THE TRANSGRESSIVE EXPERIENCE OF LET'S START HERE BY LIL YACHTY.
Let’s start here is the fifth studio album by Atlanta Native Lil Yachty which dropped on the 27th of January. This album is a clear testament to Lil Yachty’s creativity and determination to be taken more seriously as an artist, he experiments with psychedelic rock and immersive sounds within jazz. across this project. Recently his viral hit “Poland” left many fans anticipating what was next from the star, so much so the internet became immersed in talks surrounding a leaked song from the star which held the question of if the album was to come or not. Now I can't speak for everyone but when I heard Yachty was attempting to take a different route with his music I wasn’t too surprised, because it seems nowadays as if artists feel that it’s a rite of passage to explore other sounds instead of perfecting the sound which gained them notoriety.
It’s not as if anyone would like to be boxed into a genre, but I feel nowadays it’s something artist’s do when they’re bored or tired of being seen as just a “Hip-Hop rapper”. The term Hip-Hip Hop rapper leaves people’s mouths as if they were tasting mediocracy in saliva form. Regardless... I'm all for the exploration of artist’s creativity, I just wish it didn’t feel like such a dismissive action artists take or feel they must take. Exploration finds you when you're ready and that’s exactly the message I got from Let’s Start Here.
The Album begins with "The BLACK Seminole” and within seconds of reading the title I’m intrigued to know in which way Yachty compares himself to the Afro-Indigenous collective of slaves from the 1800s. Yatchy’s vocals are blunt and hard-hitting as if they grate against the unearthly guitar riffs. He sings the words “Sex symbol, the Black Seminole, A sex symbol the black Seminole” he acknowledges the strong awareness he has of the fetishization that surrounds dark skinned people, and I feel like this may be him hinting to the need to conform to what is expected of black artists, despite having such a close relationship to rock music. He expresses that he felt similarly chained to conform to what society expects of a black man as well as having “mouths to feed”.
When you're the first of your family to make it, there’s an expectation to stay consistent to be able to maintain the status you're at and this pressure only builds up until you cannot take it. Sticking to the haven of being a SoundCloud rapper and releasing tracks like “Minnesota” just isn’t enough for Yachty anymore.
It seems to me he is expressing the lack of being free to have the childhood he should’ve had “No time to joke around, the kid is now a man”. The time he should’ve taken to perfect his craft and explore different genres was robbed of him due to the expectations placed upon him. The restrictive barriers placed upon you being a SoundCloud rapper also mean by default you feel you’re expected to “fall off”. The song closes with a beautiful segment from Diana Gordan whose vocals fit perfectly here to bring the illusion of completion and acceptance. To grow as an artist, you must understand who you are and what you can be despite all the misconceptions placed on you because you have no control whatsoever.
The transition into “the ride –” is very smooth as we begin to absorb the magnetic chemistry between Yachty and Teezo Touchdown. These two artists are very conflicting but come together in such an alluring sense. You feel at ease with the pop-psychedelic aspect the production gives us. Yatchy is directly addressing us and wants us to know how his journey has been. We haven’t heard much expression from Yachty and I am definitely appreciative of the way he’s chosen to be vulnerable. He lets us know that “When I’m alone with me thoughts I'm terrified” which is a huge contrast to the Yachty who was telling us he “took the wok to Poland”.
He is letting us know that his journey has been so intense that he now doesn’t even recognise his thoughts anymore, his thoughts control him because of how overpowering and dark they can be. Are his thoughts his own or just thoughts projected onto him? The hierarchy is also something that I feel is troubling Yachty as the theme is that “the ride” is not a ride he can control. He’s not in control which is why eye contact is “social suicide”. Control and the ability to be free is out of the question and the way he deals with feeling so restricted is to “close your eyes”. Being delusional and oblivious is how he copes with “the ride”. The ride could be a metaphor for anything though, it could be the industry, expectations, or anything he considers entrapping to him. To look someone in the eyes is a very natural and real expression, so not being able to indicate his experiences are isolating.
As we digest the feelings of entrapment, we move onto the upbeat “Running out of time” which bares a fuzzy rhythm, with a seemingly comforting natural flow. This is the song that I feel confirms the security Yachty feels with his exploration with this new sound. The lyrics read as “Well I Can’t Let You leave, I told you far too much” which I interpreted as he is becoming much more comfortable being vulnerable and authentic, so much so that he is indirectly being manipulative with stating the love interest cannot leave, she’s in too deep.
It’s almost like how we have been entrapped along with him in this journey of exploration. We are three songs deep and we have no choice but to listen and commit to the body of work he has released. The manipulation is subtle but understanding, in a world where everyone has projected their own ideals onto people it’s easy to assume someone is not who they are despite them telling you bluntly they are everything but what you assumed. “Would You look in my eyes and feel deceived?” he’s asking us as the consumers to question everything we assumed of him. Is he the rapper singing about “Poland” or is he the singer willing to think outside the box? You decide.
“Pretty” sounds incredibly nostalgic in the sense it brings us back to songs such as “Poland” as they share a similar cadence. We hear Yachty talking about how he feels so “So Pretty” and the effects of self-love, as well as finding your love are impacting him. We don’t know if this love is a being or a metaphor for the music, he’s falling in love with the creative process of creating music and this is fuelling a newfound love within himself. He feels self-assured in himself more than ever which is clear to see. This is very contrasting to “Black Seminole” where it feels like he is objectifying himself.
Here he has accepted himself and feels good about it. Fousheé narrates the closing of the song in such a graceful manner stating that “the most important moments in life aren’t when you're born and when you die” which is an impactful way to close the song. The audience is left thinking about who and what we love and reminds us to be appreciative. The hallowing enthralling synths call you into the next track “Failure” which immediately sets the tone for the overall message of the song. Yachty delves deeper into his self-expression regarding failure.
We have reached the point of acceptance around failure as well as accepting that failure isn’t a setback, more so a way of being redirected. His spoken word is hard to take seriously because for me I'm not as used to Yachty being so serious and intentional, but I hear the sincerity in his voice when addressing failure. He understands that even though it has taken him a while, to reach a point in his career where he feels he can branch out and “try again-revise your steps and rewrite your future”, Yachty reclaims his future as a musician wholeheartedly.
For me “The Zone-“ is one of my favorite tracks on the song simply for the production. I truly see how much effort Yatchy has gone to, to ensure that this album sounds authentic to him and the message he’s trying to deliver. The transformative energy of the song is portrayed very well with lyrics such as “Home is only an idea-I fear its costume’s that you wear” he understands that home is only where you feel it is, just like the saying home is where the heart is, the costumes that you wear are only temporary, the facade you show to the world by enduring “homes” that aren’t suited for you, only hurt you.
I'm starting to understand that this album is exactly what Yachty promised it to be, with influences from Pink Floyd and Tame Impala, the portrayal of the transformative Yachty has experienced as a musician is clear as day. Working closely with Justin Raisen has allowed Yachty to unlock so many more new levels of his creativity that aren’t falling on deaf ears.
Justin has more notably worked with artists such as Charli XCX, Mac Demarco and Joji just to name a few. And the collaboration has truly paid off in the best way as I can be open-minded regarding what I now expect from Yachty moving forward. The numbing straight-up aspect Yachty brings along with his vocals truly helped to express his frustrations and enlightening messages moving forward with his journey. At some points, it seems Yachty is robotic with a sense of performativeness, but I feel this was intended at some points as the overall theme is feeling like a slave or some puppet of some sort, he breaks free from the shackles and accepts his journey for what it is, the good and the bad. Harsh snares, everlasting synths, and haunting vocals all tie together to create an album that is a dreamy cathartic experience.
Click Down Below to View the Visuals Behind "Say Something" Starring Anok Yai.