What We Learned From Lil B's UCLA Lecture
Ants fight. Animals fight. The Based God doesn't.
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The Based God Speaks - Part of Lil B's mission on Earth is to drop knowledge, love and wisdom on the huddled masses, and as the academic year draws to a close, he's been doing just that at universities across the country. Most recently, the Berkeley rapper brought his vision to UCLA. Here's what we learned from his 75 minutes on the podium. (Photo: PYMCA/UIG via Getty Images)
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Take a moment to breathe. - The first thing he had his disciples do was inhale and exhale a few times, reminding us all that breath is the most important element of life — a particularly poignant message in the aftermath of Eric Garner's pleas of "I can't breathe."(Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Coachella)
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Honor thyself. - It’s an honor to be you, so make sure you care," he told the crowd. "Real talk.” Mind blown.(Photo: PYMCA/UIG via Getty Images)
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Communication is fundamental. - “If somebody spells a word wrong or they say something wrong, it’s my job as a receiver to decipher,” he said. “I’m always working to decipher communication, because sometimes people are embarrassed. Somebody might put you down or something. I can speak for myself: Everybody’s always trying to correct me, my spelling.”(Photo by: PYMCA/UIG via Getty Images)
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Human consciousness is somebody's opinion. - Lil B isn't sure that consciousness is what separates humans from other forms of life. In fact, he doesn't quite know how to define this thing we call human. "Maybe one of y'all could tell me?" he asks the crowd.(Photo: Isaac Brekken/Getty Images)
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Not even water is free. - "The government owns the oceans," he revealed to the audience. "Did you guys know that? But they're leasing parts of it, so you can lease a part of the ocean," he added, without talking about which government owns which part of what ocean.(Photo: Ray Tamarra/Getty Images)
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If Lil B ignores you, it's not because he doesn't see you. - The rap philosopher made it clear that making a connection is a choice. "I see how much just acknowledging somebody can make their day," he says. "I find something so beautiful in that." He added that sometimes he fails to open up and communicate with people as a result of being in his own head, sharing an anecdote about wanting to share his tea with some beautiful couples in a café.(Photo: Ray Tamarra/Getty Images)
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The game is to be sold, not to be told. - Borrowing a line from fellow West Coast rapper Snoop Dogg, B encourages the college crowd to start practicing discretion, especially when sharing their views and dreams. Not gonna be easy for the social media generation.(Photo: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)
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Wear your feelings, but don't take it personal. - "We all can't smile 100% of the time," says Lil B, telling the crowd not to take things like side-eye and mean mugging too personally. "Maybe [that person] can't smile? Maybe that's just the way they look." Truth.(Photo: Kyle Gustafson/For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
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Be open. But trust no one. But be open. - B advocates living a transparent life and letting people into your feelings, but also warns against the so-called masters of "finessing," which he describes as those who have perfected the art of manipulation. "You need to be aware of predators," he tells the confused crowd.(Photo: Roger Kisby/Getty Images)