleasedJune 29, 2011
Recorded2010–2011
GenreHip hop
Length44:00
LabelAmalgam Digital
Producer
Lil B chronology
Angels Exodus
(2011)		 I'm Gay (I'm Happy)
(2011)		 Choices and Flowers
(2012)

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic73/100[4]
Review scores
SourceRating
The A.V. ClubB−[5]
The Boston Phoenix[6]
Consequence of Sound[7]
Drowned in Sound6/10[8]
Now3/5[9]
Pitchfork8.1/10[10]
Slant Magazine[11]
URB[12]
XXL3/5[13]

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.[4] 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."[14][13][7][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 as a message of support to the LGBT community. 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 Pocus4:00
2."Open Thunder Eternal Slumber" 2:47
3."Game"BigBoyTraks3:43
4."Unchain Me"Clams Casino3:54
5."Neva Stop Me"Talen Ted2:36
6."Gon Be Okay"Caleb Mak2:23
7."The Wilderness"Supreme Jean3:29
8."I Hate Myself"Keyboard Kid5:45
9."Get It While It's Good"Talen Ted3:36
10."I Seen That Light"BigBoyTraks4:02
11."My Last Chance"BigBoyTraks4:04
12."1 Time Remix"Clams Casino4:00
Total length:44:00
Samples
  • "Trapped in Prison" contains a sample of "Leaving Shire" by Bo Hansson.
  • "Open Thunder Eternal Slumber" contains a sample of "Catch the Breeze" by Slowdive.
  • "Game" contains a sample of "Of All the Things" by Stephanie Mills
  • "Unchain Me" contains a sample of "Cry Little Sister" by Gerard McMann.
  • "Neva Stop Me" contains a sample of "Quasimodo's Marriage" by Alec R. Costandinos.
  • "Gon Be Okay" contains a sample of "One Summer's Day" by Joe Hisaishi.
  • "The Wilderness" contains a sample of "Futari Dake No Ceremony" by Yukiko Okada.
  • "I Hate Myself" contains a sample of "Iris" by Boyz II Men
  • "Get It While It's Good" contains a sample of "Dreaming" by Bill Summers.
  • "I Seen That Light" contains a sample of "Lost in Time" by Eric Benet.
  • "My Last Chance" contains a sample of "Still Waiting" by Johnny Gill.

Charts
Chart (2011) Peak
position
US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[22] 20
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[23] 56
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References
  1. @LILBTHEBASEDGOD (June 30, 2011). "CUZ I LOVE YOU IF YOU DONT HAVE 10 DOLLERS TO BUY MY NEW PROJECT HERE IT GOES FOR FREE- Lil B" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  2. Lil B Offers New ‘I’m Gay’ Album For Free Archived July 4, 2011, at Archive.today. Rapfix.mtv.com (July 1, 2011). Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
  3. "Lil B Album & Song Chart History". Billboard. Retrieved July 24, 2011.
  4. "I'm Gay (I'm Happy) by Lil B". Metacritic. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
  5. Harvey, Eric (July 26, 2011). "Lil B: I'm Gay (I'm Happy)". The A.V. Club. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
  6. Battan, Carrie (July 19, 2011). "Lil B | I'm Gay (I'm Happy)". The Boston Phoenix. Archived from the original on December 22, 2011. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
  7. Choudhery, Möhammad (July 7, 2011). "Album Review: Lil B – I'm Gay (I'm Happy)". Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
  8. Bychawski, Adam (August 23, 2011). "Album Review: Lil B – I'm Gay (I'm Happy)". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
  9. Errett, Joshua (July 21, 2011). "Lil B – I'm Gay". Now. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
  10. Greene, Jayson (July 14, 2011). "Lil B: I'm Gay (I'm Happy)". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
  11. Cole, Matthew (July 11, 2011). "Lil B: I'm Gay (I'm Happy)". Slant Magazine. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
  12. Shahan, James (July 4, 2011). "Lil B – I'm Gay (I'm Happy)". URB. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
  13. Greenfield, Henry (July 6, 2011). "Lil B, I'm Gay". XXL. Archived from the original on July 10, 2011. Retrieved July 15, 2011.
  14. Album Review: 'I'm Gay (I'm Happy)' by Lil B Archived July 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. Ology (July 6, 2011). Retrieved on November 12, 2011.
  15. Archived July 11, 2011, at the Wayback Machine [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 Archived October 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. 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) Archived July 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine. 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. "Lil B Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  23. "Lil B Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
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