Lil Yachty: A Creative Genius Or Just Another Mumble Rapper
·
·
Lil Yachty claims to be a big Pink Floyd fan. But unlike the band that he considers to be the greatest of all time, he does not want his fans to think or read too much into his music and claims that the sole intention behind creating music is just having a good time.
Maybe the fact that he achieved celebrity status without, what it seems like, "exerting much time and effort into the craft of music" has attracted a fair share of people criticizing his artistry and accusing him of being an entertainer or a personality rather than being a rapper.
Fast forward to three years later, before Lil Yachty released his fifth studio album, Let’s Start Here, in front of his fans and friends at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, he announced "I created this because I really wanted to be taken seriously as an artist. Not just some SoundCloud rapper, not some mumble rapper. Not some guy that just made one hit".
He did not need to prove himself to be a technical virtuoso to get a significant fan following. Yachty's initial appearance—candy-red hair and braids, teeth with rows of rainbow-beaded grills, childish amazement, and a cartoonish style that exuded a swaggering, unbothered cool—made him a figure that every internet child could relate to.
Additionally, the fact that he performed live shows at the Museum of Modern Art, modelled for Kanye West's Life of Pablo listening event at Madison Square Garden, and appeared in Sprite commercials with LeBron James may give off the impression that he is more of a cultural influencer than a serious musician or that he is making every effort to cash in on the "lucky success" of his bubblegum trap music.
His latest album varies drastically as compared to his earlier releases. Labelled as Psychedelic Rock, "Let’s Start Here" is an intricate genre-fluid album featuring a variety of live instruments and has been compared to the reverb-drenched, multi-layered sound of Tame Impala and definitely has a significant Pink Floyd influence.
Lil Yachty has definitely managed to stay artistic, adaptive and relevant when everyone expected him to go off the radar after a few years of his initial musical success.
Also read: The Rise Of Doja Cat
Comments