By: Ryan Martin
Imma level with you. I wasn’t a fan of Lil Boat. I know. The breakout mixtape that put rapper Lil Yachty on the map. I must be an asshole. I got my first taste of Yachty from his verse on Chance the Rapper’s newest mixtape, Coloring Book. The verse grew on me overtime and has now become, in my opinion, the best part of that song. I used to listen to songs like ‘Minnesota’ and ‘Wanna Be Us’ for comedic reasons off Lil Boat and was unable to take him seriously as an artist. I dug the idea of his split personality rapping/singing between Lil Boat and Lil Yachty but the music came off as immature and didn’t resonate with me. Yachty’s new tape has changed what I expected from him as an artist, I can happily say that I am officially on the Yachty bandwagon.
Yachty dropped Summer Songs 2, a sequel to his very DIY first EP which contained hits like ‘Minnesota’ and ‘1Night’ coupled with an absolutely hilarious artwork.
Imma level with you. I wasn’t a fan of Lil Boat. I know. The breakout mixtape that put rapper Lil Yachty on the map. I must be an asshole. I got my first taste of Yachty from his verse on Chance the Rapper’s newest mixtape, Coloring Book. The verse grew on me overtime and has now become, in my opinion, the best part of that song. I used to listen to songs like ‘Minnesota’ and ‘Wanna Be Us’ for comedic reasons off Lil Boat and was unable to take him seriously as an artist. I dug the idea of his split personality rapping/singing between Lil Boat and Lil Yachty but the music came off as immature and didn’t resonate with me. Yachty’s new tape has changed what I expected from him as an artist, I can happily say that I am officially on the Yachty bandwagon.
Yachty dropped Summer Songs 2, a sequel to his very DIY first EP which contained hits like ‘Minnesota’ and ‘1Night’ coupled with an absolutely hilarious artwork.
As dumb as the artwork for Summer Songs portrays Yachty to be, it paved the road for him to drop his breakout mixtape earlier this year with extended or remixes of those previous hits. Summer Songs 2, unlike the first Summer Songs, is a full mixtape rather than an EP, with 14 tracks, making it just as long as the first mixtape he dropped this spring. An impressive feat for a 19-year-old kid who has just announced a tour, made the 2016 XXL Freshman List, signed a joint deal with Capitol Records and has been featured on two different charting singles. We already know that Desiigner couldn’t handle that kind of stress after the trash that was his debut mixtape, “New English”. Yachty doesn’t cave on his latest offering though, which is solid all the way through and perfect for the summertime vibes. The Intro, or ‘(First Day of Summer)’, ‘Life Goes On’, and ‘King Of Teens’ are easy radio hits with Yachty’s signature auto-tuned crooning and rattling high hats. These cuts are as catchy as they are hard and mix that perfect blend of turning up and pop music. While ‘For Hot 97’, ‘Up Next 3’, and ‘Dipset’ are the perfect party songs and should be played at max volume while driving at night with your crew. Along with a new mixtape, Yachty has dropped off a comical new short film presented by FADER which involves interviews from friends and family and Yachty's sudden rise to superstardom.
Now, this mixtape is by no means perfect. I must point out the flaws to this mixtape as well though. Yachty is by no means, a good rapper. If you’ve seen his Hot 97 freestyle you know this guy can’t freestyle to save his life. But, is he a good artist? Sure. Yachty is awesome at mixing his crooning style of singing and his rapping. It might not sound as polished as Bryson Tiller’s singing but it bangs harder for sure. I believe with Summer Songs 2, Yachty has perfected his sound. With perfect timing as well. Yachty couldn’t have picked a better time to drop this mixtape. Smack dab in the middle of summer, and coming off the buzz of his XXL Freshman spot and the announcement of his tour. Summer Songs 2 isn’t the best mixtape you’ll hear this year but it’s arguably one of the best you could be bumping at this point in summer.