Though Lil B’s lecture at New York University last night ran the risk of being a bust, mostly thanks to the general media pileup (including our own Deconstructing column) that went down as it drew closer, the talk itself somehow superseded the hype. It certainly felt like an event, where a sold-out crowd stood on their feet through most of the 90-minute lecture, and kids without tickets held neon posterboards pleading for them in #BASED terminology. It was pretty fun, and drew heavily from Lil B’s life philosophies as outlined in the book he wrote a few years back, Takin’ Over, which more people should read (it takes like, an hour to read). My favorite passage from the lecture:

You know I’m the first rapper to adopt a tabby cat. You know I adopted straight from the ASPCA, you feel me?

Shouts Keke! Also:

I tell you, bruh, I was looking at insects. I do my observations when I go out. If I become a neurosurgeon or I’m about to come into some bugs, I’m rocking. With the bugs, man, you just be looking at them. Because I was having these big ant problems in my house. It was crazy. And these are people in their own way, too. As I was studying these ant colonies infesting my house daily, I’m not kidding you, I left food out and 20 minutes later r-r-r-r-r and I’m like, man, they already know! They get it down pat! And real talk, like, seeing these ants and studying them and respecting them, it’s like, man, they’re in their own community too. They’re trying to survive. They love. They fight. They telling themselves something. We can’t understand, but one day we will. I’m trying hard to figure it out. I’m there with them. We’re very smart animals, you know, or whatever we are. Organisms? What are we? What do y’all think we are? Is there like a fact? Does anybody have any proof what we are? Live that life, experience it, travel, and come up with your theories man. Read the books, too, but experience your own.

Ah, hell. One more:

As a role model with the power influence, whether it’s Twitter followers or friends, you always want to use your influence for positive things. Put down the guns. Please stop the gun violence. Stop the knife violence. The chemical warfare, let’s stop that. Biological warfare, let’s stop that. Who knows about hydraulic fracking? Let’s stop fracking! Hey, bruh, stop messing with the earth, bruh. Real talk, we hear about these deadly gases going on in the earth, and I’m like, whodie! For real. I’m like, whodie. Whodie, get that oil out the ocean, whodie.

(via Fader‘s transcript)

What else is there to say? Thank You, Based God. Head down below to hear the entire lecture and check out a few videos.

Some video:

(more via r0b0hobo’s YouTube page)

Fader has the full transcript. That should count as community service.