Lil Yachty came through with his latest body of work, Let’s Start Here on Friday. The project marked a significant leap for Yachty as he dived into psychedelic rock and soul in an attempt to establish himself as more than just a “rapper.” Ultimately, the experimental project led to a flurry of reactions. Some loved it, others hated it but overall, it created a dialogue surrounding Yachty’s artistry.
Pitchfork evidently didn’t hold the project in high regards. Alphonse Pierre gave the album a 6.0 in a review that detailed the highs and lows of the project. As with most Pitchfork reviews, it stirred up discussion online and Yachty had a brief analysis of the publication. “Lol pitchfork is so washed up,” Lil Yachty tweeted in response to the publications review.
Despite Pitchfork’s review, artists like Drake and Questlove have had rave reviews for Yachty’s departure album. Questlove inked a lengthy review on his Instagram page, where he praised Lil Yachty for going outside of his own comfort zone. He also said Let’s Start Here gave him hope for the future of hip-hop as a whole.
“I really really really really love this @lilyachty record and I love when artists pull off a good departure record,” he wrote. “this aptly titled #LetsStartHere lp might be the most surprising transition of any music career I’ve witnessed in a min, especially under the umbrella of hip hop… Shit like this (envelope pushing) got me hyped about music’s future.”
The music Yachty released during his teenage years undoubtedly defined his sound. Over the years, he struggled to shake off the stigma attached to his name. When he was a leader of the pack of Soundcloud rappers that made it to the charts, he continued to face backlash from OGs and fans in general who weren’t happy with what he dropped. During the album release party, Yachty explained that he wanted people to take him seriously as an artist.
“I think I created this just because I really wanted to be taken serious as an artist. Not just some Soundcloud rapper, not just some mumble rapper, not some guy that made one hit... I respect all walks of music. Not just rap and hip-hop but everything,” Lil Yachty said. “If we gon’ be honest, there’s just a lot of n***as started copying the swag. And I felt like, cool, well, if everyone can do this then that’s fine but I’m going to show you what y’all can’t do.”
How do you feel about Lil Yachty’s album? Let us know in the comment section below.
