With ‘Let’s Start Here,’ Lil Yachty Emerges as Music’s Boldest Creative Director
By Jeff Ihaza
Lil Yachty is rich. The 25-year-old musician posts TikToks featuring exotic Italian furniture, and goes vintage shopping with Drake. By the time he graduated high school, he’d already bought his mom a house. He caused a mild international incident with his viral hit “Poland,” a loosie released late last year in which he croons, with impossible sincerity, about bringing illegal pharmaceuticals into Poland. One couldn’t imagine a more charmed Gen Z existence. And yet, on “:(failure(:,” an early interlude from his left-turn of a new album, Let’s Start Here, he says that he’s “seen failure a few times/More recently than before, actually.”
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Maturation is a central theme of the album. You can hear the inspiration of Tame Impala ’s anxious midlife musing on “the ride-,” featuring rap experimentalist Teezo Touchdown. The song’s lush, psych-rock production makes for a fitting landscape. We’re bearing witness to a childhood’s end, as both howl into the void. There is, indeed, a lot of howling on the album.
Oohs and ahhs stretch to the heavens with intention — like on standout “pRETTY,” which is already proving to be a hit on TikTok, and sounds like a slowed bedroom cut from the cult label Naked Music. Percussion rumbles gently over the staggering two-step, while a sensual, otherworldly warble breaks through the clouds like a ray of sunshine in spring.
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You could call Let’s Start Here a rebuke of the notion that listeners have abandoned the full-length album. The record’s tight 57 minutes feel as cohesive a project as any artist has released in the streaming era. Yachty’s genuine adoration of his musical inspirations is like the Gen Z alchemy of Pinkpantheress, able to turn familiar source material into something entirely new.
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Let’s Start Here.
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Let’s Start Here.
“something ether”.
Flex Up (with Future and Playboi Carti)
Strike (Holster)
sAy sOMETHINg
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Let’s Start Here.
The first song on Lil Yachty’s Let’s Start Here. is nearly seven minutes long and features breathy singing from Yachty, a freewheeling guitar solo and a mostly instrumental second half that calls to mind TV depictions of astral projecting. “the BLACK seminole.” is an extremely fulfilling listen, but is this the same guy who just a few months earlier delivered the beautifully off-kilter and instantly viral “Poland”? Better yet, is this the guy who not long before that embedded himself with Detroit hip-hop culture to the point of a soft rebrand as Michigan Boy Boat? Sure is. It’s just that, as he puts it on “the BLACK seminole.”, he’s got “No time to joke around/The kid is now a man/And the silence is filled with remarkable sounds.” We could call the silence he’s referring to the years since his last studio album, 2020’s Lil Boat 3, but he’s only been slightly less visible than we’re used to, having released the aforementioned Michigan Boy Boat mixtape while also lending his discerning production ear to Drake and 21 Savage’s ground-shaking album Her Loss. Collaboration, though, is the name of the game across Let’s Start Here., an album deeply indebted to some as yet undisclosed psych-rock influences, with repeated production contributions from one-time blog-rock darlings Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson and Patrick Wimberly, as well as multiple appearances from Diana Gordon, a Queens, New York-hailing singer who made a noise during the earliest parts of her career as Wynter Gordon. Also present are R&B singer Fousheé and Beaumont, Texas, rap weirdo Teezo Touchdown, though rapping is infrequent. In fact, none of what Yachty presents here—which includes dalliances with Parliament-indebted acid funk (“running out of time”), ’80s synthwave (“sAy sOMETHINg,” “paint THE sky”), disco (“drive ME crazy!”), symphonic prog rock (“REACH THE SUNSHINE.”) and a heady monologue called “:(failure(:”—is in any way reflective of any of Yachty’s previous output. Which begs the question, where did all of this come from? You needn’t worry about that, says Yachty on the “the ride-”, singing sternly: “Don’t ask no questions on the ride.”
27 January 2023 14 Songs, 57 minutes Quality Control Music/Motown Records; ℗ 2023 Quality Control Music, LLC, under exclusive license to UMG Recordings, Inc.
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Lil Yachty Reveals AI-Generated Album Cover for ‘Let’s Start Here,’ Depicting Demented Boardroom of Executives
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Lil Yachty has revealed the artwork and release date for his forthcoming album, “Let’s Start Here,” set to debut Jan. 27 on Quality Control Music and Motown Records.
Ever the provocateur, the rapper’s new cover art previews an AI-generated image of what seems to be seven executives sitting next to each other in suits. With malformed faces akin to a psychedelic trip down the rabbit hole, the artwork seems unremarkable upon first glance. However, the longer you stare at their faces, they look inhuman, with contorted facial features and warped smiles.
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In an interview with Icebox last year , the “ Minnesota ” rapper has expressed that his “new album is a non-rap album,” hence the second chapter that he alludes to in his Instagram post. Yachty explains: “It’s alternative, it’s sick!” After recently collaborating with artists such as Tame Impala, he’s been in the process of creating a “psychedelic alternative project… [with] all live instrumentation.”
Slowly shedding major label support, Yachty now has his own label and creative consultant company, Concrete Records and Concrete Family, respectively. Working closely with Concrete Family, Yachty teamed up with the General Mills cereal brand in 2020 for a limited collaboration with Reese’s Puffs and has an undisclosed sneaker set to be released at a later date. Similar to his 2021 mixtape, “Michigan Boat Boy,” which featured almost solely Detroit artists including Rio Da Yung OG and Babyface Ray, Yachty plans to also release a mixtape with the Concrete Boys collective sometime this year.
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2024 • Pharrell Williams, Lil Yachty, Lil Wayne, Kyle Richh & Doodles. 34. user score (143) Sorry Not Sorry. 2024 • Veeze & Lil Yachty. 70. user score (118) DIAMONDZ & CASH. 2024 • Kevin Abstract, Lil Yachty & HVN. 89. user score (56) Hate Me. 2024 • Lil Yachty & ian. 71. user score (509) Fires. 2024 • Trae tha Truth & Lil Yachty. 65.
1y. 80. Exclaim! Alex Hudson. The artist who once rapped "she blow that dick like a cello" because he thought a cello was a wind instrument still doesn't seem to have an editor — and, thanks to the contagious enthusiasm and open-hearted musings of Let's Start Here., Lil Yachty is better for it. Full Review.
Lil Boat is rapping about Krabby Patties.🍔🍔🍔🍔🍔 Year ago, i probably wouldn't expect that Lil Yachty would be one of the most exciting rappers in 2023. Lyrical rap track with his higher voice works really well over that The Alchemist production. And Cole has his best verse this year on it. ... AOTY's Wildest Lyrics Imaginable (NSFW)
Lyrical Lemonade PresentsLil Yachty - Poland (Official Music Video)Directed & Edited by Cole BennettSong Produced by F1LTHYDirector of Photography - Franklin...
Yachty's genuine adoration of his musical inspirations is like the Gen Z alchemy of Pinkpantheress, able to turn familiar source material into something entirely new. In this article: Lil Yachty,
Stream // Download: Lil Yachty's "A COLD SUNDAY" : https://LilYachty.lnk.to/AColdSunday#LilYachty #AColdSunday #officialmusicvideo
At a surprise listening event last Thursday, Lil Yachty introduced his new album Let's Start Here., an unexpected pivot, with a few words every rap fan will find familiar: "I really wanted to ...
Let's Start Here. is Lil Yachty's fifth studio album, it is a direct follow-up to his August 2021 mixtape BIRTHDAY MIX 6. The first mention of the album's existence dates back to a tweet ...
The first song on Lil Yachty's Let's Start Here. is nearly seven minutes long and features breathy singing from Yachty, a freewheeling guitar solo, and a mostly instrumental second half that calls to mind TV depictions of astral projecting. "the BLACK seminole." is an extremely fulfilling listen, but is this the same guy who just a few months earlier delivered the beautifully off ...
Fallin' In Luv. Nuthin' 2 Prove. 57. 56 Ratings. Note: Songs must have a minimum of 25 ratings to make this list. August Playlist. Go Ad-Free. The best Lil Yachty songs according to the AOTY community.
The Ones: 5 Best New Rap Songs From Bryson Tiller, Mick Jenkins, Lil Yachty, Yhung T.O, and Rico Nasty. By Alphonse Pierre.
Lil Yachty discography and songs: Music profile for Lil Yachty, born 23 August 1997. Genres: Trap, Southern Hip Hop, Pop Rap. Albums include Let's Start Here., Coloring Book, and Nectar.
Miles Parks McCollum (born August 23, 1997, in Mableton, Georgia), popularly known as Lil Yachty, is an American rapper and singer from Atlanta, Georgia. He's known for his comical
Click here for new Lil Yachty music. Stream the latest album and watch the newest visualizers. Sign up for official updates.
80. Lil Yachty made a career-defining shift into psychedelic rock with an album that pays respectful homage to the sounds of Pink Floyd, has mainstream appeal like Tame Impala, and is sure to be regarded as an AOTY candidate. If you had all this on your 2023 bingo card, you're a liar.
Listen to Lil Yachty on Spotify. Artist · 18M monthly listeners.
Let's Start Here is the fifth studio album by American rapper Lil Yachty, released on January 27, 2023, through Motown Records and Quality Control Music.It is his first studio album since Lil Boat 3 (2020) and follows his 2021 mixtape Michigan Boy Boat.The album marks a departure from Lil Yachty's signature trap sound, being heavily influenced by psychedelic rock.
REACH THE SUNSHINE. 5:58. January 27, 2023 14 Songs, 57 minutes Quality Control Music/Motown Records; ℗ 2023 Quality Control Music, LLC, under exclusive license to UMG Recordings, Inc. Also available in the iTunes Store.
AOTY Community List: Celebration Songs. By SilverSoul24. ... Why did lil Yachty take the WAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. henrythexii. 3mo. not a serious song btw. meme shi. goofy. 8mo. not a meme song btw. serious shi. TurbulenceSSB. 11mo. this was the root of his 2023 run. Heartnimations. 1y.
50. Spill Magazine. There are a few select hooks on the album that stand out and can be catchy. However, for the most part, it comes off as plain, nonchalant and underwhelming. Full Review. 4y. 48. Pitchfork. There isn't a single thing Lil Yachty's doing that someone else isn't doing better, and in richer details.
The first song on Lil Yachty's Let's Start Here. is nearly seven minutes long and features breathy singing from Yachty, a freewheeling guitar solo and a mostly instrumental second half that calls to mind TV depictions of astral projecting. "the BLACK seminole." is an extremely fulfilling listen, but is this the same guy who just a few months earlier delivered the beautifully off-kilter ...
Lil Yachty has revealed the artwork and release date for his forthcoming album, "Let's Start Here," set to debut Jan. 27 on Quality Control Music and Motown Records.. Ever the provocateur ...