Lil Yachty outdoes himself with Let’s Start Here and releases the most authentic album of his career [REVIEW]

Owner of the recent success of TikTok “poland,” Lil Yachty has other hits, like “NBAYoungBoat,” “yacht club” and “one night,” but the sound of his work didn’t usually go beyond the “common” within rap and strands, such as trap. However, the musician really outdid himself with Let’s Start Herefifth studio album released this Friday, 27.

Maybe it’s safe to say how Let’s Start Here be one of the surprises of the year. When I started listening to the album, I didn’t expect great things, but I came face to face (and burned my tongue, I confess) with a very authentic work, with songs that talk to each other while being able to differentiate themselves from each other.

Actually, Lil Yachty he had already anticipated how this job would be the most different of his career. During an interview with icebox, rapper commented on how the record “wouldn’t be rap.” “It’s alternative, it’s cool!” As the singer explained in the conversation, he was in the process of creating an “alternative psychedelic project… [com] all live instrumentation.”

Let’s Start Here has 14 tracks in all, with some running as long as four or five minutes – something quite hard to see on the mainstream of the industry today. The album already starts with the powerful “the BLACK seminole.,” in which the rapper reflects on growing up and the way he understands himself as a black man.

There’s no time for games, the boy is a man now
And sadness fills with striking sounds
This part I saw in my dreams
Love is not a lie, it just feels like a scene from a Tarantino movie,” says the song.

As the album progresses, Lil Yachty continues to address deeper and more serious issues such as mental health in “the ride-” and “WE SAW THE SUN!,” as well as drug use in “IVE OFFICIALLY LOST ViSiON!!!!.” All songs are loaded with instrumentals that accompany the tone that the singer brings to the record, and makes the work even more unique and different from what he did in the previous four.

At the age of 25, love (and all its potential complications) is also a recurring theme in the artist’s life, and he talks about it precisely in “running out of time,” “drive ME crazy!” and “say SOMETHING.” Something also very interesting to highlight is “(failure(:,” which is basically narrated and carries a message about wealth, fame, and failure:

I’ve seen, well, I’ve seen failure a few times, more recently than before, actually it’s quite interesting how much more complicated things get when you become, quote after quote, rich and famous.

Let’s Start Here it’s definitely a record worth listening to, whether you’re a rap fan or not. In songs, Lil Yachty demonstrates great professional maturity with more authentic and reflective lyrics, with instrumentals that call attention. One of the pleasant surprises of 2023, which has barely begun.