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Lil' Flip, born Wesley Weston, hails from Cloverland, a community south of Houston that boasts a strong hip-hop contingent. The boy had a natural feel for language and rhyme; those around him were amazed by his impromptu rapid-fire verses.
He attracted the attention of mix tape master DJ Screw, eventually joining his Screwed Up Click rhyming posse. The Texas native
instantly won the respect of rappers across the Dirty South.
Weston could "flip styles" masterfully on Screw's mix tapes, earning both his artist name and the title of "Freestyle King."
After being but a mere footnote on regional albums, Lil' Flip teamed up with concert promoter Duane "Humpty Hump" Hobbs and
formed the indie label Sucka Free Records, immediately releasing the group effort Hustlaz Stackin' Endz in 1998.
lil' flip drops the leprechaun
Word of mouth alone helped the group sell 27,000 copies, just what Flip needed to go on a bold solo project. The Leprechaun
sold over 100,000 copies in 2000, thanks to the smash single "I Can Do Dat."
Satisfied with his debut, Lil' Flip went back to honing his mixing skills, picking up where Screw left off after his untimely
death. Flip put together no less than 10 mix CDs, each selling about 30,000 units.
lil' flip joins columbia records
Lil' Flip had the attention of those in the know, including the big labels. Columbia Records saw in him a big seller, and
bid the highest amount to acquire Sucka Free. Now he could tour as much as he wanted, his reputation spreading as far as Chicago
and Detroit. But months before putting out his first major label album, Flip took some bullets to his side during a Houston
drive-by.
lil' flip is an undaground legend
It was almost miraculous; Flip not only survived, he was released from the hospital the next day. Good thing, because it
was platinum time for the Texas rapper. Undaground Legend, his second solo album, surpassed the million mark and made
it onto Billboard's Top 200 (at No. 12) and the hip-hop/R&B charts (at No. 4), thanks to hits like "The Way We Ball."
That was it for Lil' Flip; he no longer needed other rappers' names to be noticed. He was the name. His presence
on David Banner's Mississippi: The Album helped shoot it to "smash hit" status, especially with the single "Like A
Pimp."
flip releases u gotta feel me
In March 2004, Lil' Flip cemented his spot in hip-hop royalty with his third release, U Gotta Feel Me, abetted by
appearances by Ludacris and Cam'ron. "Game Over" is a bouncing club groove with skillful sampling of sounds from Pac-Man games, "Sunshine" is a breezy
summer track, and "Bring Da Pain" (a.k.a. "I Came To Bring the Pain") gets the crowd rowdy thanks to its fast beats and orchestral
rhythms.
The album made it to platinum status in August, its success prompting EA Sports to use the groove "What's My Name" on NFL
Street. Another Flip track, "I'm The Greatest Player," is featured on PS2's NBA Live 2004.
lil' flip enjoys some lucky nites
Today Flip is delving into the business side of music, founding his own label Clover G Records and releasing a pineapple-flavored
liquor called Lucky Nites. Flip describes the drink by saying, "It tastes like an Amaretto Sour, but it's way stronger than
that sh*t."
What else do you need to know?
| Lil' Flip U Gotta Feel Me |
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| It's no wonder that Houston-based underground king Lil'
Flip would change the game with his platinum-plated 2002 major label debut Undaground Legend. After honing his talents under
the tutelage of late mix tape messiah DJ Screw, moving an impressive 100,000 units of his indie debut The Leprechaun and serving
up 10 volumes of his own underground mixes, Lil' Flip has become the biggest rap name to break out of the Lone Star State
since the legendary Scarface with his boastful, conversational flows, sing-a-long hooks and melodic, head-nodding grooves.
On his third installment, U Gotta Feel Me, the H-town veteran offers that same street smart savvy mixed with crossover appeal
that took him from regional recognition to national stardom. "I took my time on the new album and really worked on it," he
divulges. "I spent a lotta time in the studio to come up with different concepts. I wanted to give it mixed emotions. Every
track makes you feel a different way."
Born Wesley Weston in south Houston's Cloverland community, Flip was the final MC to be enlisted into
the late DJ Screw's elite rhyme outfit, the Screwed Up Click. Before the legendary turntablist succumbed to a heart attack
in 2000, Flip won local praise flexing his freestyle muscle on two of Screw's most popular mix tapes. And because the up-and-coming
rhyme animal could rap non-stop off the top of his dome, Screw honored Flip with the title of "freestyle king."
But it wasn't until Flip hooked up with local concert promoter Duane "Humpty Hump" Hobbs, however,
that the young stalwart would taste his first morsel of success. With Hump serving as C.E.O. and Flip co-C.E.O., the dynamic
duo formed indie label Sucka Free Records and released their self-titled group effort, Hustlaz Stackin' Endz, which also featured
crew members A.P. and Redd, in 1998. The group effort moved an impressive 27,000 units by word-of-mouth alone. On the heels
of H.S.E.'s success, the label struck again with Lil' Flip's Southwest Wholesale-distributed regional favorite, The Leprechaun,
two years later. On the strength of the runaway hit single, "I Can Do Dat," The Leprechaun SoundScanned more than 100,000
units within a year. Flip then came back with 10 consecutive volumes of his underground "chopped and screwed" mix tapes, boasting
averages sales of 30,000 copies each.
Naturally, the bidding war between major labels began with Sucka Free eventually inking with Columbia
Records in 2002.
"We had already covered some of the market," Flip recalls. "I wasn't just doing shows in Dallas and
Houston. I was doing shows way in Cleveland and Detroit and places like that. So (the major deal) was just a bigger push,
a load off. You working side by side. It's like two heads."
Unfortunately, tragedy struck just five months before the release of his major label debut, Undaground
Legend. Flip was took shots in the side during a drive-by shooting as he was returning home from a Houston recording studio.
Luckily, he survived the attack and was released from the hospital the following day As Flip recovered from the setback, Undaground
Legend, preceded by playful, sing-songy single "The Way We Ball," shot past the million-sold mark. The double-disc set hit
the Billboard 200 at #12 and #4 on the Hip-hop/ R&B chart. Within the first week, it moved almost 70,000 copies.
In an effort to keep his name ringing, Flip helped to propel David Banner's Mississippi The Album to
gold heights on sizzling summer single "Like A Pimp," popped his collar with Three 6 Mafia on the flossy "Ridin Spinners"
and added his unique Texas flavor to Neptunes protégé Fam-Lay's old school-tinged "Rock and Roll (remix)."
Now, Flip aims to re-stake his hip-hop claim with U Gotta Feel Me. And he kicks off with braggadocios
on the album's first single, "Game Over." Atop futuristic, mid-tempo production accented by elements of video game classic
Pac Man, Flip sets himself aside from the average, run-of-the-mill rapper and spits: "I'm a Cristal nigga/ And you a red winer/
You just the opening act/ But I'm the headliner.../ I'm well connected like Dub and Mac 10/ With Ice Cubes on my watch/ And
dubs on the black Benz."
Another of Flip's tracks, "What's My Name," is featured on the new EA Sports football game "NFL Street,"
along with other tracks from Three 6 Mafia, Lil' Jon and Nas. Lil Flip also has a track, "I'm The Greatest Player," on the
PlayStation 2 game, "NBA Live 2004."
Other diamond-studded jewels are the rowdy, club-driven "Bring Da Pain" featuring Ludacris, the hometown
reppin "Ain't No Nigga" and "All I Know," where Flip trades verses with Cam'ron. As an added bonus , double-disc package is
accompanied by a DVD featuring performances and backstage interviews. "When I go in the studio, I always give the fans some
extra shit," he confesses. "Giving them extra shit makes them feel appreciated, like they didn't fuck their money off."
Delving into the business side of the game, Flip has recently started his own imprint, Clover G Records.
And on the album's March 23 release date, Flip's his own fruit-flavored liquor, Lucky Nites, will hit the streets. The pineapple-flavored
drink will be sold in green bottles.
"I was doing the rap part and making sure the music was tight," Flip explains, "but I wasn't really
concerned with the business end of it. Now, I want in on (it) all." And he is sure to get all that he deserves. Through his
grassroots foundation, tireless work ethic and limitless hustle, there is nothing that Lil' Flip cannot do. |
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