Little Brother (group)
Little Brother | |
|---|---|
| File:Little Brother - The Chittlin Circuit.jpg | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Raleigh, USA |
| Years active | 2003 – Present |
| Members | Thomas Jones Phonte Coleman Pat Douthit |
Little Brother is an American hip-hop group from North Carolina that consists of Phonte, Rapper Big Pooh, and producer 9th Wonder. Their debut album The Listening was highly acclaimed, and was followed by the The Chittlin Circut Mixtape and the group's sophomore effort, The Minstrel Show.
History
Little Brother formed in Durham, NC at North Carolina Central University. This southern hip-hop group resembles the styles of De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, the Roots, and Black Star. The three members of the group are Phonte (Phonte Coleman) and Rapper Big Pooh (Thomas Jones), who are both the emcees, and on the producing end is 9th Wonder (Pat Douthit). They are founding members of the North Carolina hip-hop collective called The Justus League, which also includes a producer named Krhysis, DJ Flash, singer Yahzarah, and mcs Joe Scudda, Cesar Commanche, Legacy, Median, and Chaundon.
Their official debut came in August 2001 with their first recording, “Speed.” This first recording talks about making it big in the music business while still dealing with the troubles and hardships of life and holding down a job. They continued to work the local scene and were picked up by ABB Records. In 2003, the group released their first full length album, The Listening. This record boosted the group to higher acclaim. That fall, they opened for the Hieroglyphics Crew on their Full Circle national tour. Little Brother’s sophomore album entitled The Minstrel Show plays off their first album.
The Listening revolves around a day in the life of the fictional radio station "WJLR: Justus League Radio", while The Minstrel Show revolves around a day in the life of a fictional television network, "UBN: U Black Niggers." This album looks to comment on the difficultly of being successful and still staying true to yourself.
Outside of the group, Phonte collaborated with producer Nicolay as the Foreign Exchange, on "Connected". Big Pooh released an solo album entitled "Sleepers". 9th Wonder has produced songs for major artists like Jay-Z and Destiny's Child, as well as underground artists like Sean Price, Hieroglyphics, Splash, De La Soul, and other members of The Justus League. And he has produced albums for Jean Grae (Jeanious), Murs(Murs 3:16, The 9th Edition), Buckshot(Chemistry) and a remix album of Nas' God's Son(God's Stepson).
Discography
Little Brother Albums
- The Listening (March 18, 2003)
- The Chittlin Circuit 1.5 (June 21, 2005)
- The Minstrel Show' (September 13, 2005)
Phonte (Of Little Brother)
Rapper Big Pooh (Of Little Brother)
9th Wonder
- Murs 3:16 (Produced by 9th Wonder) The 9th Edition (March 19,2004)
- Jean Grae (Produced by 9th Wonder) Jeanious (unreleased due to heavy bootlegging)
- Buckshot (Produced by 9th Wonder) Chemistry (July 8,2005)
- Nas (Produced by 9th Wonder) God's Stepson
- Kaze (Produced by 9th Wonder) Spirit Of '94: Version 9.0 (May 20, 2005)