Lil Dicky

Lil Dicky – Life, Career, and Memorable Quotes

Explore the life and career of Lil Dicky (David Andrew Burd) — comedian-rapper, creator of Dave, viral hitmaker of “Earth” and Ex-Boyfriend. Learn about his origin, artistic approach, major works, influence, and his best lines.

Introduction

Lil Dicky is the stage name of David Andrew Burd (born March 15, 1988), an American rapper, comedian, actor, and writer. He is known for blending humor, self-deprecation, and technical skill in hip hop, creating a niche that straddles comedy and rap.

He also co-created and starred in the TV series Dave, which is loosely autobiographical, portraying a Jewish rapper navigating fame, identity, and personal demons.

Early Life and Family

• David Burd was born in Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia, in an upper-middle-class Jewish family.

• He grew up in the Elkins Park area.

• As a youth, he had a congenital condition: a tangled urethra and hypospadias (a birth condition involving the urethra). This required multiple surgeries.

• His interest in rap and performing started early — one anecdote says that in fifth grade he made a report on the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin in the form of rap to get a better grade.

Education:

• He attended Cheltenham High School.

• He went on to the University of Richmond, graduating summa cum laude in 2010.

• After college, he moved to San Francisco and worked in account management at the advertising agency Goodby, Silverstein & Partners.

His early career in advertising helped him develop creative and storytelling skills that later informed his music and video direction.

Career and Achievements

Breakthrough & Viral Success

• In 2013, Lil Dicky released the video for his song “Ex-Boyfriend”, which went viral and accumulated over 1 million views in its first 24 hours.

• He followed that with a series of videos and singles — many with humorous or narrative premises — releasing tracks episodically.

Professional Rapper & Mainstream Crossover

• His debut studio album Professional Rapper was released on July 31, 2015.

• One of his earlier mainstream chart successes was “$ave Dat Money” (featuring Fetty Wap and Rich Homie Quan), which entered the Billboard Hot 100 and went double platinum.

Dave (TV Series)

• In 2020, he co-created Dave, a comedy series about a young Jewish rapper trying to make it big, playing a version of himself.

• The show mixes crude humor with vulnerability, addressing identity, race, masculinity, fame, and mental health.

Earth & Social/Environmental Engagement

• In 2019, Lil Dicky released the single “Earth”, featuring a star-studded cast of voices for various animals, aiming to raise environmental awareness and donate proceeds to environmental causes.

• The project shows how he uses humor and spectacle to engage with serious issues.

Style & Approach

• Lil Dicky often positions himself as a rapper who is more relatable and down-to-earth, rejecting the typical themes of opulence, club life, or material excess often found in mainstream rap.

• He combines rapid lyrical skill with comedic perspective, visual storytelling (in music videos), and willingness to address his own flaws and insecurities.

Legacy and Influence

• Lil Dicky’s success shows a path where comedic identity and rap skill can coexist, opening space for more genre hybrid artists.

• Dave has broadened his influence beyond music into television, giving him a platform to narrate his own story and push conversations about identity in hip hop.

• The environmental impact of “Earth” demonstrated that a comedic artist can use mass collaboration and entertainment to frame serious issues for broader audiences.

• His approach has encouraged more candidness in hip-hop about mental health, self-doubt, and authenticity over polished perfection.

Famous Quotes of Lil Dicky

Here are some striking lines capturing his humor, self-reflection, ambition, and style:

• “I’m pretty self-aware, and I am an embarrassingly flawed human being in a ton of ways.”

• “It’s impressive to the girl that I’m texting that I have my own emojis. It adds to my charm as a man seeking love.”

• “I remember, in fifth grade, doing a report on the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin as a rap. It was just an easy way to get an A back then because everyone was turning in boring stuff.”

• “Finally, the day came where I put stuff online for the first time ever. The Lil Dicky video got a million views the first day. … It was a fantastic I-told-you-so moment.”

• “I have never been more physically tired than after that first song of my first concert.”

• From his lyrics / commentary: “If we’re evaluating cool to the way other rappers appear to be cool, then I’m not cool at all.”

• “By putting this music out, I think I genuinely eliminated 80 percent of the previous jobs I was qualified for.”

Lessons from Lil Dicky’s Journey

1. Use uniqueness as strength
   He turned his comedic sensibility and vulnerability into a distinguishable artistic voice rather than trying to conform.

2. Blend artistry with narrative
   His music videos and show Dave show how storytelling and visual imagination can amplify musical ideas.

3. Don’t shy from flaws or insecurity
   He openly addresses his own imperfections, making his persona more relatable and human.

4. Leverage platform for greater causes
   Projects like “Earth” show how entertainment can engage audiences in social or environmental awareness.

5. Be persistent across mediums
   His path went from advertising → viral rap videos → album → television. He expanded rather than stayed static.