 When Lil B announced his new album, titled I'm Gay, it got major press. But when it dropped, it was done pretty secretive ... without the announcement of a release date and without warning.
The album dropped, independently, on Wednesday (June 29) via iTunes, beating out any would be hackers who planned on leaking the controversial project first.
The Berkeley rapper revealed the upcoming album during his set at the 2011 Coachella Music Festival, back in April, but didn't specify a release date.
After the title was revealed, Lil B was met with opposition over it, saying he received death threats and was even questioned by gay rights organization GLAAD over his intentions.
Still, the rapper stood by the decision, explaining: "I'mma just show you that words don't mean sh**. I'mma make an album called I'm Gay, right? Now I'mma tell you why I'm the first person to do it in hip-hop and why you're the first people to know my reasons. I'm just gonna tell you. So many people be worried about what people mean and definitions of words and sh** ... Now I like women, I love women, you feel me. But within yourselves, no matter what you do, it doesn't matter, it's like live life. You've only got one life to live. Be happy."
Later, when Lil B dropped the album's coverart, the title was changed ... but only slightly to I'm Gay (I'm Happy).
The album release was announced solely from non-stop tweets on Lil B's Twitter page (@LilBTheBasedGod), which linked to iTunes. Besides that, no other news of the release date was made public.
Fellow rapper Lupe Fiasco agreed with the ideology behind Lil B's album, giving it a lengthy cosign in a post on his official website, LupeFiasco.com.
"Let me make something abundantly clear, the title I'm Gay (I'm Happy), I think is absolute genius. Those two words together, side by side in almost any format in the society we live in, can be a cultural and social death sentence," Lupe wrote.
"The word 'gay' referring to homosexuality in the minds of the 'guilty,' as well call them here, sent shockwaves throughout our hip-hop community. Making Lil B the target of attack and ridicule," he continued. "But Lil B's ultimate intention and preference for the word 'gay' was its 'one who is happy' definition. So basically my lil homey was being attacked for being happy."
Props to Lil B dropping without a pre-leak! Download it on iTunes now.
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