Lil Dicky | |
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.jpg) Lil Dicky in 2019 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | David Andrew Burd |
| Also known as |
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| Born | (1988-03-15)March 15, 1988 (age 37) Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Richmond (BSBA) |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2011–present |
| Labels |
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| Website | lildicky |
David Andrew Burd (born March 15, 1988), better known by his stage nameLil Dicky, is an American rapper, comedian, and actor. He first received recognition after the music video for his 2013 song, "Ex-Boyfriend" became aviral hit—earning over one million views onYouTube in 24 hours. His 2014 single, "Save Dat Money" (featuringFetty Wap andRich Homie Quan), marked his first entry on theBillboard Hot 100, receiveddouble platinum certification by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and preceded his debut studio album,Professional Rapper (2015).
The album, also supported by theGold-certified single "Professional Rapper" (featuringSnoop Dogg), peaked number seven on theBillboard 200 and saw favorable critical reception. His 2018 single, "Freaky Friday" (featuringChris Brown) yielded his furthest success on theBillboard Hot 100, peaking at number eight. The following year, hischarity record single, "Earth" peaked within the top 20 and received platinum certification by the RIAA, although critical reception was largely negative. In March 2020, Burd and producerJeff Schaffer createdDave, a television comedy series based on Burd's life, forFXX.[2] The show ran for three seasons and was met with positive reviews.[3][4]
Burd was born inCheltenham Township on the north border ofPhiladelphia and grew up in an upper-middle-classJewish family in theElkins Park neighborhood.[5][6] He was born with "a tangledurethra" andhypospadias, in which the urethra does not open from its usual location in the head of the penis, requiring multiple surgeries.[7][8]
Burd's interest in music started when he was a child, listening tohip hop andalternative rock. He beganrapping in the fifth grade after doing a history report onAlexander Pushkin using rap music.[9] In his youth, the rappers Burd listened to most wereNas andJay-Z.[10]
Burd attendedCheltenham High School.[11] Speaking about his time in high school, Burd said "I was a pussy. I was really awkward looking. I wasn't getting any girls at all, but I was very class-clownish and I got good grades." After graduating from high school, Burd began attending theUniversity of Richmond,[12] where fellow 2016XXL Freshman and rapperDave East also attended at the same time.[10] Burd graduatedsumma cum laude in 2010.[13]
After college, Burd relocated toSan Francisco,California[14] where he worked in account management at the advertising agencyGoodby, Silverstein & Partners. After reimagining his monthly progress report as a rap video, the company brought him to work in their creative department, where hewrote copy for ads such as theNBA's "BIG" campaign.[6]
Burd says he initiated his rap career "simply to get attention comedically, so [he] could write movies, write TV shows and act". However, he "fell in love with rapping" and says he's "not leaving that game until [he's] proved [his] point".[15]
Burd began working on his debutmixtape,So Hard, in 2011. The mixtape took Burd over two years to finish[9] because he still had hisday job atGoodby, Silverstein & Partners during its development.[16] Burd recorded a majority of his early material forSo Hard on hisMacBook Pro and a $400 microphone; in 2013 he began releasing one song per week for five months straight.[17] On April 23, 2013, Burd released the music video for his song "Ex-Boyfriend", the mixtape's leading single. The music video received one million views within 24 hours of being posted onYouTube.[12][1][18] Burd then began releasing new songs and music videos in a series titledHump Days. Following the release of 32 songs and 15 music videos, Burd launched aKickstarter, stating, "I've officially run out of money... In a nutshell, you are funding phase two of my rap career." The month-longcrowdfunding period began on November 20, 2013, with the goal of raising $70,000 in order to enable Burd to create and produce more music, music videos, and go touring.[19][20] The Kickstarter well exceeded its target, raising $113,000.[21]
Burd held his first live concert atTLA in Philadelphia on February 19, 2014.[22] Burd signed with CMSN for management that same year.[20][23] He planned on "having two concurrent careers going on, as a rapper, and as a comedian/actor/writer".[15] Burd released his debut albumProfessional Rapper on July 31, 2015, and features artistsSnoop Dogg,T-Pain,Rich Homie Quan,Fetty Wap,Brendon Urie (Panic! at the Disco),RetroJace andHannibal Buress. Burd appeared in a 2016Funny or Die video "Watch Yo Self" withMystikal andTrinidad James.[24] On June 13, 2016,XXL Magazine released the 2016 Freshmen line-up. It included Burd, along withAnderson .Paak,Kodak Black,Lil Uzi Vert,21 Savage,Dave East,Denzel Curry,Desiigner,G Herbo, andLil Yachty.
On April 12, 2017, Burd released a music video for "Pillow Talking". Its special effects made it the 49thmost expensive music video ever created.[25] In an interview withXXL in April 2017, Burd mentioned that he was creating a new project and that he was also attempting to pitch a TV show to networks.[26] In September 2017, Burd released an EP under his alter ego Brain,I'm Brain.[27] On March 15, 2018, Burd released a new single, "Freaky Friday", featuring Chris Brown, and the associated music video. By April 9, 2018, the video had reached over 100 million views and topped the charts in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.[28] On April 2, 2018, Burd announced his first Australian tour; he previously studied abroad for two years in Melbourne.[29]
On April 19, 2019, Burd released a single called "Earth", featuring artists such asAriana Grande,Justin Bieber,Ed Sheeran, andShawn Mendes. They all voice various animated organisms in the music video. The music video, which was created in partnership with theLeonardo DiCaprio Foundation, aimed at encouraging better environmental practices worldwide. Upon release Burd referred to the project as "the most important thing [he'll] ever do."[30] The song received mostly negative reviews from critics. In aPitchfork review, Jeremy D. Larson panned "Earth" as a "terrible song" that "sounds less like a charity single and more like a theme to a downmarketDisney clone made explicitly to launder money for an offshore criminal enterprise".[31]Spin magazine included the song in their list of the worst songs of 2019, calling it a qualitative step back to Dicky's 2018 single "Freaky Friday".[32]
Burd and Jeff Schafer created a TV series calledDave, which portrays a fictionalized version of Burd's life as a rapper. It stars Burd,Taylor Misiak,GaTa,Andrew Santino,Travis Bennett andChristine Ko. The show premiered on March 4, 2020, on FXX. On May 11, 2020,Dave was renewed for a second season, which aired in 2021.[3] On June 20, 2023, Burd announced that he will release a soundtrack album forDave.[33]
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Burd's style blends the comical with the relatable. According toBoston magazine, "Content-wise, Burd comes up with his material from everyday occurrences and everyday experiences. From there, he crafts his videos around those topics to create a visual narrative that accompanies his talent as an emcee. 'It's like a comedian. They are out in the world, and writing things down,' he said. What followed 'Ex-Boyfriend' was a series of other videos that covered similarly average everyday experiences—songs about staying in for the night, songs about being a Jewish kid—he also has a rap battle withAdolf Hitler in one of his videos."[1][34]
Burd describes his style as a response to the excessive egotistical nature of rap today: "I really wanted to embody the exact opposite of that, and I think people are appreciating it. There just hasn't been a voice for that normal dude when it comes to rap."[1] He added, "I think a lot of rap is just escalated to a place that many people can't relate to... My niche is that I'm relatable. I don't rap about going to the club and popping bottles."[35] In terms of his rapping skills, Burd is able "to manipulate words at an excessive speed, and weave rhyme patterns together in a way that's funny while also making viewers want to rewind parts of his videos".[1]
Burd says his musical inspirations areThe Lonely Island,J. Cole,A$AP Rocky,Snoop Dogg, as well asChildish Gambino.[36][37]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–present | Dave | Dave Burd/Lil Dicky | Also creator, writer, and executive producer; credited as Dave Burd |
| Year | Tour Name |
|---|---|
| 2014 | Professional Rapper Tour |
| 2015 | Looking for Love Tour |
| 2016 | (Still) Looking For Love Tour |
| 2016 | Dick or Treat Tour |
| 2018 | Australia and New Zealand Tour |
| 2018 | Life Lessons Tour |
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