Hip hop scholar Sina Nitzsche teaches it like this: «That ‘Lil’ is an African-American term from English and it means ‘little’.» In hip hop you play a lot with language, hierarchy and identity.
Hip Hop, like the street, is constantly changing. Every day new genres are shown that convert it, every day new vocalists are shown that change it and every day new trends are shown that make it different. Rap is one of the most loyal expressions of the crowd, which is why it changes as quickly as the needs of the crowd change.
Recently, as is well known, rap has been influenced by a new genre that simply breaks the winner. The trap, a genre that had its first traces in the 90s, has never been as strong in this country as it is at this moment. Well, will it be? Perhaps due to the fact that it is a novelty and due to the fact that its modern sound, steeped in electronica and tense rhythms, feels quite superior to today’s youth. Therefore, it sells much more. However, in the article, we are not concerned with why trap got this far, but rather with how it impacted the world of rap.
Surely at some point you saw the word Lil written together with a name as a rapper pseudonym, but have you ever stopped to ask the reason for this coincidence?
Known Lil Ragmen include Lil Wayne, Lil Peep, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Nas X, Lil Pump, Lil Xan, Lil Mosey, Lil Dicky, Lil Skies and Lil Yachty.
The answer is really simple: Lil is a diminutive of the English word little, which in Spanish means small, and is related to physically young or small rappers. The obsession with this term in hip hop is very common and goes back decades. In this genre, language, hierarchy and identity are essential to stand out.
What does lil mean in trap?
Hip hop scholar Sina Nitzsche puts it this way: «That ‘Lil’ is a term in African-American English, and it means ‘little’.» In hip hop you play a lot with language, hierarchy and identity. On the one hand there is «OG», the «original gangster». This term comes from the gangsta civilization.
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