Ukiah High is filled with many talented students in various fields. One student who stands out in the crowd is a senior named Corbin Boek, who makes rap music under the name Lil Cbino. Lil Cbino started releasing singles on Soundcloud’s music sharing platform back in 2019 and kept dropping singles throughout 2020. In the middle of this insane year, Lil Cbino took advantage of the new quarantine conditions and dropped his first record, Bino, on June fifth, 2020.
Boek said his main influences, the people that inspired his style of music, are rappers Trippie Redd, Lil Uzi Vert, Shoreline Mafia, and XXXTentacion. When listening to the album, those influences are clear, but Lil Cbino held his own as he also created something unique to him and made something recognizably his. During the album, his passion for the music he was creating was evident, making the project feel stronger when you know the artist put a lot of work behind it.
Boek said his passion for music began in the fifth grade when he started messing around with a music program he had and became serious about a musical career during his junior year of high school.
Lil Cbino self-produced the entirety of his album and handled the mixing and mastering as well. Lil Cbino uses the digital audio workstation (or DAW) called “FL Studio 20,” which he has solely used to produce and record his album and singles. Lil Cbino also shared that he creates almost every sound by himself with midi keys but has used melody loops every now and then. Lil Cbino shows an extensive amount of potential in a musical career. Lil Cbino said he would rather grow a more niche following for his career. He added he would want to go mainstream but would also be happy with a good following in an underground scene.
The record itself was undoubtedly impressive with the quality of the audio and the production, as it was made in a home studio. Lil Cbino gave a lot of energy in his songs, with most of the record consisting of abrasive flaunts of working hard and money, with flows that wouldn’t let up for even a second. The lyrical topics get a little repetitive throughout, especially since Lil Cbino shows a taste in variety with the last track on the album (and personal favorite), “Insane.” On this closing track, Lil Cbino questions the very meaning of all the things he talked about previously (money, fame, etc.) and talks about going insane from the pain he feels. It provides a moody and dark ending to a mostly positive album and providing a refreshing change of pace.
Overall, Bino stands as a solid debut, with catchy hooks and aggressive flows throughout. UHS News hopes that Corbin Boek, or Lil Cbino, explores more areas in his lyricism and production. His debut album demonstrates great possibility as he shows a lot of dedication to his craft and the desire to grow, displaying a prosperous future for this Ukiah artist.
