Lil Yachty Turning Heads with Album Let's Start Here

Written by Gordon Beck, Photography by Nicholas Patovani

Rap and rock sit in a weird spot these days. There has been no shortage of hip hop artists trying their hand at the genre that topped the boomer charts of old, MGK, Kid Cudi, Logic, and Lil Wayne to name a few. But often these attempts end up coming across as shallow, uninspired, or poorly executed. Not so with the latest full-length album from trap artist Lil Yachty, titled Let’s Start Here, who has taken a valiant stab at the layered, historied, and nuanced genre of psych rock. A genre that by and large is filled with devotees. Not often are there artists of wildly differing genres crossing the streams with this beast, especially not genres sitting in a largely commercial pop realm. Joji and Post Malone come to mind, but their efforts have been casual. Commercial artists that have dived in head first such as MGMT, who is featured on Lil Yachty’s album, have been met with confusion and disappointing metrics. The tides appear to have changed with this latest release, having topped the list of three billboard rock and alternative charts. The album is turning heads in the worlds of many differing genres, and it’s not hard to see why.

This album is all the more surprising coming from  Lil Yachty who has been known until this point as  a prime example of bubblegum levels of depth and commercial appeal. Yachty comes from the ever-popular trap and hip hop world. Lumped easily into the waves of SoundCloud and mumble rappers, his success at a glance can be compared to the viral sensation of his contemporaries, a sensation that is often more linked to trends and shallow appeal than it is artistic merit. This is perhaps most apparent since Yachty was a big part of an ad campaign for Target in 2017 at the height of his success. However, it seems Yachty possesses the desire to be taken more seriously and have a lasting impact with the release of Let’s Start Here. 

Yachty clearly has an appreciation for eclecticism,  gathering features and credits from many notable personnel across the track list. These include Mac Demarco, Benjamin Goldwasser of MGMT, and numerous producers including Jacob Portrait of Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Justin Raisen, who covered artists Joji and Charli XCX. More impressively,  this eclecticism pays off throughout the album. Yachty’s efforts don’t come across as forced or hollow imitations of more storied psych legends. The rapper has a passion and knowledge for the music he is creating here, and it shows.

The album’s opening track “the BLACK seminole.” brings everything to life beautifully. The song features an instrumental that would sit comfortably in Pink Floyd’s catalog, complete with a David Gilmour-esque guitar solo. Other tracks add funk, soul, and gospel to the mix. “THE zone~” sounds like something Kevin Parker of Tame Impala fame would conjure up. The closing track features walls of synths, strings, and piano that could be described as nothing less than experiential. Lyrically, Yachty’s sun beaming positivity he has been known for is still present, the same positivity that no doubt landed his sponsorship with Target. At times, this can be a bit mind numbing upon reading deeper, but many tracks thankfully explore an introspective side with “IVE OFFICIALLY LOST ViSiON!!!!” and “REACH THE SUNSHINE.” Yachty explores the drawbacks of fame, failure, and bad decision making while backed by soaring and dreamy compositions. 

The most impressive aspect of Let’s Start Here is how Yachty not only captures the essence of his inspirations so convincingly, but that he also leaves a unique mark and contribution to them as well through his trap roots.  His vocals are very much used as an instrument themselves, autotuned to T-Pain levels, and they fit shockingly well with the compositions, equally as much as their traditional rap context.  Who would have thought hip hop and Pink Floyd would blend so well?

It seems Lil Yachty has proven his point in being an artist worth taking seriously, and certainly an artist capable of some mind-boggling surprises. This is a prime example of passion and risk taking paying off as fans and contemporaries are creating a considerable buzz around the album, and of course the chart positions have something to say in that regard. It instills a sense of hope seeing an example of experimentation succeed like this, and it’s certainly worth celebrating. Hopefully, this is not the last instance we will see of Yachty stretching his experimental tendencies.