Brandon George Dickinson, better known by his stage nameLil Bibby, is an American rapper and label executive. Beginning his career in 2011, Bibby released his debut mixtape in 2013, titled Free Crack. He released the follow-up mixtape Free Crack 2 on August 29, 2014, and Free Crack 3 on November 27, 2015. He is more famously known for signing Juice WRLD to his label Grade A Productions.
Career
2011–13: Career beginnings and debut mixtape
In 2013, Lil Bibby released his official debut mixtape, titled Free Crack. The title to the mixtape was inspired by Kanye West's track, called "Crack Music", which was featured from his second albumLate Registration. He cited Drake and Jadakiss, as two of his favorite rappers. Vice stated that Bibby's first mixtape were cleared from its influences from both of these rappers. The mixtape features guest appearances from these newcomers Lil Herb and King L, while the production was handled by Hit-Boy, Young Chop and The Olympicks, among others. DJ Scream hosted this mixtape. The tape combines his distinctive gruff and imposing voice, along with a solid delivery and flow. The music videos were released for tracks such as "How We Move" featuring King L, "Change", "Water" and "Tired of Talkin'". Following the release of the debut mixtape, Bibby was featured on a cover in Vibe, stated that he is one of the rappers to watch in 2014. The article complimented Bibby, stating that he had what it takes to be a major music artist, due to his maturity and his rapping ability.
In December 2013, in an interview with XXL, Bibby hinted that the next step for his career could be an EP. In 2014, it was also stated, that the rapper Drake was a huge fan of Bibby and that they'd spoken in 2013, before the release of Bibby's debut mixtape. Bibby said it pushed him onto improve his debut release, adding the tracks "Water" and "Whole Crew". In January 2014, Bibby appeared on Sway's radio showSway in the Morning. On the show he spoke about the success of his debut mixtape, and also dropped a live freestyle. During the same month, Bibby also featured on New York'sradio station, Hot 97. During the same month, Bibby stated in his interview with Billboard, that he was working on material for an EP, but was waiting on a couple of features. Bibby also appeared on the list of 2014's XXL Freshman Class. He was the last person selected to the list, due to Young Thug's last minute cancellation. In July 2014, he made his appearance on the songs, collaborating with a fellow rapper and a Memphis-native Juicy J, and was featured on the remix to "Main Chick" performed by Kid Ink. After a few delays, Bibby's sophomore mixtape, Free Crack 2, was released on August 29, 2014. Free Crack 2, which was hosted by DJ Drama, includes guest appearances from Lil Herb, Wiz Khalifa, Juicy J, Kevin Gates, Jadakiss and Anthony Hamilton, among others. The mixtape has production from Juicy J, Honorable C.N.O.T.E., Sonny Digital and DJ Pain 1, among others. The mixtape was released for freedigital download and rapidly accumulated over 120,000 downloads. Free Crack 2 was received with critical acclaim. XXL magazine awarded the mixtape an XL, praising the mixtape's authenticity, catchy hooks and production, while also commenting that the mixtape showcases Bibby's "growth as an artist." RedEye awarded the mixtape three stars out of four, commenting on the tape's maturity and versatility and praising the ability of the song 'Dead or in Prison' to let Bibby's "emotion and natural charisma do the heavy lifting." BET gave the mixtape a positive review, awarding it five stars while commenting on its "new level of depth and introspection, detailing the difficult balance of fame and authenticity and how that effects everyday life in some of America's urban war zones."
2015–present: ''FC3 the Epilogue'' & ''Free Crack 4''
In 2015, Bibby released two singles "Ridah" and "Aww Man" for an upcoming album, supposedly the fourth installment in his Free Crack series. In late 2016, Bibby released "Thought It Was A Drought" and this was produced by DJ L Beats and Roberto Mario. After a long period with no music, in early 2018, Bibby began using the hashtag "Free Bibby" on social media, protesting his label's refusal to allow him to release the project.
