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Lil' Flip

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Lil' Flip
Lil' Flip performing in 2023
Lil' Flip performing in 2023
Background information
Birth nameWesley Eric Weston Jr.
Born (1981-03-03) March 3, 1981 (age 43)
Cloverland, Houston, Texas, U.S.
GenresHip hop
Occupations
  • Rapper
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Years active1999–present
Labels
Formerly ofScrewed Up Click

Wesley Eric Weston Jr.[1][2] (born 3 March 1981),[1] better known by his stage name Lil' Flip, is an American rapper. Raised in Houston, Texas, he began his musical career as a freestyle and battle rapper before signing with the local record label Suckafree Records in 1999. Three years later, he secured a joint venture with Columbia Records, achieving mainstream recognition for his 2004 singles "Game Over" and "Sunshine", which peaked at numbers 15 and two on the Billboard Hot 100, respectively.[3]

Musical career

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1999–2003: The Leprechaun and Undaground Legend

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In 1999, Lil' Flip secured his first recording contract with the independent Houston, Texas label Sucka Free. On 18 July 2000, he released his debut album, The Leprechaun, which garnered the attention of DJ Screw, the influential founder of the Screwed Up Click. Impressed by his skills, DJ Screw invited Lil' Flip to join the group and bestowed upon him the title of "The Freestyle King".[4]

In 2002, Columbia Records extended a joint venture recording and distribution deal to Flip and Sucka Free. Reflecting on the partnership, 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."

On 27 August 2002, Lil' Flip released his second album, Undaground Legend, which achieved platinum certification by December of the same year. The album featured the single "The Way We Ball". In 2003, he appeared on a number of notable tracks, including "Like a Pimp" by David Banner, "Tear It Up" by Yung Wun, and "Ridin' Spinners" by Three 6 Mafia. That same year, Flip also contributed a guest verse to Ludacris' track "Screwed Up" from the album Chicken-N-Beer.

2004–05: U Gotta Feel Me

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In 2004, Lil' Flip released his third studio album, and first double-disc project, U Gotta Feel Me. Following a restructuring at his label, Columbia Records, he transitioned to Sony Urban Music, which he believed would provide stronger promotional support. The album’s lead single, "Game Over (Flip)", was followed by "Sunshine", featuring Lea Sunshine. The album sold 200,000 copies in its first week and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in August 2004. That year, he also featured on the "Naughty Girl (Remix)" with Beyoncé and contributed to Chingy’s Powerballin' with a remix of the hit single "Balla Baby".

In addition to a remix of "Game Over (Flip)" featuring Young Buck and Bun B, Flip made a guest appearance on Nelly’s album Sweat. He also collaborated on the "Certified Gangstas (Remix)" alongside Jim Jones and The Game in 2004. The following year, Lil' Flip partnered with Z-Ro to release the collaborative album Kings of the South. In 2005, he featured on Chamillionaire’s debut single "Turn It Up" and appeared on the remix of Bun B's track "Draped Up". Additionally, he contributed to the 2 Fast 2 Furious soundtrack with the song "Rollin' on 20s", featuring fellow Houston rapper Yung Redd.[4]

2007–09: I Need Mine and Respect Me

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In 2007, Lil' Flip parted ways with Columbia Records and established his own label, Clover G Records. The label was launched as an imprint under Asylum and Warner Bros.. Its first release was Flip’s third album and second double-disc project, I Need Mine, which was released on 27 March 2007. The album debuted at number 15 on the Billboard 200, selling 43,000 copies in its first week. Two singles were released from the album: "What It Do" and "Ghetto Mindstate (Can't Get Away)".

Lil' Flip’s planned fifth studio album, Ahead of My Time, was originally slated for release as early as 2007 but faced numerous delays. In an effort to generate anticipation for the project, he released two promotional albums, or "album-before-the-album" releases, in 2009.[5][6]

On 29 September 2009, he released his fifth album, Respect Me, as a promotional effort for Ahead of My Time. The album was distributed by High Powered Entertainment and E1 Music. Later that year, on 24 December 2009, Lil' Flip released his first fully independent album, Underground Legend 2, through his self-owned label Clover G Records. This release also served as a promotional tool for the upcoming Ahead of My Time.[7]

2010–present: More independent releases

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On 6 July 2010, Lil' Flip released Ahead of My Time as his second independent album. Alongside this release, he debuted his artist Damienn Jones with the album Beauty and the Beast. Both projects were distributed independently through Lil' Flip’s self-owned label, Clover G Records.

On 31 October 2013, Lil' Flip released his third independent album, The Black Dr. Kevorkian. Distributed once again by Clover G Records, the album sold over 10,000 copies in its first week.

On 17 March 2015, Lil' Flip released his sixth studio album, El Jefe, which was distributed by SoSouth Records.[8][9] The album’s lead single, "Game Over II", served as a sequel to his earlier hit single "Game Over (Flip)".[10]

The second single from El Jefe was titled "In My Pimp C Voice", a tribute to the late rapper Pimp C.[11] The third single, "Bestfriend", featured guest appearances by E.J. Carter and Rev City.[12][13]

Other ventures

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Clover G Records

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Clover G Records
Founded2004
FounderWesley "Lil' Flip" Weston Jr. (CEO and President)
StatusActive
Distributor(s)GT Digital / EMPIRE
GenreHip-hop, pop, crunk, R&B
Country of originUnited States
LocationHouston, Texas (2004–present)

Clover G Records or Clover G La Familia is a record label owned by Houston, Texas rapper Lil' Flip. It was established in 2004.

Fashion designing

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In 2004, Lil' Flip launched his footwear line, "Clover Footwear," which is branded under his self-owned label, Clover G Records.[14] Additionally, Lil' Flip has a fashion clothing line called "Clover G Clothing," which is also branded under his self-owned label, Clover G Records.[15]

Author

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On April 15, 2014, Lil' Flip released his debut book titled "Don't Let the Music Industry Fool You!" The book was accompanied by a soundtrack album.[16][17]

Discography

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Main article: Lil' Flip discography

Studio albums

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Collaboration albums

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Soundtrack album

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

Bibliography

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

References

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  1. ^ a b Birchmeier, Jason (2008). "Lil' Flip: Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved August 17, 2009.
  2. ^ Proctor, Becky (April 18, 2002). "Lil' Flip OK After Shooting, Still Plans to Release Album" (Fee required). Houston, Texas: University Wire. Retrieved August 17, 2009.[dead link‍]
  3. ^ "Getting to Know Lil' Flip: Journey Through Platinum Hits". Bolnews.com. January 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Lil' Flip Biography". Archived from the original on February 26, 2011. Retrieved May 15, 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). Pandora.com
  5. ^ Arnold, Paul W (September 18, 2009). "Lil Flip Talks "Respect Me," Rap-A-Lot Records | Get The Latest Hip Hop News, Rap News & Hip Hop Album Sales". HipHop DX. Archived from the original on July 3, 2011. Retrieved November 3, 2011.
  6. ^ "Chicken N Beer: Where Are They Now?" BET
  7. ^ "iTunes – Music – Underground Legend 2 by Lil' Flip". iTunes. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012.
  8. ^ "El Jefe". iTunes. March 17, 2015. Archived from the original on November 20, 2015.
  9. ^ "Amazon.com: El Jefe [Explicit]: Lil' Flip: MP3 Downloads". Amazon. Archived from the original on November 19, 2015.
  10. ^ "Game Over II – Single". iTunes. Archived from the original on November 21, 2015.
  11. ^ "In My Pimp C Voice – Single". iTunes. Archived from the original on November 20, 2015.
  12. ^ "Lil Flip "Bestfriend" feat. E.J. & Rev City | Hip Hop Weekly". Archived from the original on November 20, 2015. Retrieved November 19, 2015.
  13. ^ "Bestfriend (feat. E.J. & Rev City) – Single". iTunes. February 14, 2015. Archived from the original on May 18, 2015.
  14. ^ "Lil Flip Launches Clover Footwear and Clothing Line". SoJones. May 9, 2004. Archived from the original on April 13, 2015.
  15. ^ "Clover G Clothing – Online". Clover G Clothing. Archived from the original on April 16, 2015.
  16. ^ Amazon.com: Don't Let The Music Industry Fool You! eBook: Wesley "Lil' Flip" Weston: Kindle Store. Harris Royal Bloodline. April 15, 2014. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016.
  17. ^ "Don't Let the Music Industry Fool You (Soundtrack)". iTunes. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016.
  18. ^ "iTunes – Music – King by Lil' Flip". iTunes. March 24, 2018. Archived from the original on May 3, 2018. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  19. ^ "iTunes – Music – Life by Lil' Flip". iTunes. March 26, 2018. Archived from the original on April 3, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
  20. ^ "iTunes – Music – The Art of Freestyle 2 by Lil' Flip". iTunes. October 31, 2019. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  21. ^ "iTunes – Music – The Music Machine by Lil' Flip". iTunes. November 29, 2019. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
  22. ^ "iTunes – Music – Feelings by Lil' Flip". iTunes. February 14, 2020. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  23. ^ "iTunes – Music – No Feelings by Lil' Flip". iTunes. February 14, 2020. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  24. ^ "iTunes – Music – The Leprechaun 2 by Lil' Flip". iTunes. March 17, 2020. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  25. ^ "iTunes – Music – The Art of Freestyle 3 by Lil' Flip". iTunes. August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  26. ^ "iTunes – Music – Fondren Flip by Lil' Flip". iTunes. November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
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