Wesley Eric Weston Jr. (born March 3, 1981), better known by his stage name Lil' Flip, is an American rapper. He embarked on his musical career as a freestyle and

battle rap Battle rap (also known as rap battling)Edwards, Paul, 2009, p. 25. is a type of rapping performed between two or more performers that incorporates boasts, insults and wordplay. Battle rap is often performed or freestyled spontaneously in live ...

per before earning a record deal with Suckafree Records in 1999. Lil' Flip is best known for his singles "The Way We Ball", " Game Over" and " Sunshine".

Musical career

1999–2003: ''The Leprechaun'' and ''Undaground Legend''

In 1999 Lil' Flip would sign his first record deal with independent

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

label Sucka Free. On July 18, 2000, Lil' Flip released his debut album '' The Leprechaun'', catching the attention of

DJ Screw Robert Earl Davis Jr. (July 20, 1971 – November 16, 2000), better known by his stage name DJ Screw, was an American hip hop DJ based in Houston, Texas, and best known as the creator of the now-famous chopped and screwed DJ technique. He ...

, who added Flip into his rap group the

Screwed Up Click The Screwed Up Click (or S.U.C.) is an American hip hop collective based in Houston, Texas, that was led by DJ Screw. Its most notable members include DJ Screw, Big Hawk, Big Mello, Big Moe, Big Pokey, the Botany Boyz, E.S.G., Fat Pat, Lil ...

. DJ Screw proclaimed Lil' Flip "The Freestyle King.". Pandora.com In 2002,

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

offered Flip a contract and Sucka Free a distribution deal. Flip stated "We felt that they not only respected what we'd already accomplished on our own, but they also saw the big picture of what me as an artist, and Hump and I as Sucka Free's CEOs were all about." Lil Flip released his second album ''

Undaground Legend ''Undaground Legend'' is the first major-label studio album (second overall) by rapper Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacul ...

'' on August 27, 2002. The album was

certified Platinum Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

in December 2002. It contained his hit single " The Way We Ball". In 2003 Lil' Flip was also featured in

David Banner Lavell William Crump (born April 11, 1974), better known by his stage name David Banner, is an American rapper, record producer, and actor. Born in Brookhaven, Mississippi, Banner's family moved to Jackson, Mississippi, where he was raised. Ban ...

single "Like A Pimp". Then he also made featured appearance on

Yung Wun James Carlton Anderson better known by his stage name Yung Wun is an American rapper from Atlanta. Biography Yung Wun was raised in Eastlake Meadows housing projects, otherwise known as "Little Vietnam". Yung Wun was very quickly exposed t ...

's charting single " Tear It Up". He also made another appearance on

Three 6 Mafia Three 6 Mafia is an American Hip hop music, hip hop group from Memphis, Tennessee, formed in 1991. Emerging as a horror-themed underground hip hop group, they would eventually go on to enjoy mainstream success. The group's 1995 debut album ''Mys ...

single "Ridin' Spinners" that made the charts. In 2003, he also did a track with

Ludacris Christopher Brian Bridges (born September 11, 1977), known professionally as Ludacris (, homophonous with 'ludicrous' in American English), is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive. Born in Champaign, Illinois, Ludac ...

called "Screwed Up".

2004–05: ''U Gotta Feel Me''

In 2004 Lil' Flip released his third album & first double-disc album ''

U Gotta Feel Me ''U Gotta Feel Me'' is the second studio album (third overall) by American rapper Lil' Flip. The first single, " Game Over (Flip)", reached number 8 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and ...

'', his most successful album to date. Lil' Flip's label Columbia restructured and Flip ended up at

Sony Urban Music Sony Urban Music was a division of Sony BMG, active from 2004 to 2006, The division handled R&B, soul, and hip hop releases by artists nominally signed to Sony's Columbia and Epic labels. During its existence, Sony Urban managed releases by ar ...

, which he believed could promote his work better. The first single from the album was "

Game Over (Flip) "Game Over (Flip)" is the lead single released from Lil' Flip's third album ''U Gotta Feel Me''. The song became Flip's first top 40 hit, peaking at number 15 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, while also reaching the top 10 on both the R&B and rap s ...

". After that he quickly released his second single, " Sunshine" featuring Lea Sunshine. This album sold 200,000 copies in its first week and was certified Platinum by August 2004. Lil' Flip also made an appearance on the "Naughty Girl (Remix)" with

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

in 2004. He was also featured on

Chingy Howard Earl Bailey Jr. (born March 9, 1980), known professionally as Chingy, is an American rapper. Chingy grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, and began rapping in his late teens. He toured as an opening act with Nelly in the summer of 2002 and the ...

's ''

Powerballin' ''Powerballin is the second studio album by the rapper Chingy, released on November 16, 2004, through Capitol Records and Chingy's Slot-A-Lot label. The album entered the ''Billboard'' 200 at number 172 with first week sales of 7,000 copies in t ...

'' on the remix of

's successful hit single "

Balla Baby "Balla Baby" is a song by American rapper Chingy. It was released as the lead single from his second album, '' Powerballin (2004). It garnered a mixed reception from critics, was the only single from the album to be released worldwide, and reac ...

". In 2004 he also made a remix to his hit single "

" which featured

Young Buck David Darnell Brown (born March 15, 1981), best known by his stage name Young Buck, is an American rapper. He heads his own record label, Cashville, and was a member of the former hip hop group G-Unit. Early life Brown was born in Nashville, Te ...

and

Bun B Bernard James Freeman (born March 19, 1973), known professionally as Bun B, is an American rapper. He is best known as one half of the southern rap duo UGK (UnderGround Kingz), a group he formed in 1987 alongside Pimp C. Aside from his work with ...

. He also made a guest appearance on

Nelly Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. (born November 2, 1974), better known by his stage name Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, actor and entrepreneur. He embarked on his music career with the hip hop group St. Lunatics in 1993 and signed to Universal ...

's successful 2004 album "

Sweat Perspiration, also known as sweating, is the production of fluids secreted by the sweat glands in the skin of mammals. Two types of sweat glands can be found in humans: eccrine glands and apocrine glands. The eccrine sweat glands are distrib ...

". He also collaborated with

Jim Jones James Warren Jones (May 13, 1931 – November 18, 1978) was an American preacher, political activist and mass murderer. He led the Peoples Temple, a new religious movement, between 1955 and 1978. In what he called "revolutionary suicide ...

and The Game on the "Certified Gangstas (Remix)" in 2004. In 2005 Lil' Flip &

Z-Ro Joseph Wayne McVey IV (born January 19, 1977), better known by his stage names Z-Ro and the Mo City Don, is an American rapper from Houston, Texas. He was named one of America's most underrated rappers by ''The New York Times'' in 2007. Early li ...

made a collaboration album titled '' Kings of the South''. Also in 2005 Lil' Flip was featured in Chamillionaire's first single " Turn It Up". He was also featured in the remix of

's single "

Draped Up "Draped Up" is the first single from Bun B's solo debut album '' Trill''. It samples elements from the song "Pimp Tha Pen" by DJ Screw. It features an intro from Lil' Keke. The official remix is on the album and it features Lil' Keke, Slim Thug, C ...

". Lil' Flip was also featured on the " 2 Fast 2 Furious" soundtrack with the track '' Rollin' on 20s'' featuring fellow Houston rapper " Yung Redd".

2007–09: ''I Need Mine'' and ''Respect Me''

In 2007 Lil' Flip left

Columbia records Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...

, founding his own label Clover G Records & would sign a new label deal with

Asylum Asylum may refer to: Types of asylum * Asylum (antiquity), places of refuge in ancient Greece and Rome * Benevolent Asylum, a 19th-century Australian institution for housing the destitute * Cities of Refuge, places of refuge in ancient Judea ...

Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...

Lil' Flip would release his third album & second double-disc album titled ''

I Need Mine ''I Need Mine'' is the third full-length studio album (fourth overall) by Houston rapper Lil' Flip, released on March 27, 2007. The album features appearances from Mike Jones, Lyfe Jennings, Big Pokey, Lil' Keke, Nate Dogg, and Mannie Fresh, among ...

'' on March 27, 2007, the album debuted at number 15 on the Billboard 200 with 43,000 copies sold in its first week. Only two singles were released from the album, "What It Do" & " Ghetto Mindstate (Can't Get Away)". His planned fifth album '' Ahead of My Time'' was originally set to be released as early as 2007, but was pushed back many times. Lil' Flip released two "album-before-the-album's" in 2009 to help promote the release of '' Ahead of My Time''. On September 29, 2009, Lil' Flip would release his fifth album titled '' Respect Me'' to promote '' Ahead of My Time'', it would be distributed by High Powered Entertainment &

E1 Music MNRK Music Group (pronounced "monarch", formerly known as Koch Records and eOne Music) is a New York City-based independent record label and music management company. It was formed in 2009 from the music assets of Koch Entertainment, which had b ...

. On December 24, 2009, Lil' Flip would release his first independent album titled ''

Underground Legend 2 Underground most commonly refers to: * Subterranea (geography), the regions beneath the surface of the Earth Underground may also refer to: Places * The Underground (Boston), a music club in the Allston neighborhood of Boston * The Underground ( ...

'' to promote '' Ahead of My Time'', it would be distributed independently by Lil' Flip's self-owned label Clover G Records.

2010–present: More independent releases

On July 6, 2010, Lil' Flip would release '' Ahead of My Time'' as his second independent album, and debuted his artist Damienn jones "Beauty and the Beast" album, it would be distributed independently by Lil' Flip's self-owned label Clover G Records. On October 31, 2013, Lil' Flip released his third independent album ''The Black Dr. Kevorkian'', it would also be distributed independently by Lil' Flip's self-owned label Clover G Records & would sell over 10,000 copies its first week. On March 17, 2015, Lil' Flip released his sixth album titled ''El Jefe'', it was distributed by SoSouth Records. The lead single from the album was titled "Game Over II", which was sequel to his single "

". The second single from the album, was titled "In My Pimp C Voice", which was a dedication song towards deceased artist

Pimp C Chad Lamont Butler (December 29, 1973 – December 4, 2007), better known by his stage name Pimp C, was an American rapper and record producer. He was best known for his work with Bun B as one half of the hip-hop duo Underground Kingz (UGK). S ...

. The third single from the album, was titled "Bestfriend" the single would feature artist's E.J. Carter & Rev City.

Other ventures

Clover G Records

Clover G Records or Clover G La Familia is a record label owned by

rapper Lil' Flip, it was created in 2004.

Fashion designing

In 2004 Lil' Flip released his shoe line titled "Clover Footwear" which is branded off his self-owned label Clover G Records. Lil' Flip also has a fashion clothing line titled "Clover G Clothing" which is also branded off his self-owned label Clover G Records.

Author

On April 15, 2014, Lil' Flip released his first book titled ''Don't Let the Music Industry Fool You!'', the book was released with a soundtrack album.

Discography

Studio albums

* 2000: '' The Leprechaun'' * 2002: ''

'' * 2004: ''

'' * 2007: ''

'' * 2009: '' Respect Me'' * 2009: ''Underground Legend 2'' * 2010: '' Ahead of My Time'' * 2013: ''The Black Dr. Kevorkian'' * 2015: ''El Jefe'' * 2016: ''The Art of Freestyle'' * 2018: ''King'' * 2018: ''Life'' * 2019: ''The Art of Freestyle 2'' * 2019: ''The Music Machine'' * 2020: ''Feelings'' * 2020: ''No Feelings'' * 2020: ''The Leprechaun 2'' * 2022: ''The Art of Freestyle 3'' * 2022: ''Fondren Flip''

Collaboration albums

* 2005: '' Kings of the South'' (with

) * 2006: ''

Connected Connected may refer to: Film and television * ''Connected'' (2008 film), a Hong Kong remake of the American movie ''Cellular'' * '' Connected: An Autoblogography About Love, Death & Technology'', a 2011 documentary film * ''Connected'' (2015 TV ...

'' (with

Mr. Capone-E Fahd Azam (born April 27, 1976), known professionally as Mr. Capone-E, is a Pakistani-American rapper. He is the owner of Hi-Power Entertainment. Early life Mr Capone E was born in Pakistan to an ethnic Hazara family. He and his family move ...

) * 2007: ''

Still Connected ''Still Connected'' is the second collaborative studio album by Lil' Flip and Mr. Capone-E, released in 2007. It peaked at No. 68 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Track listing #Still Connected #Get My Work from the Ese's (featuri ...

'' (with Mr. Capone-E) * 2008: '' All Eyez on Us'' (with

Young Noble Rufus Cooper III (born March 21, 1978), also known by his stage name Young Noble, is an American rapper who was part of Tupac Shakur's rap group Outlawz. Noble joined the Outlawz in early 1996, and was the last member to be added to the group by ...

) * 2009: ''

Certified Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...

'' (with

Gudda Gudda Carl Eugene Lilly Jr. (born March 11, 1983), better known by his stage name Gudda Gudda, is an American rapper from New Orleans. He was originally a member of Sqad Up with Kidd Kidd and Lil Wayne. After forging a long-time friendship with Wayne ...

) * TBA: ''Kings of the South II'' (with

)

Soundtrack album

* 2014: ''Don't Let the Music Industry Fool You''

Bibliography

* ''Don't Let The Music Industry Fool You!'' by Wesley "Lil' Flip" Weston (2014: Harris Royal Bloodline Publishing, April 15, 2014)

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Flip, Lil 1981 births Living people African-American male rappers African-American non-fiction writers American non-fiction writers American shooting survivors Rappers from Houston Screwed Up Click members Songwriters from Texas Southern hip hop musicians Warner Records artists Writers from Houston Gangsta rappers African-American record producers American music industry executives American hip hop record producers African-American songwriters 21st-century American rappers Record producers from Texas 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century African-American musicians 20th-century African-American people American male songwriters