View source for Lil Rob

{{BLP sources|date=October 2023}}
{{Short description|American rapper, producer, and actor}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name             = Lil Rob
| image            =
| caption          = Lil Rob in 2018
| birth_name       = Roberto L. Flores<ref name="Stavans" />
| birth_date       = {{Birth date and age|1975|9|21}}
| birth_place      = [[San Diego, California]], U.S.<ref name="San Diego Reader" />
| origin           = [[Solana Beach]], [[California]], U.S.
| genre            = {{hlist|[[Hip hop music|Hip-hop]]|[[Chicano rap]]|[[gangsta rap]]|[[G-funk]]}}
| years_active     = 1992–present
| label            = BC Records (1992–1995)<br>Familia Records (1997–1999)<br>Low Profile Records (1999–2002)<br>Upstairs Records, Inc. (2002–present)
}}
'''Roberto L. Flores''' (born September 21, 1975), also known as '''Ese 1218''',<ref name="San Diego Reader">{{Cite web |last= |first= |title=Lil Rob |url=https://www.sandiegoreader.com/bands/lil-rob/ |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=[[San Diego Reader]] |language=en}}</ref> and better known by his [[stage name]] '''Lil Rob''',<ref name="San Diego Reader" /> is an American rapper, [[Record producer|producer]], and actor.
==Early life==
Flores was born in San Diego,<ref>{{Cite web |date=2002-10-11 |title=So far, Lil Rob is keeping his day job |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/658471685/ |url-access=limited |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=[[The Fresno Bee]] |language=en-US |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Clover |first=Sterling |date=September 8, 2005 |title=Lil' Rob |url=https://www.miaminewtimes.com/music/lil-rob-6340239 |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=[[Miami New Times]] |language=en}}</ref> and raised in [[La Colonia de Eden Gardens]], a [[Mexican Americans|Mexican American]] neighborhood in [[Solana Beach, California]].
==Career==
In 1992, he began performing under the name Lil Rob & the Brown Crowd, and recorded a single titled "Oh, What a Night in the 619". Though it did not chart, it was later featured on his 1997 debut album ''[[Crazy Life (Lil Rob album)|Crazy Life]]'', with the title shortened to "Oh, What a Night". In 1994 at the age of 18, his chin was shattered when he was shot in the jaw.<ref name="Brown Pride">{{cite web|title=Lil' Rob Represents Brown Pride|url=http://www.latinrapper.com/featurednews16.html|work=LatinRapper.com|date=September 15, 2004|access-date=April 28, 2010}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=July 30, 2023 |title=Local Events |url=https://www.city-sentinel.com/local-events/?_evDiscoveryPath=/event%2F1027660472n-lil-rob |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231028035657/https://www.city-sentinel.com/local-events/?_evDiscoveryPath=/event/1027660472n-lil-rob |archive-date=2023-10-28 |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=The Oklahoma City Sentinel |language=en}}</ref> He later denounced any gang affiliations.<ref name=":1" /> The numbers twelve and eighteen, which are [[tattoo]]ed on his forearms, represent the numeric value of the letters L and R, the initials of his stage name.<ref name=":1" />
In 2002, Lil Rob left Low Profile Records after a financial dispute,<ref name="Stavans" /> and signed to Upstairs Records. He found commercial success with the 2005 release ''[[Twelve Eighteen, Pt. 1|Twelve Eighteen (Part I)]]'' in which the single "[[Summer Nights (Lil Rob song)|Summer Nights]]" received national airplay, a first in his career.<ref name="Stavans">{{Cite book |last=Stavans |first=Ilan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3RbOEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA327 |title=Latin Music [2 volumes]: Musicians, Genres, and Themes |date=2014-07-29 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=978-0-313-34396-4 |language=en|page=327}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> "Summer Nights" peaked at #36 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] and #13 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart. The follow-up single, "[[Bring Out the Freak in You]]", peaked at #85 on the Hot 100 Charts, and at #20 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart. The exposure led to small roles in the 2005 [[Cuba Gooding, Jr.]] film ''Dirty'' and the 2007 [[Rob Schneider]] vehicle ''[[Big Stan]]'', both of which were released straight to DVD in the US.
On June 29, 2007, Lil Rob made his very first appearance overseas in [[Okinawa, Japan]]. ''[[1218 (Pt. II)|1218 (Part II)]]'' was released in 2008 and featured the single "Let Me Come Back" featuring Fingazz. In 2009, ''[[Love & Hate (Lil Rob album)|Love & Hate]]'' was released, and in 2013, he released a new song called "Don't Want to Fall in Love". In 2014, his ninth album, ''[[R.I.P. (Recording in Progress)]]'', was released.
Lil Rob has collaborated with musicians such as [[E-40]],<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last= |date=April 9, 2012 |title=The 50 Greatest Car Songs in Rap History |url=https://www.complex.com/sports/a/complex/the-50-greatest-car-songs-in-rap-history-real |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]] |language=en-us}}</ref> [[Ice Cube]],<ref name=":0" /> [[Kid Frost]], [[Paul Wall]], [[The Game (rapper)|The Game]], [[Pitbull (rapper)|Pitbull]], [[N.O.R.E]], [[Bizzy Bone]], [[Baby Bash]], [[South Park Mexican|SPM]], [[Fat Joe]], [[Flo Rida]], [[MC Magic]] and Cuco.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cepeda |first=Eduardo |date=March 14, 2019 |title=Lil Rob, MC Magic and Cuco's Dreamy New Anthem "Search" Bridges Generations of Chicano Rap |url=https://remezcla.com/releases/music/cuco-lil-rob-mc-magic-search-video/ |access-date=2023-10-28 |website=[[Remezcla]] |language=en-US}}</ref> Lil Rob and Mr. Shadow were in a group called the Mayhem Click.
==Discography==
{{main|Lil Rob discography}}
* ''[[Crazy Life (Lil Rob album)|Crazy Life]]'' (1997)
* ''Natural High'' (1999)
* ''Can't Keep a Good Man Down'' (2001)
* ''[[The Album (Lil Rob album)|The Album]]'' (2002)
* ''[[Neighborhood Music]]'' (2004)
* ''[[Twelve Eighteen, Pt. 1|Twelve Eighteen (Part I)]]'' (2005)
* ''[[1218 (Pt. II)|1218 (Part II)]]'' (2008)
* ''[[Love & Hate (Lil Rob album)|Love & Hate]]'' (2009)
* ''[[R.I.P. (Recording in Progress)]]'' (2014)
== See also ==
* [[List of Chicano rappers]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.lilrob.com Official website]
*{{IMDb name|1470514|Lil Rob}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lil Rob}}
[[Category:1975 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:21st-century American rappers]]
[[Category:American rappers of Mexican descent]]
[[Category:American shooting survivors]]
[[Category:Chicano rap]]
[[Category:Gangsta rappers]]
[[Category:G-funk artists]]
[[Category:Rappers from California]]
[[Category:Rappers from San Diego]]
[[Category:People from Solana Beach, California]]
[[Category:West Coast hip hop musicians]]
[[Category:Hispanic and Latino American rappers]]