The ‘Free Crack’ mixtape series is what made American hip-hop artist Lil Bibby most well-known. He was raised in difficult circumstances in Chicago, where he was born. He had to deal with the trauma of witnessing his mother’s drug use as a child. He got his life back on track and joined some of his boyhood pals in the music industry. In 2013, ‘Free Crack,’ his debut mixtape, was made available. The song “Crack Music” by his musical hero Kanye West served as the inspiration for the mixtape’s title. Following the popularity of his debut mixtape, Bibby was praised by all and put on the cover of the ‘Vibe’ magazine. His method of infusing traumas from his own life into his raps resonated with his audience. His fan base grew after the publication of his second mixtape, “Free Crack 2.” He kept working with well-known rappers including Wiz Khalifa and Anthony Hamilton. Bibby stated that he was working on his debut album in 2015 and released the critically lauded mixtape “Free Crack 3,” which was given the working title “Free Crack 4.”
Early Childhood & Life
Brandon George Dickinson Jr., the younger brother of Lil Bibby, was born on July 18, 1994, in Chicago to American lower middle-class parents. He was brought up by a drug-addicted single mother. Bibby was raised on the predominantly black 79th Street neighborhood on Chicago’s East Side.
Due to the existence of some anti-social elements, his neighborhood was very well-known. Bibby’s life was further made difficult by his abusive, drug-addicted mother. His biological mother mainly spent time doing drugs, therefore his older sister raised him like a mother. Despite not using drugs herself, her sister was a part of the local drug trade.
Bibby was raised in a toxic atmosphere and became violent as a result. He occasionally got into fights, and his academic performance declined. He played basketball in the streets and at his school in addition to listening to music. He was unable to play basketball, though, as his neighborhood kept getting worse.
He had already begun making money selling narcotics on the streets by the time he was 13 years old. He once acknowledged that he was shot several times while he was a teenager and that he had also witnessed the arrests of several of his childhood pals.
During those trying times, he buried himself in music. Additionally, he mentioned reading some self-help books at the time, which had aided in his recovery. He made the decision to pursue a career in music by the time he was 16 years old.
He soon started using his smartphone to record raps and collaborated on music with a few other like-minded musicians. He had already begun work on his first mixtape by 2011.
Career of Lil Bibby
Rappers like Drake and Jadakiss served as major sources of inspiration for Bibby. Bibby had a strong bond with Kanye because they both were from Chicago. He was so moved by the rapper that he took inspiration from one of his most well-known songs, “Crack Music,” and named his debut mixtape “Free Crack.” Like Kanye occasionally does, he also discussed his early years in his rhymes.
Critics praised the mixtape’s rhymes for their originality and noted that Bibby had not taken any direct inspiration from any other rapper at the time of its release. ‘Vibe’ soon released an article about Bibby and put him on the cover, identifying him as one of the rappers to look out for in 2014.
Bibby collaborated with numerous up-and-coming rappers, including Lil Herb and King L, on his debut mixtape. Hit-boy, Young Chop, and “The Olympicks” were in charge of producing the music. DJ Scream was the tape’s host. It was a huge success in Chicago nightclubs and received excellent reviews from music reviewers. He was considered as “mature,” and ‘Vibe’ claimed that he possessed every characteristic of a significant artist.
Bibby was admired for his powerful singing voice and the songs he wrote with hefty bases and powerful lyrics. ‘Whole Crew,’ one of the album’s songs, became a staple of neighborhood parties. For the songs “How We Move,” “Water,” and “Tired of Talkin,” Bibby also directed music videos.
Riding high on the popularity of “Free Crack,” Bibby declared that the following project would be an EP in late 2013. Additionally, he mentioned that the rapper Drake had called him and expressed his love for his music. According to Bibby, the delay in ‘Free Crack’s’ release was caused by the addition of two more songs at Drake’s recommendation.
Early in 2014, Bibby made multiple TV and radio appearances and experienced his newfound fame for the first time.
Additionally, he gave a freestyle live radio performance. He was a member of the 2014 Freshman Class of ‘XXL. Due to a last-minute cancellation by Young Thug, Bibby was given the chance to be included on the roster. Bibby stated that he was working on his EP but needed a few more features in an interview with “Billboard.”
He appeared in many tracks by Juicy J in the middle of 2014. He released his second mixtape, “Free Crack 2,” hosted by DJ Drama, in August. Rappers with a solid following, like Wiz Khalifa, Juicy J, Anthony Hamilton, and Kevin Gates, made appearances as his guests. More than 100,000 people downloaded the cassette after it was made available for digital download.
The cassette was likewise widely praised by critics, some of whom thought it was superior to the first one. The album also demonstrated Bibby’s development as a rapper and musician because the songs had deeper meanings and more soulful music. Because of his enormous success, Bibby kept making music for his third mixtape, “Free Crack 3.”
Stars including R Kelly, Common, Herb, and Juicy J had cameo cameos on the tape ‘Free Crack 3’, which was released in the latter part of 2015. Both critically and financially, it was successful. There were 272, 000 downloads.
By 2016, numerous labels have approached Bibby about working together. Big Buckz, Bibby’s debut EP, was made available through Grade A Productions in August 2016. Another EP by Bibby, titled “FC3: The Epilogue,” was published in March 2017. Both EPs were huge successes that improved his standing in the fiercely competitive American rap scene.
Bibby released ‘Free Crack 4’ as his first studio album at the beginning of 2018. It will be his first commercial record and will be distributed by the label “Kemosabe Records.”
Individual Life of Lil Bibby
In 2016, Lil Bibby and social media personality Johanie Taylor were said to be dating, however, they later rejected the claims. They were seen in one other’s arms while in bed in a video that first surfaced in early 2016. The couple then verified the rumors after this.
His mother continues to reside with Bibby. She is clean of drugs. However, Bibby asserts that she has developed into a more violent person over time.
Net Worth of Lil Bibby
The estimated net worth of Lil Bibby is around $1 million.