Hurtling into mainstream consciousness with his floppy purple dreadlocks and an eyebrow-raising verse on the Migos hit Bad and Boujee, you’d be forgiven for not taking Lil Uzi Vert seriously.
Luv Is Rage 2, the Philadelphian rappers’ first major label LP, flips this thought on its head, highlighting the trap oddity as a fresh icon for a new era of rap. Featuring trademark production from Metro Boomin to TM88, Luv Is Rage 2 floats around icy synth arpeggios and thick 808 thuds, with Uzi’s staccato flow and charismatic crooning brimming with enough pop-punk melancholy to make a Paramore fan tear up.
Feelings Mutual sees Uzi lyrically dart around a series of shuffling hi-hats and sawtooth synths, throwing in his signature ‘Yah!’ ad-lib in liberal doses. However, the centrepiece of the record comes with the irresistible brilliance of Neon Guts, which sees Uzi and Pharrell Williams lyrically bounce off one another on an instrumental which serves testament to both Pharrell’s musical genius and Uzi’s impending superstardom.
By the time the moody mega-hit XO TOUR LIF3 closes the album, it’s plainly obvious that Lil Uzi Vert is no gimmick – in fact, he may very well be the future.
