Top 10 Best Lil Uzi Vert Deep Cuts

In just a couple of years Lil Uzi Vert has gone from a Soundcloud darling to arguably the hottest artist in rap that's not named Drake or Kendrick. He has done it through becoming one of the most consistent artists of the Soundcloud generation while having an infectious personality that everyone seems to gravitate towards. Each of his projects bring something new to the table and once you look past the hits, you’ll surely be treated to a ton of unsung cuts that have gotten less looks. But, of course Uzi has gotten to the point where even his deep cuts have some cultural relevance.  

Examining Uzi’s music is tough because like the previously mentioned Drake he has different sides to him. Sometimes Uzi is heartbroken to the point where you can feel the pain in his music, other times he is lovestruck, and occasionally he just takes a couple of minutes to flex as all rappers do. That versatility and ability to make music that’s not all the same helps Uzi thrive in the playlist era. There was a time where cohesiveness was cherished, but now artists search for the ability to make projects where there is something for everyone and Uzi is able to that effortlessly. When you look through Uzi’s body of work from the mixtapes, to the EPs to the loosies, what you find is an artist that refuses to keep himself in a box. 

Lil Uzi’s Luv Is Rage 2 was a behemoth in both size and reach, but when he released the albums bonus tracks they mostly went unnoticed. And the best of the bonus tracks is the Honorable C. N.O.T.E.-produced “20 Min,” which feels like Uzi’s version of a mid 2000’s R&B song. The song, unlike most extras thrown on for a few extra streaming numbers, could have fit perfectly on the album proper too, as his heartbreak seeps through (“You lied to me wasn’t sorry then/On the weekend you was partyin”).  

It’s nearly impossible to make a Lil Uzi list without including at least one of his collaborations with Playboi Carti. “Left Right” is not only one of their most low profile collaborative efforts, it may very well be their very best. The Maaly Raw production is bonkers, and Uzi gives the beat a worthy verse, as he sounds more amped up more than usual, perhaps a result of working with two of the artists he’s most comfortable with on the same track. If the rumored Uzi & Carti mixtape does happen, “Left Right” will be a cool track to look back on to see how far they’ve come.  

Lil Uzi and producer DJ Plugg have been an impressive duo for years now, with maybe their strongest collaboration coming from an era before Uzi was a rap darling. “Nifo Hilfiger” is one of Uzi’s first iterations of his take on the “ayy” flow as he hardly takes a breath over the thudding DJ Plugg bass. Prior to “Nigo Hilfiger,” its within reason to say Uzi was still finding himself as an artist, but this was a huge step taken to be able to create Luv Is Rage.  

One of Uzi’s earliest frequent collaborators is producer Maaly Raw, who he still link ups with to this  today. Back when they were both emerging “Horse” quickly became a track that defined how comfortable the duo was with each other. Here, we get an early iteration of Maaly Raw’s fast-paced drums blended with Uzi’s stop/start flow, a mix that would go on to become an essential part of Uzi’s future releases.  

While Luv Is Rage served as Uzi’s introduction to the world, Lil Uzi Vert vs the World was the project that established him as a star. The tape’s theme of love culminated with Uzi’s homage to Scott Pilgrim vs the World, as his track “Scott and Ramona,” produced by Wondagurl is Uzi at his most open. Throughout the song Uzi’s voice is distorted, as he whines through comparing his relationship with then-girlfriend Brittany to that of Scott and Ramona’s.

“Grow Up” is an all-time great Uzi loosie where he perfectly captures the vibe of Glohan Beats’ production, which sounds like it belongs in a 90’s Japanese video game. Uzi tells all the people who are accusing him of stealing their style to “grow up,” and this song feels like a transition into a new stage for Uzi. One where he’s no longer the fresh faced underdog, but where he became a clear powerhouse who other artists would like to discredit. However, he couldn’t care less, as he continues on with one of the essential tracks to perform the iconic Lil Uzi shoulder roll dance to.  

“Dej Loaf” is another early Uzi track where he attempts to find his footing, and here, in a slightly more nasal voice, he writes one of his first love odes-- however it's not to the usual suspect, Brittany, this time it’s to Dej Loaf. This track is one of the first signs that show how focused Uzi's songwriting would be on the topic of love, as he relentlessly drowns Dej Loaf in affection (“I gotta find me Dej Loaf/I am in love with Dej Loaf”). Without this track we may have never gotten some of Uzi’s infectious love anthems.  

Lil Uzi and Gucci Mane’s collaborative tape 1017 Vs The World ended up getting swept under the rug for the most part, with most writing it off as throwaways. However, deep into the 7-track project is a gem (“In 04”), resulting in the only time on the project Uzi and Gucci sound like an effective duo. Gucci follows Uzi’s lead as we get to experience about three different Uzi flows on the track, all over the booming production by DP Beatz.  

Luv Is Rage 1.5 was Lil Uzi’s surprisingly good EP, initially made to build anticipation for Luv Is Rage 2, but ended up taking on a life of its own. All four tracks on the project gave us something different to love about Uzi, with his signature hit to date “XO Tour Lif3” overshadowing the rest. In the shadows was the just-as-good “YSL” cut, produced by DP Beatz which, if it wasn’t for its nearly 1-minute long build up, could have potentially rivaled “XO Tour Lif3” in popularity. It also features one of the smoothest opening lines (“Just talked to Future we in Dubai”) as Uzi catches the drop effortlessly.  

When most speak about Luv Is Rage one of the tracks infrequently mentioned is “Nuyork Nights At 21” which happens to be one of the first tracks that displayed Uzi’s emotional depth. Uzi reminisces over the synthy FKI beat as he visualizes his past New York summer romance and the amount of freedom and carelessness that went into it of both because of the city and their quickly escaping youth. Melodically, Uzi is a much better performer now, but the rawness in his voice here added to the aesthetic.