Courtesy of Based God
Courtesy of Based God

Raw. Emotional. Real. Based. These are truths used to describe Lil B the Based God and thus his newest mixtape, “05 Fuck Em.” Months in the making, its release was stalled so much that it was becoming the stuff of legends, on par with Dr. Dre’s “Detox.” People around the world began to question the Based God and whether or not “05 Fuck Em” would even become reality. People around the world asked, “Oh my God, Based God, when are we going to hear ‘05?’ Cuando, Lil B? Quand?” Then Christmas Eve 2013 came, and the Based God blessed us with his son. One hundred and one tracks deep and clocking in at a little less than six hours, “05 Fuck Em” has everything you could ever want from a Lil B mixtape. It’s an adventure listening to the whole thing, one where you can recall tales of twerkin’, jumping on couches, early 2000s sampling, choices between hummus or crack and dare I say: bitches.

To speak on the sonic diversity on “05” would be like asking Forrest Gump about chocolates — “You just never know what you’re going to get.” There are trap hats, a System of a Down cover, high-pitched vocal beats, and everything in and out of the box. With such a variety of moods, the listener can be “turnt up” at one moment, but gushing tears of love and positivity the very next.

The song “Twurk Sum” features masterful use of the xylophone and Lil B’s cover of System of a Down’s song “Toxicity” sounds like it was meant for his heavenly voice instead of Serj Tankian’s. No disrespect to Serj, but this is the Based God we’re speaking of here. Any haters’ preconceived notions of Based Music’s limitations are destroyed when listening to this mixtape (or any of his previous work, for that matter), but all of Lil B’s loyal Task Force already knew the beauty of Based Music, which is then solidified by the Based God’s lyrics.

Lil B the Based God’s lyrical prowess lies in his omniscience, which includes the struggles of praying for a brick of cocaine to having a Bar Mitzvah. He understands the struggles of everybody, from the troublemakers to our future generations. He bridges this gap on “Rob the Jeweler” by suggesting to drug dealers “(if you) sell dope in the hood, you should build a school.” As diverse as Lil B can be, he’s always spreading a message of positivity. “If your parents was a banker then you understand banking / if you grew up poor than you understand my language,” tells Lil B on “Snitch,” a track where he helps us realize our potential by leaving behind all the negativity.

Based tears cannot help but be released upon hearing these spiritual words. Let’s not forget, though, that as emotional and deep as Lil B can get, he has this spectacular quality about him that can easily have you hitting the dance floor and cooking to his music. My two favorite tracks to cook to on are “Ellen Degeneres Remix” and “Hadouken featuring Keke the Adopted Tabby Cat.” “Tre-Tre-Bluken! Haduoken!” is the anthem for any Street Fighter or Task Force Soldier.

Although not my definitive favorite (“Illusions of Grandeur,” anyone?), “05 Fuck Em” is too prolific not to make Based history — and hip-hop history, at that. It’s obvious that “05” is to Lil B like what “Abbey Road” is to the Beatles; it’s an undeniable classic within a discography with nothing but classics. The music is Based beyond belief and the lyrics come from the holy Based God as a prophecy that Lil B not only tells, but lives. When he says “I love you,” he means it, and when he says he has “a lot of bitches,” he means it. As such, it’s not only an honor to have Lil B the Based God visiting UC Riverside on Feb. 5, but also a blessing. We will laugh. We will cry. We will learn to love and be positive through the Based God. Thank you Based God. Task Force unite.

Rating: Based