Lil Uzi Vert has made a lot of progress over the last few years. The first post on his SoundCloud dates back to January 2014. Fast forward to today and the Philly rapper has three songs on the Billboard Hot 100 ("Money Longer," "Too Much Sauce," and "You Was Right"). Though many became familiar with the rapper through his three most recent mixtapes Luv Is Rage, Lil Uzi Vert Vs. The World, and The Perfect Luv Tape, looking back at his material that preceded the projects tells us a little more about the rapper.
We've gone through and picked out 5 tracks from 2014 and 2015 that may not be as well known as his more recent material, but is just as worthy of your time. Click through to see our picks and let us know what your favorite early Lil Uzi tracks are.
"Motorolla"
Released: September 2014
Long before "You Was Right," Uzi was already on board with Metro Boomin. The two already had a clear chemistry even back in 2014, when Uzi shared "Motorolla" on his SoundCloud. While Metro has since moved into the dark, ambient, sound design experiments found on Savage Mode, here, he's keeping things as high BPM as ever, using sub-bass as a blunt force instrument, while plucking synths enter like daggers. Uzi is already displaying a great control of his voice, laying worldless backing vocals under his more staccatto verses. It's a great early sample of two artists who value songwriting that sees the whole picture rather than their respective parts.
"All Night"
Released: July 2015
Cardo has doubled down on West Coast sounds this year, working with the likes of ScHoolboy Q, Kendrick Lamar, Kamaiyah, Nef The Pharaoh, and Payroll Giovanni, making him one of the most important producers of 2016. Though his focus has landed on Cali bounce, he's always been a very versatile producer, and "All Night," his 2015 collaboration with Lil Uzi Vert finds him entering the Philly rapper's colorfully aggressive world. Uzi adopts a slick triplet flow, getting technical enough to impress even his toughest old-head critics. At the same time, he's never been one to eschew the catchier elements of trap, and his lines contain subtle melody for maximum quotability.
"No Wait"
Released: July 2015
"No Wait" is yet another collab between Uzi and Metro Boomin, but this time, 808 Mafia's Southside joins the team, adding some unpredictable drum programming that keeps things interesting throughout. Uzi actually excels when the drums are pulled out and he's left to croon like a 2012 Future on an R&B-infused Mike Will beat. Then when the beat drops, Uzi's delivery turns from delicate to precisely focused force. This songwriting contrast is one of the appeals that keeps fans swarming the rapper everywhere he goes.
"Pressure" (Feat. Lil Durk)
Released: May 2015
Uzi Vert's style has often been compared to Chicago drill artists who preceded him, and "Pressure" shows the Philly rapper alongside one of the scene's ambassadors Lil Durk. It serves as both a salute to those who may have influenced him, and a co-sign from Durk, but more than anything it's an affirmation of their highly complimentary styles. Going in over a beat from frequent Durk collaborator DJ L, Uzi and Durk both toe the line between singing and rapping in their own way. Where Durk's voice always has an upward momentum, Uzi's moves with a forward-bound urgency, something that, along with his often visible grin, has defined the sound of his later music.
"DeJ Loaf"
Released: March 2015
It's no secret that rap is moving into a more melodic realm, and on "DeJ Loaf," Uzi pays tribute to yet another artist pushing the definition of what hip-hop can sound like. "I've never been to Detroit," he raps of DeJ's hometown, though he has been to Atlanta, the city which Hydro Beatz instrumental pulls its influence from. "No I do not know that girl, but I'm in love with DeJ Loaf," he continues, a decidedly romantic portrait of the rapper, a side of Uzi that we'll see on his later work, pulling from his favorite comic love story, Scott Pilgrim.
