Little Brother: Biography

• Overview
• Discography
• Biography
• Related Artists

• Slum Village
• Dilated Peoples
• Kidz in the Hall
• C.R.A.C.
• Oddisee
• Danny!
• The Roots

• De La Soul
• A Tribe Called Quest

• Common Market

• The Foreign Exchange
• 9th Wonder
• Hall of Justus

• Hall of Justus

Genres:

Rap & Hip-Hop Music, Underground Rap Music

Artistic Quality

Low

Ratings Guide

Part of the newmillennium resurgence of alternative rap, Little Brother's inspirations were atypical for Southern hiphop: classic Native Tongues outfits like De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest, as well as more recent torchbearers like the Roots and Black Star. MCs Phonte (b. Phonte Coleman) and Big Pooh (b. Thomas Jones) swapped rhymes with an easy chemistry, but the group's real focal point was DJ/producer 9th Wonder (b. Pat Douthit), an oldschool sampling technician who quickly established himself as a worthy heir to production wizards like DJ Premier and Pete Rock. Little Brother formed at North Carolina Central University, located in Durham. All three members had known each other since 1998, when they performed in a local hiphop outfit called the Organization; after its dissolution in 2000, they spearheaded a 12member crew dubbed the Justus League. The trio worked together off and on in varying combinations, until they officially teamed up as Little Brother in August 2001, adopting the name as a humble nod to their influences. Their first recording together was "Speed," a playful, downtoearth look at the pressures of holding a day job while trying to make it in the music business; it set the tone for much of their early material. Over the next few months, they developed enough of a repertoire to start performing live around the area, and quickly earned a following. When the group made its music available for download on the Internet, a substantial buzz built far outside of North Carolina, and it eventually earned them a deal with the Oaklandbased ABB Records in 2002. In early 2003, Little Brother released its fulllength debut, The Listening, which won widespread critical praise that focused especially on 9th Wonder's production. That fall, the group embarked on its first national tour, opening for the Hieroglyphics.

- Steve Huey, All Music Guide