Lil Uzi Vert - Luv is Rage 2

Lil Uzi Vert
Luv is Rage 2
2017
Spotify

Lil Uzi Vert has the misfortune of coming up at the same time and having a similar fashion sense to some of today's hip hop stars on the rise. I swear the man would be ten times more popular if He didn't have "Lil" in his name because so many people associate him with Lil Yachty. I can assure you one thing Vert sounds nothing like Yachty and is perhaps the best MC in this whole crop of new rappers. It may seem like He came out of no where, but the Philly rapper has been slugging away with his blend of Hip Hop, Alternative and Punk Rock trying to really create a true fusion of these styles. Luv is Rage 2 is actually Uzi's major release debut which will be shocking to most since on each track he seems to be taking his victory lap. Yet Uzi's flossing doesn't sound like bullshit like so many others rappers boasting does. He is confident to the extent that his music bangs and he knows it. "444 + 222" is steeped heavily in trap sounds but for the most part is just Uzi's voice. He shows how crafty he is even name checking Jay-Z on the song which is clearly an homage to Hov's 4:44. You also don't hear the constant barrage of negative press regarding Lil Uzi Vert besides a few controversial clothing choices. he somehow manages to avoid the pitfalls that many young rappers fall into and continues to push this Rock Star brand as hard as he can. None of this would matter though if the album sucked, but it doesn't at all.

Oh Wonder's "Landslide" is sampled for "The Way Life Goes" which was a crazy surprise and one that Vert manages to make sound incredible evening singing the hook himself and just letting Oh Wonder bleed through here and there. It is so bold for a Trapper to take on an electropop song and bend it to his will but Uzi does it. "Neon Girls" is only one of two tracks with a feature and has Pharrell delivery one of his most savage features of all time. So much of post "Happy" Pharrell has been so bright and lite that hearing him have some actual vicious delivery is fantastic. Luv is Rage is also really diverse with some tracks diving deep down the track road with others really turning what Hip Hop can and will be on it's head. "XO TOUR LIiF3" rounds out the record and is the song that arguably set Vert's career off and it still bangs just as hard today. What is really incredible is the last few tracks of the album would be expected to be some filler but they just keep getting better and better. Luv is Rage 2 may be Uzi's first major record, but He sounds like He's been here for years. Get ready for Lil Uzi Vert's name to start getting mentioned with the big names very soon because this feels like it is his moment. Whether he seizes it or not, only time will tell, but my prediction: He will.

8.5 out of 10