I know people hated the album cover cause it uses an AI art generator but hear me out for a second. This, in my opinion, has a deeper meaning. AI has been taking over last year raging from art to songs to making movies and video games and so much more. It's quite scary to be honest, cause they could take over the human race on some black mirror-type shit. I think they doing AI shit to bring back dead loved ones via voice, just spine-chilling to think about. Where I am going with this, there are a ton of debates if this is just a gimmick or art, In a sense it is. To put a connection to the AI album art to the album is Yachty takes a HUGE left turn and something new that is like AI art. You see I assume are higher-ups laughing in this creepy matter at him making a new style of music instead of the same old shit he has doing for years. So for him to use this style of artwork of killing creativity the way labels do. I know, I browse forums too much (laughs).
Yachty's music has been up and down since he came onto the scene. His debut mixtape was so much fun, I love how weird and different it was at that time, which feels super long ago, and it does when you think about it. After that, he has more lows than highs. He did get interested in him when he started to work with rappers from the booming Michigan scene and songs like "Pardon Me" and "Flexed Up". I wasn't losing that much hope in him as I did with other rappers who were coming up around the time but he was starting to get boring and repetitive. Now, with this album, it did leak a month before it got an official release. Under the name "Sonic Ranch", it was leaked online, I am assuming the same leaker who leaked his big song last year "Poland". I heard a bit of the album and I'll admit, I didn't like it. I thought maybe it was a joke record he made during the early pandemic days, He did tweet and delete how upset he was it got leaked and it was gonna be the next project he was gonna release. So yeah, I guessed he was gonna go back to square one and put together another bland record but he settled on his morals and released the album. After listening to this album with an open mind, I am really glad he did everyone.
It's not a perfect record, but for someone to say fuck it, I wanna make psych and alternative rock music is very left-field but diverse and risk-taking. We do have a long and very bad history of rappers in the past decade hopping on the rock wave. Cudi, MGK, Vic Mensa, Wayne, and Logic all of em picked up a guitar and try their hands at this genre, and all of them failed. Very bad. Yachty took his time, care, and respect to hop on this sound. He worked with Justin Raisen on the majority of the production and engineering, He work with bands and artists like Yves Tumor, Ariel Pink, Bowie, Charli XCX, and Ghost, to name a few. I was curious If Kevin Parker aka Tame Impala had his hands on this but sadly he doesn't I am wondering if Kevin inspired Boat to make an album like this since they have a remix together. Diana Gordon, Teezo Touchdown, Justine Skye, Foushee, and Daniel Caesar are the guest features.
Yachty's singing is messy, I felt like he used too much reverb here and there but it works with how odd the album is. Yachty's not taking him seriously, by the way, a huge thing I am a fan of it. With the whole theme about your inner self, depression, and love. I’ll say that him sounding like Meatwad singing is funny but it works. For someone who's straight edge, I wonder if he did DMT while working on this, He even has an interlude where he rambles on and on like someone on a trip/smoke sesh. "the BLACK Seminole" kicks off the album with the theme about the group of the same name and Yatchy's inner self which I had already mentioned. A few lines could've worked in a rap setting too but it hits deeper with this instrumental. It sets the tone on where we heading with this journey, love the guitar solo. Shit is like I am heading toward an epic fight, when the beat drops and the drums kick in and the lady comes in, I had goosebumps. I just said "wow" when the piano comes in and the angelic vocals come in. This would be a crazy acid trip if this shit was playing. "the ride-" has this chill beat but the lyrics are very dark and depressing, about appreciating the ride of being an artist, moving up on the social hierarchy, and how it affects the artist's mental health. Bad enough, you start hating things you use to like and that now conveys pain and chaos to you rather than happiness. "running out of time" is his version of that Tyler The Creator of the same name. The beat sounds like a summer-time jam, and could've been a leftover from Awaken, My Love (derogatory but that's fine), Justine Skye elevates the song to another level. He does manipulate her saying I told you secrets about myself, you can't leave me, I know you going to tell others. Which like damn man, I doubt she will.
"pRETTy" got Yachty using the same vocal pattern that he used in "Poland", it's very wavey but funny at the same time. The song is alright, I feel this is more of a Foushee song, Yachty feels like a background character in his song. Production carried this song too, I think it was done better in the lyrics and theme, it was just about him feeling pretty, and being creative with it. We have "THE zone" singing about being homesick and the pressure of the fame lifestyle he sees himself and other artists within. Justine Skye from her point of view is different, pondering alone with nothing but her thoughts, and the home she’s in can be in a stable relationship. Everyone has been in this scenario, alone, cold, and dark room. No sound, just that inner voice in your head. Even though you ponder about "home", it can go left pretty fast and things will get worst and worse. It shifts to the following song "WE SAW THE SUN!" Continuing the connection between depression and coming down from the high. The chorus got him singing "Moments like this reveal the truth alone with only you, take a picture cause we'll need proof", which ties in a bit with the Bob Ross sample. It must inspire Boat to run his course freely and let him do an album like this being vulnerable. “Drive ME crazy!” The only upbeat and grooviest song on the album, it’s my favorite track. The production sounds like it would’ve been on a Calvin Harris or a Tyler album. Love the beat switch and tone, third verse is the top moment of the song and the entire record, just a fun duet upbeat love song.
Suddenly we get a bad acid trip on “IVE OFFICIALLY LOST VISION!!!!!” And (laughs), Yachty screaming sounds like a really bad voice-acting scream from a PS1 game. The lead-up to the beat drop and chorus made my jaw drop, I was blown away when I heard, him saying “FUCK!” the Had me giggling cause he sounds like a cartoon network character. Diana Gordan sounded like a choir singer, she made the bad acid trip sounds so lovely. I never did acid, don’t desire to now after hearing this. I don’t much have to say about “sAy sOMETHINg”, just another love song. The beat was nice. You are wondering if “paint THE sky” main reason being my least favorite song cause Tory Lanez wrote this? No. Not really. Bullshit aside about all the dumb shit he's done, I’ve heard better songs written by the dude, could’ve given Boat some better material. Bland track. I think it would’ve worked better on the one album Tory did where he ripped off The Weeknd.
The next track “Should I B?” Made me feel something, that something you hear in the end credits of a romance movie after a breakup. I like that. It flows together with “The Alchemist”, sadly the producer of the same or Ed from Fullmetal Brotherhood is not on here but that’s acceptable. Love this track, Foushee sounds incredible here. Stealing the show again and outshining Lil Boat, He did hold up his own. I adore too how the style switch between the two, His verses is more headbanging while hers is more heavenly. The final song of the album is a good closer. I know he did some stupid shit but Daniel Cesar is good at his job, Yachty sits back and gets introspective about the journey he's been with the record. Just sounds raw and unfiltered on the guitar and the rest of the production. The last two minutes of this start haunting me, getting that goosebump to feel on my arms to be more calm and relaxed but still got the eerie feeling hidden underneath.
Final thoughts, Man what an album. I'm not in love with the album. We are still early in the year, It could change when the year moves forward. I have to tip my hat and give Lil Boat his flowers, his due, and his praise. He did his homework, worked with the right people, and hopped on a sound that most rappers fail at horrendous levels. Well done man, I did roll my eyes when he did a whole speech he wanted to prove to himself he's more than just a rapper, I am an "artist" and I do it every time. However, I'll give him a slight pass here for now. Hope we get more backstory of why he wanted to do an album like this that isn't that bullshit he said, like where his head space was at. I mean dude was helping Drake out with his recent album and the album sounds nothing like this. This album while having dull moments and bad singing, did connect with it the themes and subject matter of love and depression. I don't if this is just a one-time thing and he goes back to the same old, same old.....I wished he didn't to be honest. Taking that wock to Poland makes you do crazy things!
Favorite Tracks: The Black Seminole, The Ride, WE SAW THE SUN!, drive ME crazy!, IVE OFFICIALLY LOST VISION!!!!, Running out of time, Should I b?, REACH THE SUNSHINE
Least Favorite Tracks: Paint The Sky
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