San Francisco Native Lil Yee Announces Live 4 It, Die 4 It, His Next EP, Releasing March 22nd via EMPIRE
The Fillmore District Rapper Connects With ATL Sound Architects Zaytoven and Cassius Jay for “Red Eagle,” Premiered by HYPEBEAST
02.15.2019
Critical Praise for Lil Yee:
“Lil Yee is dope. He’s from Filmore, and has a song called ‘Hopeless’ that I have on repeat right now. I’m a little late on that record, but it’s still on that repeat. When I heard him, I thought that he was making some music that wasn’t just local-sounding. It sounds like it could be played everywhere.” – Clyde Carson in an interview with The BoomBox
The Announcement:
Putting on for San Francisco’s Fillmore District, a rich region in rap’s history, Lil Yee makes relatable music for those going through the everyday struggle. Preparing a collection of hard-hitting and aspirational street rap, Lil Yee announces Live 4 It, Die 4 It, his upcoming EP. The proper follow-up to his 2017 album Cita Son, Live 4 It, Die 4 It finds the young rapper expanding his style, moving beyond the traditional Mob music styles of his home neighborhood towards melodic trap and the snapping West Coast sound favored in L.A. and the East Bay. With production from FKI 1st, Zaytoven, Cassius Jay, Helluva, and YK of 808 Mafia, Yee’s upcoming tape is a freewheeling, pan-regional affair, and the San Francisco rapper crosses boundaries with his inimitable style. Featuring the flex-happy anthem “Designer Baby,” which released in July and has over 381k video views, and with appearances from E-40, Mozzy, Lil Pete, FMB DZ, and with a posthumous verse from The Jacka, Live 4 It, Die 4 It comes out on March 22nd via G-Affair/EMPIRE.
To accompany the announcement of the mixtape, Lil Yee shares “Red Eagle,” a poignant and sweetly-sung slice of street gospel. Reflecting on those he’s loved and lost, Yee rhapsodizes on the importance of staying true to yourself as life’s struggles mount: “Pray for me, if them demons get inside of me/Wait and see, would you come or would you glide for me?/Thankfully, I was blessed with a family/And everything I go and get is not a casualty.” In the video, shot in crisp black-and-white, Yee retreats into his city’s hills, offering panoramic vistas as he sings his heart out. Produced by plaintive grandeur by ATL sound architects Zaytoven and Cassius Jay, who provide airy keyboards and understated drums that add to the emotional heft of Yee’s lyrics, the HYPEBEAST-premiered “Red Eagle” is a formidable preview of what’s to come on Live 4 It, Die 4 It.
Listen to “Red Eagle”: https://Empire.lnk.to/RedEagle
Watch “Red Eagle”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpI1PCnopAE
Pre-order Live 4 It, Die 4 It EP: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/live-4-it-die-4-it/1453133620?ls=1&app=itunes // https://Empire.lnk.to/Live4ItDie4It
Check out the HYPEBEAST premiere: https://hypebeast.com/2019/2/lil-yee-red-eagle-music-video-live-4-it-die-stream
Live 4 It, Die 4 It Tracklist:
1) Live A Lie (Prod. by Fki 1st)
2) Sacrifice ft. FMB DZ & Lil Pete (Prod. by Helluva)
3) Out of Breath (Prod. by Hitman)
4) War Wounds (Prod. by Zaytoven)
5) Red Eagle (Prod. by Cassius Jay & Zaytoven)
6) Mercy ft. Lil Pete & E-40 (Prod. by L-Finguz)
7) Concrete Jungle (Prod. by Yk808 Mafia)
8) Designer Baby (Prod. by JuneOnnaBeat)
9) Industry ft. Mozzy (Prod. by FKi 1st)
10) Reality (Prod. by. DatBoiGood)
11) Coming Around ft. The Jacka & Boo Banga (Prod. by L-Finguz)
Please contact Michelle or Erin if interested in talking with Lil Yee.
Lil Yee Background:
San Francisco native Stacey Antonio Gilton, better known as Lil Yee, long suspected music was a natural talent of his, but only recently realized that he could make it a career–lifting up not only himself, but his neighborhood as well. Growing up in SF’s Fillmore District, the home of Mob Music, Lil Yee admired the music of local heroes like Messy Marv and The Jacka, as well as East Coast legends like Mobb Deep, Biggie Smalls, and Nas. Combining a gritty East Coastinfluenced sensibility with the bouncy nature of his hometown sound, Lil Yee quickly found an audience, earning millions of YouTube views on songs like “We Livin Hopeless,” “War,” and “Designer Baby.” Though he’s collaborated with a host of Bay Area artists, including Philthy Rich, Prezi, SOB x RBE, Nasty Nate, and many others, and rhymed over beats from the likes of Zaytoven and Cassius Jay, Lil Yee grounds his motivations in the neighborhood he grew up in, hoping to inspire his fellow Bay Area residents with his music. “I make music for people going through the struggle,” says Lil Yee. “I talk about the ups and downs of the life experiences I’ve been through. The best part of making music is the love and passion and inspiration from my fans. People hit me in my DM’s and say, ‘man, that song is helping me get through life.’ Helping people is the best feeling.”
Links:
instagram | youtube | soundcloud
“Red Eagle” (Prod. by Zaytoven & Cassius Jay): https://Empire.lnk.to/RedEagle // https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpI1PCnopAE
Pre-order Live 4 It, Die 4 It EP: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/live-4-it-die-4-it/1453133620?ls=1&app=itunes // https://Empire.lnk.to/Live4ItDie4It
“Designer Baby”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A32u1–_yIc
“See About It” ft. Slimmy B of SOB x RBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj4Tjbqhd04
“War”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihfwL0yxzzU
“We Livin Hopeless”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVOP8AnqlBg
Cita Son: https://open.spotify.com/album/5Hf77HL2Lg3kM2WB18h5o8?si=q7hr54hpTiae4OQk3wHbdA