Steve 'Flash' JuonI’ve never been a fan of David Burd a/k/a Lil Dicky. If you suspect that means I’m going to be biased about a comedy side project where he pretends to be a rapping brain, you can accuse me of being “closed minded” just like his song about “Cocaine.” At least we can agree about one thing — “I’ve never even tried it” and have absolutely no desire to do so. Apparently Dicky, or Brain, or whoever we can attribute this (cough cough) masterpiece to justifies his desire to try it by the fact he used to hate baked potatoes and now he likes them. This was supposed to make me a convert? No.
Most resources classify “I’m Brain” as an extended play, but if I have to give Mr. Burd any credit for anything here, his joke EP is longer than a lot of full length albums rappers put out today. It also has a mysterious producer named Blvk Amish who only seems to have done one beat in their entire life, and that beat is for the song “How Can U Sleep” featuring The Game. No — this one isn’t a joke. That’s the real Jayceon Taylor. “How many bitch ass rappers I gotta slap today?” Mind/brain blown.
If there was a song that was going to change my mind about Dicky, this might be the one. Maybe Game was coaching him on his flow, but I walked away from this one thinking for at least one track he could fuck with Marshall Mathers. It’s a shame this release is focused on Dicky doing a goofy voice for his rapping alter ego though. It would be bad enough to hear it as is, but then he decides that it needs the AutoTune touch for “Brainstorm” and I started wondering if it was a Schmoyoho song. Actually that’s a lie — a Schmoyoho song would at least make me laugh.
For whatever reason a rapper who has the word “Dick” in his name still felt the need to call his duet with himself “F Slo” instead of “Fuck Slow.” I guess Brain doesn’t have balls? The juxtaposition of this joke gets weirder the further you go with it. Try to imagine Brain getting head. “Brain got them bitches on standby.” Sure. What are they going to do Brain? Give your cerebellum a massage?
Frankly if I wanted to hear an album from Brain it would be The Brain from Pinky and the Brain. “Yessssss!” To Lil Dicky’s poor attempt at taking a joke and running with it I say “nooooooo.” However based at least on “How Can U Sleep” I’m going to have to reconsider reviewing his full(er) length album, because it’s at least possible he has more rap skill than I previously gave him credit for. “I’m Brain” didn’t change my mind per se, but it at least went from “closed” to “opened.”