''Choices and Flowers'' is the first instrumental studio album by American rapper

Lil B Brandon Christopher McCartney (born August 17, 1989), professionally known as Lil B and as his alter ego The BasedGod, is an American rapper. Lil B has recorded both solo and with Bay Area group The Pack. His solo work spans several genres, ...

, released under the moniker The BasedGod. It was digitally released on May 17, 2012, through Lil B's own record label, BasedWorld Records. The album consists of instrumental versions of songs from his previous releases ''

Rain in England ''Rain in England'' is the second studio album by American rapper Lil B, released through Weird Forest on September 21, 2010. Produced by Lil B under his persona "The Based God", ''Rain in England'' is unusual for the hip hop genre because it has ...

'', ''Dior Paint'' and ''Roses Exodus''. Lil B has described the album as his "classical music debut", although most critics have instead classified it as a

New Age New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars conside ...

album. It was followed later in 2012 by a second "classical" album released under the BasedGod name, ''Tears 4 God''. The album charted at ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' New Age Albums chart, peaking at number 6.

Background

Despite being labeled as "classical music" by Lil B, the album features new-age instrumental tracks, recorded on a multitracked synthesizer. The songs are

improvised Improvisation is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. Improvisation in the performing arts is a very spontaneous performance without specific or scripted preparation. The skills of impr ...

and feature descending patterns and varied

rhythm Rhythm (from Greek , ''rhythmos'', "any regular recurring motion, symmetry") generally means a " movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions". This general meaning of regular recu ...

s, without any "recognizable meter." All songs, except the last track "Welcome to America", are pitched to C- B- A- G notes. The compositions feature various keyboard patches and

pads Pads (also called leg guards) are a type of protective equipment used in a number of sports and serve to protect the legs from the impact of a hard ball, puck, or other object of play travelling at high speed which could otherwise cause injuries t ...

to produce

string String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...

electric piano An electric piano is a musical instrument which produces sounds when a performer presses the keys of a piano-style musical keyboard. Pressing keys causes mechanical hammers to strike metal strings, metal reeds or wire tines, leading to vibrations ...

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. A ...

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...

sitar The sitar ( or ; ) is a plucked stringed instrument, originating from the Indian subcontinent, used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument was invented in medieval India, flourished in the 18th century, and arrived at its present form in ...

and koto sounds. Lil B credited himself as the executive producer of the album, echoing the imitation of two different personas. The cover art of the album was painted by artist Roberta Stewart and was compared to the works of painter

Marlene Dumas Marlene Dumas (born 3 August 1953) is a South African artist and painter currently based in the Netherlands. Life and work Dumas was born in 1953 in Cape Town, South Africa and grew up in Kuils River in the Western Cape, where her father had ...

Critical reception

The album received mixed reviews, with many critics questioning the authenticity of the "classical tag" and focusing on the song titles. Christian Hertzog, the classical music critic of ''

LA Weekly ''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin, who served as president and editor until 1991. Voice Media Group sold the paper in late 2017 to Semanal Media LLC, whose paren ...

'' criticized Lil B's use of the tag, citing "the extensive use of synthesizers, uninteresting" improvisation and the limited melodies. Nevertheless, he also noted that "Lil B has will and the musical curiosity" and urged him to learn to play an instrument and take

theory A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Theories may be s ...

and composition lessons. Duncan Cooper of ''

The Fader ''The Fader'' (stylized as ''FADER'') is a magazine based in New York City that was launched in 1999 by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. It was the first print publication to be released on iTunes. It is o ...

'' described the album as "95 minutes of

atonal Atonality in its broadest sense is music that lacks a tonal center, or key. ''Atonality'', in this sense, usually describes compositions written from about the early 20th-century to the present day, where a hierarchy of harmonies focusing on a s ...

synth noodling" and compared it to Lil B's previous ambient hip hop album, ''

'' (2010). Miles Raymer of ''

Chicago Reader The ''Chicago Reader'', or ''Reader'' (stylized as ЯEADER), is an American alternative weekly newspaper in Chicago, Illinois, noted for its literary style of journalism and coverage of the arts, particularly film and theater. It was founded by a ...

'' wrote that "the album sounds like Lil B loaded up some strings and pads in a synth program, did about a hundred bong rips, and just let the music flow out of him, despite the fact that he maybe doesn't technically know how to play the keyboard."

Track listing

All tracks composed by The BasedGod. # "I Made the Right Choice" – 5:44 # "Lessons from the Wind" – 7:12 # "Walking Through Berkeley" – 6:06 # "My Mistakes" – 4:17 # "New York I'm Home" – 6:24 # "Where Are You Going" – 3:37 # "Lost in the Sky of Love" – 4:47 # "Save the Animals" – 5:22 # "Happy to Live" – 7:21 # "What Came First Are We Alive" – 8:05 # "Tokyo" – 3:03 # "Tribute to Lil B" – 4:54 # "At the Zoo With Mom" – 4:49 # "Dreams Are Real" – 5:10 # "Exhale With Love in Your Chest" – 3:29 # "Wooden Hotel" – 5:42 # "Welcome to America" – 12:27

Chart positions

References

External links

Choices and Flowers
on

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{{Authority control 2012 albums Self-released albums New-age albums by American artists Ambient albums by American artists Lil B albums Experimental music albums by American artists