“Let’s Start Here” – Lil Yachty
On his fifth studio album, the “Minnesota” and “Poland” rapper makes his first venture into psychedelic rock.
By Rogan Isbell
Lil Yachty may be better known for comical trap songs, but he pays homage to artists like Pink Floyd and Tame Impala on his newest album in a major artistic shift.
Yachty said he wanted to be taken more seriously as an artist during a listening party before the album's release. Artists like Teezo Touchdown, Daniel Caesar, Magdalena Bay, and more are credited and show Yachty's commitment to making a forward-thinking sound.
"The Black Seminole" is a nearly seven-minute ambitious journey that sounds like a modern version of something from Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" and is a perfect introduction to the album, letting the listener know they've never heard anything like this from Yachty before.
The rest of the record is a very vibrant, upbeat experience with smooth transitions between songs and fun vocal performances from Yachty. The songs are mostly tame and chill before leading to the climatic and attention-grabbing "I've Officially Lost Vision."
This album builds on the uniqueness of Lil Yachty and what he does well as a rapper while also introducing a new psychedelic element to make this a groundbreaking album. Rappers like Lil Wayne and Kid Cudi have experimented with rock elements before but not quite as well as Yachty.
This is definitely worth a listen, even if you're not a Yachty fan, as the ambition has to be respected regardless of your thoughts on the sound. Hopefully, this album will inspire more artists to break out of their comfort zone.