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Lil Yachty Drops Video for New Track "Cortex" and Teases More Music

Lil Yachty has surprised his fans with a new song and video for the bass-heavy track “Cortex," the follow-up single to "Hit Bout It" with Kodak Black.

View this video on YouTube

Lil Yachty  has surprised his fans with a new song and video for the bass-heavy track “Cortex.”

The song, produced by Cash Cobain, is built around a sample of “ Huit Octobre 1971 ” by Cortex, which was famously sampled on MF DOOM’s 2004 track “One Beer.” The same track was later sampled by Tyler, the Creator on his debut album  Bastard  in 2009, and Wiz Khalifa also sampled the song on his 2010 song “Visions.” It is, however, used very differently on “Cortex,” going for a more modern, drill-influenced rhythm.

“Cortex” is also accompanied by a video, which is partially filmed using 360 degree cameras. Filmed while Yachty appears to be half-way through a studio session, the video simply ends with the caption, “It’s us!” In the description for the video, Yachty teased, “Right now I’m working on 4-5 projects… I promise to give y’all a shit load of music this year.” No word on when fans can expect a new project yet, but Lil Boat is clearly gearing up to drop something soon.

Recently, the Atlanta rapper shared a message with his fans on social media after it was reported his friend Nicholas Anthony Lynch had gone missing. Thankfully, the 23-year-old was found the same day, and Yachty shared an update shortly after. “Nick Found,” he wrote. “Thank u to everyone who helped share the missing post of my friend, I am grateful.”

Nick Found ❤️ — C.V Thomas (@lilyachty) April 19, 2021

Thank u to everyone who helped share the missing post of my friend, I am grateful — C.V Thomas (@lilyachty) April 19, 2021

Watch the video for “Cortex” above.

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Clearly, Lil Yachty isn’t wasting much time cooking up some new tunes for his fans to enjoy. This week, he blesses us with “Cortex,” which sees the Atlanta rapper eschewing his melodic style for more hard-hitting street fare over drill-esque production courtesy of Cash Cobain:

“Niggas is not really killers, I seen ‘em shoot up, they treat beef like heroin, everyone wanna be kings, but niggas too soft, see, me, I got pharaoh skin, we took the drive, needed Wock’ for the low, had to do us a call in Carrollton, my niggas quick to reassemble your wig, I nicknamed him Tae ‘cause he arrogant/”

Shot by go-to videographer Ari Mairena-Dannon, the accompanying clip sees Yachty in the studio, flanked by crewmembers smoking weed, enjoy a meal, dancing to the song in question, and other activities common while in the midst of a recording session. Also notable — the message from Yachty left in the video’s description, which confirms what he’s currently in the studio for:

“right now I’m working on 4-5 projects.. I promise to give y’all a shit load of music this year…. rock outttttt.”

Last year, Yachty blessed his fans with his fourth studio album Lil Boat 3 , which saw 19 cuts and appearances from Tierra Whack , A$AP Rocky, Tyler, The Creator, Future, Mike WiLL Made-It, Drake, DaBaby, Lil Keed, Young Thug, and Lil Durk. The project did moderately well commercially, peaking at number 14 on the Billboard 200 thanks to 30,000 first week album equivalent units sold. Months after its initial drop, a deluxe version of the LP — titled Lil Boat 3.5 — made landfall with eight more songs and additional contributions from Playboi Carti , Lil Baby, Vince Staples , and more.

Fans can press play on Lil Yachty ’s “Cortex” video below, and keep an eye out for more releases soon.

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Watch Lil Yachty’s “CORTEX” video

The rapper is promising a lot of new music the is year..

Last year, Lil Yachty expressed enthusiasm for premiering new songs on his YouTube page. "Fuck mixtapes, fuck deluxe, YouTube," he said at the beginning of the video for "COFFIN," a track that enjoyed significant TikTok popularity after its release. His latest YouTube-only (for now) track is "CORTEX," and like the "COFFIN" video, it takes place at the studio, where Yachty has been getting some pretty great results from recently.

The song's title is taken from the name of the band behind the song's sample, originally recorded for the song "Huit Octobre 1971” — you might remember it from the MF DOOM song "One Beer." "Right now I'm working on 4-5 projects," Yachty wrote in the video's YouTube description. "I promise to give y'all a shit load of music this year."

Read Next: Lil Yachty flirts with harsh noise on “Something Ether”

Recommended.

Lil Yachty teases new collaborative album he made with James Blake

Lil Yachty shares new song “A Cold Sunday”

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Rap / Rock / Pop/R&B

Quality Control / Motown / Republic

July 1, 2024

When James Blake and Lil Yachty debuted as divisive wunderkinds, they earned feverish acclaim—and controversy—for the way they blurred the lines etched by their predecessors. Blake stormed dubstep’s dancefloor and rendered it a dusty confessional booth; Yachty looked at the hip-hop landscape he inherited, cursed its gods , and spent the beginning of his career at war with a generation. Not everything has changed: They’re still divisive, and they’re still doggedly trying new things. But they aren’t upstarts anymore; nor are their disruptive ideas breaking boundaries so much as reinforcing them. (So long, saxophones , and so long, rap .) A pair that once embodied youthful iconoclasm now often seem to see only as far as their next grievance. More and more, they sound like the gatekeepers who didn’t believe in them years ago.

Thus the defensive crossover spectacle of Bad Cameo , their new joint album. Few things announce themselves louder than a tag-team LP by a polarizing producer and an equally polarizing rapper-turned-rocker. But instead of provoking, this record largely takes the low-key road, like a terse postscript to a more transgressive past. It’s dreamy and occasionally danceable, steely electronica rubbing shoulders with a sharp, stadium-ready take on Yachty’s sing-rap sensibilities. The shoulder-rubbing is promising, but at a certain point, when the friction hasn’t progressed any further, the party starts to feel like a corporate lunch: Hey Post-Dubstep, have you met Post-Trap? I’ll leave you two alone to hit it off! Sometimes, they do. More often, Blake and Yachty are cozy in their respective corners, taking turns in the spotlight rather than sharing it. You get the sense that they’re trying to rekindle old magic—the wonders Blake worked with his glitchy soul-searching, the weightlessness Yachty proffered with his pitch-shifted lilts. These elements sound nice next to one another. They’d sound even better if they did more than just coexist.

When Yachty released “ Poland ,” his unlikely 2022 hit single, part of the draw was his quivering, liquid delivery: “It is a really fucking weird song,” Blake told him in a recent sit-down, revealing that it brought him to tears. He’s right to identify the weirdness as jolting—at least enough to channel raw emotion, or inspire it in others. But when they try to accomplish this on Bad Cameo , they sound maddeningly riskless. The title track registers like an attempt to run “Poland” through Blake’s chilly alt-pop processing and produce something equally apt for dorm rooms and sound baths. There’s a repeatable mantra, minimal frills that foreground the vocals, and an air of confession—only now, instead of spiking one another’s worlds, the crossover dilutes their respective strengths. “Did you ever love me?” Yachty begs, in full “Poland” voice, with Blake echoing his prayer in the background. You might recall a similar plea on the 2022 song (“Hope you love me, baby, I hope you mean it”). Where “Poland” producer F1lthy supplied Yachty with a jumpy, trap-infused hotbed, Blake’s canvas is restrictive, limiting the singer to a cramped crying closet both have outgrown. Solemn as it sounds, it’s hard to take very seriously.

Part of Bad Cameo ’s appeal is the promise of a novel palette: lean meeting lemon tea, hip-hop meeting post-dubstep, confessionalism meeting vanity. Sometimes, as on “Twice,” this works beautifully—a staggered four-on-the-floor beat might morph into something airier, a haggard Yachty and wistful Blake taking turns reveling in their respective terrains. Other times, in moments where you’d expect the contrast to unearth rich new flavors, there’s a dulling effect. “Save the Savior,” a crunchy ballad that sounds a bit like a screen-adapted Future therapy session, would absolutely crush in a ritzy, white-walled gallery. Play it a second time, this time with the pair’s capabilities in mind, and it starts feeling like it should go beyond those insular limits. Blake is coming off his most energetic and danceable record to date; Yachty is freshly removed from a risky, compelling—if controversial— psych-rock dispatch . Considering the boundary-breaking instincts each contributor brings to the table, Bad Cameo feels too safe, too familiar, to tell us anything we don’t already know.

The bulk of Bad Cameo ’s novelty arrives, instead, in songcraft. To Blake’s credit, he’s a master of seeing tracks as living things, subject to as much growth and meandering as the masterminds who make them. Familiar as they may feel, the most striking songs on this project keep some powder dry, sprawling into realms far beyond their starting places. Midway through “Midnight,” when Yachty and Blake’s harmonized refrain gives way to a beat switch and the drums fall out from beneath their voices, it sounds like they’re prostrate before something powerful. “Woo” begins with an echoey grand piano over a trap beat, no new addition to the annals of introspective hip-hop. But by the chorus, it seems like it’s all falling apart: The drum pattern sputters, and a sly ghost chord gradually infiltrates Blake’s somber progression, culminating in a single jolt of dissonance. You wish there were more room for such uncompromising mischief.

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The Best Lil Yachty Songs

Lil Yachty, an innovative force in modern hip-hop, has undeniably transformed the music landscape with his vibrant style and unique approach. Bursting onto the scene from Atlanta, his infectious tunes and playful persona quickly captivated a global audience. Known for his striking cherry-red hair and catchy anthems, Yachty's rise to fame is the epitome of the viral success story. From his breakout SoundCloud hit "One Night" to collaborations with heavyweights like DRAM in the track "Broccoli," Yachty's career is a thrilling blend of immense talent and whimsical charm.

Diving into Lil Yachty's discography is like embarking on a spirited voyage through hip-hop's most colorful waters. His debut mixtape Lil Boat set the tone with a nautical theme, blending fun, irreverence, and heartfelt introspection. The Atlanta native's catalogue showcases a spectrum of the genre, from the buoyant rhythms of his earlier work to more experimental ventures.

One of the Lil Yachty's best songs is undoubtedly "Broccoli." This chart-topping collaboration with DRAM is a testament to Yachty’s knack for crafting feel-good anthems. Another exceptional track is "Oprah’s Bank Account," featuring the mega-stars Drake and DaBaby, which exemplifies his ability to seamlessly blend humor with catchy beats. These tracks, alongside others like "Poland," paint a vivid picture of why Yachty's music remains so beloved and enduring.

Lil Yachty’s best songs are more than just a roundup - they are a journey through the multifaceted landscape of contemporary music. His work reflects the energetic spirit of Atlanta’s hip-hop scene while pushing the boundaries of the genre. From crowd-pleasing hits to experimental detours, Yachty’s musical output is a testament to his creative versatility and enduring appeal.

drive ME crazy

Album: Let's Start Here

Why It's Great: "drive ME crazy!" epitomizes Lil Yachty’s innovative flair, blending introspective lyrics with captivating beats. This track captures an ethereal vibe that transports listeners through its lush instrumentals and hypnotic rhythms. Diana Gordon's soulful vocals add depth, creating an intoxicating blend that showcases Yachty's versatility and emotional range. This song stands out for its unique soundscape, effortlessly combining alternative and indie elements that resonate with fans and new listeners alike.

Yacht Club (featuring Juice WRLD)

Album: Nuthin' 2 Prove

Why It's Great: "Yacht Club" features Lil Yachty at his best, delivering cheeky, playful lyrics with a catchy, smooth flow that resonates effortlessly. With Juice WRLD alongside him, the song boasts a vibrant, club-ready vibe that embodies the carefree, exuberant spirit Yachty is known for.

Magic in the Hamptons (Social House featuring Lil Yachty)

Album: Magic in the Hamptons

Why It's Great: "Magic in the Hamptons," a standout track by Social House featuring Lil Yachty , encapsulates a breezy, feel-good vibe perfect for any summer playlist. Yachty's playful verse seamlessly blends with the groovy beats and upbeat tempo, highlighting his signature melodic flow. The lyrics capture the euphoria of young love, making it a timeless anthem.

A Cold Sunday

Album: Something Ether

Why It's Great: "A Cold Sunday" captures the quintessential vibe of Yachty's artistry with its hauntingly introspective lyrics and minimalist beats, creating a raw, emotional atmosphere. The song's reflective theme of battling inner demons amid fame showcases Yachty's lyrical depth. Its resonating melody paired with a pulsating rhythm encapsulates his unique blend of vulnerability and sonic innovation.

Album: Lil Boat 3

Why It's Great: "Coffin," a standout track, blends punchy 808s and swaggering lyrics to showcase Lil Yachty's undeniable talent and distinct style. The song captures his braggadocious charm and confident flow, painting vivid pictures of luxury. Its infectious beat and hypnotic rhythm make it a fan favorite, epitomizing Yachty's ability to craft memorable anthems that resonate deeply with listeners and highlight his eclectic musical vision.

Broccoli (DRAM featuring Lil Yachty)

Album: Big Baby DRAM

Why It's Great: "Broccoli" is a lively and enchanting track by DRAM featuring Lil Yachty. Seamlessly blending hip hop with whimsical, buoyant beats, its catchy flute melodies and playful lyrics stand out. Lil Yachty's vibrant contributions add a charming dynamic, further enhancing the song's upbeat vibe. "Broccoli" exemplifies DRAM's unique musical artistry, making it an essential track that captivates with its infectious energy.

Flex Up (featuring Future & Playboi Carti)

Why It's Great: "Flex Up" showcases a pulsating collaboration of Lil Yachty with Future and Playboi Carti. The track's raw, energetic beats, combined with its flex-heavy lyrics, make it a standout in Yachty's discography. The song captures the trio's lavish lifestyles through catchy hooks and high-octane verses, while its infectious chorus adds an anthemic quality. This masterpiece highlights each artist's unique flair, solidifying its status as a fan favorite.

From The D To The A (Tee Grizzley featuring Lil Yachty)

Album: From the D to the A

Why It's Great: "From the D to the A" stands out as an exemplary collaboration between Tee Grizzley and Lil Yachty, showcasing Yachty's versatile flow and distinct artistic flair. The track's hard-hitting beat and memorable lyrical exchanges highlight Yachty's knack for dynamic deliveries and clever wordplay. Its immersive, high-energy vibe perfectly encapsulates the essence of modern hip-hop, making it a must-listen for fans of both artists.

Album: Poland

Why It's Great: "Poland" epitomizes the best Lil Yachty songs with its hypnotic blend of cyber-vibrato vocals and synth-heavy production. The song’s memorable hook, “I took the wock to Poland" is a reference to Wockhardt , a company that makes a cough syrup sometimes used in lean. Yachty’s playful, yet emotionally nuanced delivery showcases his ability to innovate within the genre, making "Poland" a standout track in his discography.

Album: stayinit

Why It's Great: "stayinit" showcases a masterful blend of vibrant beats and introspective lyrics, embodying Lil Yachty’s distinct ability to meld emotional depth with infectious energy. Immersed in a captivating sonic landscape crafted by Fred Again and Overmono, "stayinit" gives raw honesty about life's imperfections, and coupled with its pulsating electronic rhythms, it underscores Yachty’s versatility.

Oprah's Bank Account (featuring DaBaby & Drake)

Why It's Great: "Oprah's Bank Account" brilliantly showcases Lil Yachty's innovative artistry, melding playful lyrics with a catchy, vibe-heavy beat. With memorable lines like "Diamond in the rough, you look as good as Oprah's bank account," this track highlights his unique ability to blend humor and hip-hop seamlessly. The collaboration with DaBaby and Drake adds layers of dynamic flows, making this song a standout example of Lil Yachty’s creative range and appeal.

Album: Lil Boat 2

Why It's Great: "66," featuring Trippie Redd, stands out as a quintessential track showcasing Lil Yachty's melodic ingenuity. This ambient masterpiece pulses with an ethereal beat that complements Yachty's effortlessly smooth flow and Trippie Redd's distinctive vocal flair. Its laid-back, atmospheric vibe underscores why "66" is a fan favorite, encapsulating the artist's unique ability to merge introspective themes with infectious rhythms.

Pardon Me (featuring Future & Mike WiLL Made-It)

Why It's Great: "Pardon Me" stands out as a dynamic collaboration. Future’s swagger pairs seamlessly with Lil Yachty’s playful yet assertive delivery, while Mike WiLL Made-It’s production intensifies the track’s vibe. This song exemplifies the artist's unique ability to fuse mainstream appeal with his distinctive quirky style, making it a staple in playlists and a must-listen for both new and die-hard fans.

Album: One Night

Why It's Great: "One Night" captivates with its infectious rhythmic beats and ethereal production, skillfully blending hip-hop and alternative R&B. TheGoodPerry’s production lays an atmospheric backdrop, allowing the autotuned vocals to shine. Lyrics explore fleeting romance, capturing both vulnerability and braggadocio. Its catchy hook and laid-back vibe perfectly showcase the artist’s genre-defying talent.

NBAYOUNGBOAT

Why It's Great: "NBAYOUNGBOAT" showcases Lil Yachty's dynamic artistry, intertwining rapid, off-beat rhymes with infectious hooks. Collaborating with YoungBoy Never Broke Again, the track melds energetic beats with raw lyricism, creating a distinct vibe that highlights the strenghs of both artists.

Get Dripped (featuring Playboi Carti)

Why It's Great: "Get Dripped," featuring Playboi Carti, exemplifies the essence of Lil Yachty’s eclectic style. This track delivers hard-hitting beats and infectious energy, reflecting a lifestyle of opulence and swagger. Yachty's playful, innovative lyrics blend seamlessly with Carti’s unique flow, creating a synergy that’s both magnetic and memorable.

Album: Lil Boat

Why It's Great: "Minnesota" stands out as a quintessential track that showcases Yachty's distinctive blend of hip hop and trap, enveloped in a chilled, wintery vibe that matches its title. The song's catchy, melodic hooks and playful lyrics highlight his unique talent for creating infectious tunes. Its relaxed beat combined with features from Quavo and Young Thug adds a collaborative dynamism, making "Minnesota" a fan favorite that encapsulates Yachty's innovative style.

Album: Teenage Emotions

Why It's Great: "Peek a Boo" showcases Lil Yachty's playful lyricism and signature sound, blending catchy hooks and energetic beats with clever pop-culture references to franchises like Pokémon and Blue's Clues . His collaboration with Migos adds a dynamic layer, driving the track's infectious vibe. Noteworthy for its bold and unapologetically quirky lyrics, the song stands as a testament to Yachty's innovative approach to contemporary rap.

The best new artists, albums, and hits for your 2024 playlists, ranked by over 1 million votes. Click to make your opinion heard.

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Lil Yachty On His Big Rock Pivot: ‘F-ck Any of the Albums I Dropped Before This One’

With his adventurous, psychedelic new album, 'Let's Start Here,' he's left mumble rap behind — and finally created a project he's proud of.

By Lyndsey Havens

Lyndsey Havens

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Lil Yachty, presented by Doritos, will perform at Billboard Presents The Stage at SXSW on March 16 .

Lil Yachty: Photos From the Billboard Cover Shoot

Someone has sparked a blunt in the planetarium.

It may be a school night, but no one has come to the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, N.J., to learn. Instead, the hundreds of fans packed into the domed theater on Jan. 26 have come to hear Lil Yachty’s latest album as he intended: straight through — and with an open mind. Or, as Yachty says with a mischievous smile: “I hope y’all took some sh-t.”

For the next 57 minutes and 16 seconds, graphics of exploding spaceships, green giraffes and a quiet road through Joshua Tree National Park accompany Yachty’s sonically divergent — and at this point, unreleased — fifth album, Let’s Start Here . For a psychedelic rock project that plays like one long song, the visual aids not only help attendees embrace the bizarre, but also function as a road map for Yachty’s far-out trip, signaling that there is, in fact, a tracklist.

It’s a night the artist has arguably been waiting for his whole career — to finally release an album he feels proud of. An album that was, he says, made “from scratch” with all live instrumentation. An album that opens with a nearly seven-minute opus, “the BLACK seminole.,” that he claims he had to fight most of his collaborative team to keep as one, not two songs. An album that, unlike his others, has few features and is instead rich with co-writers like Mac DeMarco, Nick Hakim, Alex G and members of MGMT, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and Chairlift. An album he believes will finally earn him the respect and recognition he has always sought.

Sitting in a Brooklyn studio in East Williamsburg not far from where he made most of Let’s Start Here in neighboring Greenpoint, it’s clear he has been waiting to talk about this project in depth for some time. Yachty is an open book, willing to answer anything — and share any opinion. (Especially on the slice of pizza he has been brought, which he declares “tastes like ass.”) Perhaps his most controversial take at the moment? “F-ck any of the albums I dropped before this one.”

His desire to move on from his past is understandable. When Yachty entered the industry in his mid-teens with his 2016 major-label debut, the Lil Boat mixtape, featuring the breakout hit “One Night,” he found that along with fame came sailing the internet’s choppy waters. Skeptics often took him to task for not knowing — or caring, maybe — about rap’s roots, and he never shied away from sharing hot takes on Twitter. With his willingness and ability to straddle pop and hip-hop, Yachty produced music he once called “bubble-gum trap” (he has since denounced that phrase) that polarized audiences and critics. Meanwhile, his nonchalant delivery got him labeled as a mumble rapper — another identifier he was never fond of because it felt dismissive of his talent.

“There’s a lot of kids who haven’t heard any of my references,” he continues. “They don’t know anything about Bon Iver or Pink Floyd or Black Sabbath or James Brown. I wanted to show people a different side of me — and that I can do anything, most importantly.”

Let’s Start Here is proof. Growing up in Atlanta, the artist born Miles McCollum was heavily influenced by his father, a photographer who introduced him to all kinds of sounds. Yachty, once easily identifiable by his bright red braids, found early success by posting songs like “One Night” to SoundCloud, catching the attention of Kevin “Coach K” Lee, co-founder/COO of Quality Control Music, now home to Migos, Lil Baby and City Girls. In 2015, Coach K began managing Yachty, who in summer 2016 signed a joint-venture deal with Motown, Capitol Records and Quality Control.

“Yachty was me when I was 18 years old, when I signed him. He was actually me,” says Coach K today. (In 2021, Adam Kluger, whose clients include Bhad Bhabie, began co-managing Yachty.) “All the eclectic, different things, we shared that with each other. He had been wanting to make this album from the first day we signed him. But you know — coming as a hip-hop artist, you have to play the game.”

Yachty played it well. To date, he has charted 17 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 , including two top 10 hits for his features on DRAM’s melodic 2016 smash “Broccoli” and Kyle’s 2017 pop-rap track “iSpy.” His third-highest-charting entry arrived unexpectedly last year: the 93-second “Poland,” a track Yachty recorded in about 10 minutes where his warbly vocals more closely resemble singing than rapping. ( Let’s Start Here collaborator SADPONY saw “Poland” as a temperature check that proved “people are going to like this Yachty.”)

Beginning with 2016’s Lil Boat mixtape, all eight of Yachty’s major-label-released albums and mixtapes have charted on the Billboard 200 . Three have entered the top 10, including Let’s Start Here , which debuted and peaked at No. 9. And while Yachty has only scored one No. 1 album before ( Teenage Emotions topped Rap Album Sales), Let’s Start Here debuted atop three genre charts: Top Rock & Alternative Albums , Top Rock Albums and Top Alternative Albums .

“It feels good to know that people in that world received this so well,” says Motown Records vp of A&R Gelareh Rouzbehani. “I think it’s a testament to Yachty going in and saying, ‘F-ck what everyone thinks. I’m going to create something that I’ve always wanted to make — and let us hope the world f-cking loves it.’ ”

Yet despite Let’s Start Here ’s many high-profile supporters, some longtime detractors and fans alike were quick to criticize certain aspects of it, from its art — Yachty quote-tweeted one remark , succinctly replying, “shut up” — to the music itself. Once again, he found himself facing another tidal wave of discourse. But this time, he was ready to ride it. “This release,” Kluger says, “gave him a lot of confidence.”

“I was always kind of nervous to put out music, but now I’m on some other sh-t,” Yachty says. “It was a lot of self-assessing and being very real about not being happy with where I was musically, knowing I’m better than where I am. Because the sh-t I was making did not add up to the sh-t I listened to.

“I just wanted more,” he continues. “I want to be remembered. I want to be respected.”

Last spring, Lil Yachty gathered his family, collaborators and team at famed Texas studio complex Sonic Ranch.

“I remember I got there at night and drove down because this place is like 30 miles outside El Paso,” Coach K says. “I walked in the room and just saw all these instruments and sh-t, and the vibe was just so ill. And I just started smiling. All the producers were in the room, his assistant, his dad. Yachty comes in, puts the album on. We got to the second song, and I told everybody, ‘Stop the music.’ I walked over to him and just said, ‘Man, give me a hug.’ I was like, ‘Yachty, I am so proud of you.’ He came into the game bold, but [to make] this album, you have to be very bold. And to know that he finally did it, it was overwhelming.”

SADPONY (aka Jeremiah Raisen) — who executive-produced Let’s Start Here and, in doing so, spent nearly eight straight months with Yachty — says the time at Sonic Ranch was the perfect way to cap off the months of tunnel vision required while making the album in Brooklyn. “That was new alone,” says Yachty. “I’ve recorded every album in Atlanta at [Quality Control]. That was the first time I recorded away from home. First time I recorded with a new engineer,” Miles B.A. Robinson, a Saddle Creek artist.

Yachty couldn’t wait to put it out, and says he turned it in “a long time ago. I think it was just label sh-t and trying to figure out the right time to release it.” For Coach K, it was imperative to have the physical product ready on release date, given that Yachty had made “an experience” of an album. And lately, most pressing plants have an average turnaround time of six to eight months.

Fans, however, were impatient. On Christmas, one month before Let’s Start Here would arrive, the album leaked online. It was dubbed Sonic Ranch . “Everyone was home with their families, so no one could pull it off the internet,” recalls Yachty. “That was really depressing and frustrating.”

Then, weeks later, the album art, tracklist and release date also leaked. “My label made a mistake and sent preorders to Amazon too early, and [the site] posted it,” Yachty says. “So I wasn’t able to do the actual rollout for my album that I wanted to. Nothing was a secret anymore. It was all out. I had a whole plan that I had to cancel.” He says the biggest loss was various videos he made to introduce and contextualize the project, all of which “were really weird … [But] I wasn’t introducing it anymore. People already knew.” Only one, called “Department of Mental Tranquility,” made it out, just days before the album.

Yachty says he wasn’t necessarily seeking a mental escape before making Let’s Start Here , but confesses that acid gave him one anyway. “I guess maybe the music went along with it,” he says. The album title changed four or five times, he says, from Momentary Bliss (“It was meant to take you away from reality … where you’re truly listening”) to 180 Degrees (“Because it’s the complete opposite of anything I’ve ever done, but people were like, ‘It’s too on the nose’ ”) to, ultimately, Let’s Start Here — the best way, he decided, to succinctly summarize where he was as an artist: a seven-year veteran, but at 25 years old, still eager to begin a new chapter.

Taking inspiration from Dark Side , Yachty relied on three women’s voices throughout the album, enlisting Fousheé, Justine Skye and Diana Gordon. Otherwise, guest vocals are spare. Daniel Caesar features on album closer “Reach the Sunshine.,” while the late Bob Ross (of The Joy of Painting fame) has a historic posthumous feature on “We Saw the Sun!”

Rouzbehani tells Billboard that Ross’ estate declined Yachty’s request at first: “I think a big concern of theirs was that Yachty is known as a rapper, and Bob Ross and his brand are very clean. They didn’t want to associate with anything explicit.” But Yachty was adamant, and Rouzbehani played the track for Ross’ team and also sent the entire album’s lyrics to set the group at ease. “With a lot of back-and-forth, we got the call,” she says. “Yachty is the first artist that has gotten a Bob Ross clearance in history.”

From the start, Coach K believed Let’s Start Here would open lots of doors for Yachty — and ultimately, other artists, too. Questlove may have said it best, posting the album art on Instagram with a lengthy caption that read in part: “this lp might be the most surprising transition of any music career I’ve witnessed in a min, especially under the umbrella of hip hop … Sh-t like this (envelope pushing) got me hyped about music’s future.”

Recently, Lil Yachty held auditions for an all-women touring band. “It was an experience for like Simon Cowell or Randy [Jackson],” he says, offering a simple explanation for the choice: “In my life, women are superheroes.”

And according to Yachty, pulling off his show will take superhuman strength: “Because the show has to match the album. It has to be big.” As eager as he was to release Let’s Start Here , he’s even more antsy to perform it live — but planning a tour, he says, required gauging the reaction to it. “This is so new for me, and to be quite honest with you, the label [didn’t] know how [the album] would do,” he says. “Also, I haven’t dropped an album in like three years. So we don’t even know how to plan a tour right now because it has been so long and my music is so different.”

While Yachty’s last full-length studio album, Lil Boat 3 , arrived in 2020, he released the Michigan Boy Boat mixtape in 2021, a project as reverential of the state’s flourishing hip-hop scenes in Detroit and Flint as Let’s Start Here is of its psych-rock touchstones. And though he claims he doesn’t do much with his days, his recent accomplishments, both musical and beyond, suggest otherwise. He launched his own cryptocurrency, YachtyCoin, at the end of 2020; signed his first artist, Draft Day, to his Concrete Boyz label at the start of 2021; invested in the Jewish dating app Lox Club; and launched his own line of frozen pizza, Yachty’s Pizzeria, last September. (He has famously declared he has never eaten a vegetable; at his Jersey City listening event, there was an abundance of candy, doughnut holes and Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts.)

But there are only two things that seem to remotely excite him, first and foremost of which is being a father. As proud as he is of Let’s Start Here , he says it comes in second to having his now 1-year-old daughter — though he says with a laugh that she “doesn’t really give a f-ck” about his music yet. “I haven’t played [this album] for her, but her mom plays her my old stuff,” he continues. “The mother of my child is Dominican and Puerto Rican, so she loves Selena — she plays her a lot . [We watch] the Selena movie with Jennifer Lopez a sh-t ton and a lot of Disney movie sh-t, like Frozen , Lion King and that type of vibe.”

Aside from being a dad, he most cares about working with other artists. Recently, he flew eight of his biggest fans — most of whom he has kept in touch with for years — to Atlanta. He had them over, played Let’s Start Here , took them to dinner and bowling, introduced them to his mom and dad, and then showed them a documentary he made for the album. (He’s not sure if he’ll release it.) One of the fans is an aspiring rapper; naturally, the two made a song together.

Yachty wants to keep working with artists and producers outside of hip-hop, mentioning the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and even sharing his dream of writing a ballad for Elton John. (“I know I could write him a beautiful song.”) With South Korean music company HYBE’s recent purchase of Quality Control — a $300 million deal — Yachty’s realm of possibility is bigger than ever.

But he’s not ruling out his genre roots. Arguably, Let’s Start Here was made for the peers and heroes he played it for first — and was inspired by hip-hop’s chameleons. “I would love to do a project with Tyler [The Creator],” says Yachty. “He’s the reason I made this album. He’s the one who told me to do it, just go for it. He’s so confident and I have so much respect for him because he takes me seriously, and he always has.”

Penske Media Corp. is the largest shareholder of SXSW ; its brands are official media partners of SXSW.

This story originally appeared in the March 11, 2023, issue of Billboard.

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Lil Yachty, a playfully surreal figure in the hip hop landscape, burst onto the scene with the left-field pop-trap anthem “One Night” and soon solidified his place in the rap game with his distinctive style. Known for his melodic flows, quirky lyrics, and an affinity for bright colors that give off a youthful, carefree vibe, Yachty has been a divisive figure in hip hop. Yet, his influence can’t be denied, from contributing to the rise of SoundCloud rap, to pushing boundaries with his audacious style, and brash dismissal of rap traditionalism.

Across his discography, from ‘Lil Boat’ to ‘Nuthin’ 2 Prove’, Yachty has staked his claim with a medley of tracks that showcase his unorthodox approach to music. His collaborations with artists like Ski Mask the Slump God in “How You Feel?” and Drake and DaBaby in “Oprah’s Bank Account” prove his versatility and adaptability, while tracks like “Pretender” highlight his knack for introspection. This is all underpinned with a latent raucous energy that fully emerges in vibrant tracks like “Go Krazy, Go Stupid Freestyle”.

Even on the more commercial-leaning tracks, such as “iSpy” with KYLE or “Broccoli” with DRAM, Yachty’s buoyant persona shines through. He has proven time and time again that he can hold his own, even when paired with dominant figures like Future and Mike WiLL Made-It on “Pardon Me.”

Whether he’s flexing on “NBAYOUNGBOAT,” or taking it slow on “66,” Yachty continues to navigate his own unique path in the music industry—unafraid to challenge conventions and break from the norm. So let’s get into it. From boundary-pushing numbers to underrated gems, here are the Top 50 Best Lil Yachty Songs of All Time.

50. Go Krazy, Go Stupid Freestyle

He flexes his lyrical dexterity, flipping between flow patterns with the ease of a seasoned emcee. What’s more, Yachty doubles down on his king-of-teens claim, acknowledging the haters but swiftly shrugging them off. There’s a rawness to this track that reminds you of those basement cyphers where the only thing that mattered was how sharp your bars were. This ain’t no Boat album cut, this is that mixtape Yachty reminding us he can spit. Under the bravado though, there’s a glimpse of vulnerability, a little peek into Yachty’s psyche that keeps us invested. Yeah, go stupid, go crazy indeed.

49. Pretender

Now, don’t get it twisted, this ain’t strictly a Yachty track – it’s a Steve Aoki jam with Yachty and AJR on feature duty. But even as a guest, Lil Boat stunts hard with his trademark eccentricity, weaving a narrative about pretentious folks in the industry who ain’t really ’bout that life. His verse is solid, but it doesn’t quite have that punch his best work packs. Aoki’s EDM production is slick, but it doesn’t gel with Yachty’s style as fluidly as, say, a Pierre Bourne beat would. It’s aight, but among a sea of Yachty hits, “Pretender” doesn’t quite stay afloat.

48. YAE ENERGY – Lil Yachty

The beat comes in hard, Yachty’s southern drawl navigating the choppy waters of the percussion with finesse. This track may not appeal to fans who prefer the artist’s more playful, ‘bubblegum trap’ style, but those who appreciate Lil Boat’s ability to switch lanes will value the experimentation demonstrated here. Lyrically, it’s not his strongest showing, and a closer inspection uncovers a lack of substance. But if we’re talking about whatever gives a track its replay power, then “YAE ENERGY” has just enough to justify its three-minute runtime. A testament to Yachty’s versatility, if not to his lyrical prowess.

47. Breathe Deeper

Yachty breathes new life into the song, taking the psychedelic pop masterpiece and giving it a hip hop facelift, sliding in his eccentric verses with a finesse that’s undeniable. Is it as earth-shattering as Tame’s original piece? Nah, but that’s not what Yachty’s aiming for here. He’s dipping his toes into unchartered territory, and for that, props are deserved. It’s a testament to Yachty’s versatility, breaking away from the straight-up trap beats to float on Tame’s surreal soundscapes. It’s intriguing, it’s funky, it’s Yachty in a whole new light. And yo, it’s worth cranking up on your speakers.

46. One Of Those Days

The alliance of Lil Yachty and 347aidan is like the tag team of hip hop you didn’t know you needed until you got it. On “One Of Those Days”, they link up with Zack Bia, and the result is an interesting cross-pollination of their respective musical landscapes. It’s not Yachty’s most incendiary performance, his rhymes are far more introspective than fiery, and his signature wordplay is somewhat muted. You get the sense he’s taking a bit of a backseat, allowing 347aidan’s emo-driven rap that resonates with the Gen-Z crowd to take the lead. It’s a laid-back, introspective track that plays to the strengths of its collaborators rather than pushing Yachty to the fore. A cool experiment, but not necessarily peak Lil Boat.

45. sHouLd i B? – Lil Yachty

Though Yachty tends to lean into his more playful, unconventional image, this track finds him in a more contemplative mood, exploring the pressures and expectations that come with fame. This joint ain’t your typical club banger or radio hit, but it’s got a certain vibe that can’t be replicated. Some may deem it too mellow for their taste, but for the true heads who know that hip hop ain’t always about the flashy and grand, “sHouLd i B?” is a real gem. It’s a reminder that Lil Yachty ain’t just a one-note wonder, he’s got depth, versatility. As he questions and self-reflects, we vibe along, nodding our heads with respect.

44. Number 9 (feat. Lil Yachty) – Miguel

Their styles might seem at odds on paper, but Yachty’s playful bars bounce off against Miguel’s velvety hooks and it’s like something just clicks, ya dig? There’s that classic Miguel R&B soul, but with Yachty adding his distinctively laid-back, off-kilter rhymes, the track takes on this hybridity that’s straight up intriguing. It’s not Yachty’s hardest verse, for sure – but that ain’t what this track is about. It’s a showcase of how versatile the Kid can be when he steps out of his comfort zone. Is it top-tier Yachty? Debatable. But it’s a testament to his potential as an artist who ain’t afraid to mix it up.

43. How You Feel?

Part of that potent DJ Scheme concoction, Lil Yachty and Ski Mask the Slump God on the same track? It’s like putting kerosene on a bonfire. Yachty and Ski Mask are two seasoned maestros of the mic, each flexing their unique styles with atomic punchlines and devastating flow switches that make your head spin. Yachty’s playful lyricism is the perfect complement to Ski Mask’s bullet train flow, creating a whirlwind aura that’s unforgettable. This song ain’t just a track, it’s a testament to how diverse and electrifying hip-hop can be when cats who truly understand the game come together.

42. Hit Bout It – Lil Yachty

This cut sees Lil Boat trading hardcore, streetwise bars with none other than Louisiana’s trap king, Kodak Black. It’s a certified banger, showcasing Yachty’s evolution from a mumble rap icon to a versatile emcee – dude can spit with the best of ’em. The production slaps, too, with menacing 808s and icy hi-hats creating a soundscape that’s as tough as the rhymes. One missing piece: a memorable hook, but when Yachty and Kodak spit pure heat, it’s hardly noticed. “Hit Bout It” is a raw, uncut piece of Yachty’s artistry, showing he can roll with the heavyweights in the rap game.

41. Mase in ’97 – Carnage

Yachty got raw on this one, throwing it back to Ma$e’s Harlem World momentum era. This joint dropped in an era where Yachty was still carving out his space in the game – an underdog with too much sauce. “Mase in ’97” demonstrated Yachty’s potential to bring that 90’s gritty rap vibe into the fizzy, candy-colored universe that he was creating. Yachty’s aggressive flow on the Carnage beat makes this a stand out in his discography – a straight switch up from his melodic bubblegum trap offerings. An underrated gem, it’s hip hop nostalgia with a new-age twist.

40. Speed Me Up (with Ty Dolla $ign, Lil Yachty & Sueco the Child) – Wiz Khalifa

Collaborating with heavy hitters like Ty Dolla $ign, Wiz Khalifa, and Sueco the Child, Yachty puts his nimble flow to good use on this track. The song, featured on the ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ soundtrack, sees Boat and company trading verses over a zippy beat that mirrors the high-octane energy of the iconic video game. It’s not traditional hip hop by any stretch of the imagination, but it showcases Yachty’s ability to adapt to any sonic environment. Not his most celebrated joint but like a hidden gem, it’s a must listen for any fan of the self-anointed ‘King of the Youth’.

39. Marmalade (feat. Lil Yachty) – Macklemore

Boat’s flow is melodic, casual and fits the fun, light-hearted vibe of the track. He sprinkles the song with his playful bars, showcasing the signature Yachty charisma we all know and love. Macklemore, on the other hand, delivers an unexpectedly complementary performance, managing to match the youthful, carefree energy of Lil Boat. It’s a collaborative effort that feels fun and bouncy, like a summer day with the top down, cruising through the city. Though it might not be a classic, it certainly shows Yachty’s ability to blend into different styles and his dynamic skill set as a featured artist. A bright, sweet flavor in Yachty’s discography, this one is a charmer.

38. Rocc Climbing (feat. Lil Yachty) – Remble

Now, Yachty ain’t a new jack to the scene, but this joint shows he still packs heat. He applies his signature quirky flow over a structured beat, laying down lines that are pure gold. The buoyant melodic line accentuates Yachty’s unique approach to rhythm, making the track rise above standard trap cuts. It’s a testament to Yachty’s versatility; he’s not just about zany hooks and the oddball aesthetic. His lyrical game hits hard when he wants it to, and “Rocc Climbing” is proof. However, it still falls short of his most iconic tracks, holding down the fort somewhere in the middle of his extensive discography.

37. 66 – Lil Yachty

Featuring Trippie Redd, this cut off Lil Boat 2 is Yachty showin’ love to his day-ones, the ones who been ridin’ since the tide was low. Yachty’s and Redd’s cadences intertwine like the perfect audio form of finger trap, and their lyrics give us a raw insight into the trials they faced on their climb. But don’t get it twisted, this ain’t no sob story. The triumphant, chorus-drenched keys and the trap-happy drums make “66” a victory lap. It’s celebratory, but Yachty keeps it 100 about the struggles it took to get that W. It’s yacht season, and not just anyone can ride this wave.

36. Faking It (feat. Kehlani & Lil Yachty) – Calvin Harris

A prime example of Calvin Harris throwing an unexpected curveball with his collaborations. Proving once again that when the UK producer is in his zone, he can make anyone sound hot. This searing, synth-drenched bop sees rising R&B queen Kehlani pouring her heart out in the perfect balance of vulnerability and swagger. Then, right from the dugout, Lil Yachty steps up to spit some of the most coherent bars of his career– proving that even the king of mumble rap can score a home run when it counts. It’s a testament to Harris’ seasoned production prowess that the disparate styles of these two artists mesh in such a seamless, ear-catching way. With “Faking It,” Harris proves that he can bridge the gap between hip hop and electronic music with stylistic flair.

35. Split/Whole Time – Lil Yachty

This banger off his fourth studio album ‘Lil Boat 3′ is proof that the self-dubbed King of Youth can bounce between styles smoother than a DJ on the ones and twos. The joint starts with that classic Boat energy, all upbeat flow and playful metaphors. But halfway through, the track flips like a record on the platter. Suddenly, we’re swimming in a slower, introspective vibe where each lyric lands like it’s got somethin’ to prove. It’s a showcase of Yachty’s experimentation with sound and style, like mixing two paints to create a brand new color. Is it the best Yachty joint out there? Maybe not. But it’s evidence that this cat’s creativity is off the charts.

34. 1v1 (feat. Lil Yachty) – Rio Da Yung Og

This is where that Midwest flow meets Atlanta trap, creating a classic hip hop head-nodder. Yachty is no slouch here, as he goes toe-to-toe with Rio, both firing lyrical bullets back and forth. What’s dope about this track is Yachty stepping outside his usual comfort zone, spitting with a fervor that shows he can hang with the most aggressive spitters. But it ain’t all about aggression, as both artists flaunt their wordplay skills. Yeah, it might not carry that depth of some lyrical miracles, but “1v1″ serves as a testament that Yachty ain’t just about mumble rap. He got bars too, ya heard?”

33. the ride- – Lil Yachty

This track finds Boat drifting down memory lane, reminiscent of earlier times when the rap game was just a dream scribbled in his notebook. His flow is a bit more subdued than his usual bouncy cadence, giving his words gravity. Lyrically, Yachty shows growth, holding a mirror to his own triumphs and trials, meditating on his journey to stardom. The beat is a smooth, melodic production that adds depth to Boat’s reflections. On “the ride-“, Lil Yachty proves he got the range not just to spit bars but to tell compelling stories, offering a different breed of vulnerability often overlooked in mainstream rap discourse. This joint is proof that Yachty has more to deliver than just catchy hooks and playful rhymes.

32. running out of time – Lil Yachty

This ain’t the bubblegum trap Boat we once knew—nah, homie is showing some major maturity. On this melodic gem, he trades mumble rap for introspective bars. Emotionally charged lyrics juxtapose with the shimmering synth-driven beat, speaking to the urgency of time slipping away. Yachty’s vulnerability is the truest form of hip hop, as he confesses his fears and anxieties. This ain’t just about losing an hour when the clock strikes midnight, it’s about life’s fleeting moments and the pressure to make it big. It’s the unfiltered Yachty who veers from his usual braggadocio flows—man’s got depth and ain’t afraid to show it. “Running Out Of Time” is a testament to Yachty’s growth as an artist and his ability to experiment outside his comfort zone.

31. Menace – Quality Control

Yachty’s flow on this track is pure water, free-flowing with a chilled cadence that’s more often associated with cloud rap. Lyrically, he’s a rebel without a cause, a self-proclaimed menace to the streets and the industry. He ain’t playin’ by the rules, bro, he’s setting his own. And you gotta respect that, because hip hop was born out of rebellion, right? While “Menace” might not be a charts-topper, it’s a testament to Yachty’s determination to express his individuality. It’s braggadocio, it’s playful, it’s Yachty at his finest. It’s moments like these that remind you that this kid from Atlanta is more than just a mumble rapper move over.

30. No Clue (feat. Lil Yachty) – Young Nudy

This team-up creates an atmosphere that’s uncompromisingly grimy. Yachty’s verse here is pure menace, diving deep into the underbelly of Atlanta’s trap scene, mirroring Nudy’s rugged approach. While the Boat doesn’t entirely shed his vibrant color, the infusion of Nudy’s gritty essence elevates the song into an intriguing exploration of street realities. However, it’s essential to acknowledge that Yachty, in sidestepping his comfort zone, loses the whimsical charm that made him a standout in the saturated trap scene. A commendable experiment, but far from his best work.

29. pRETTy – Lil Yachty

It’s a track where minimalism meets hype, stripped back beats providing a bare stage for Yachty to demonstrate his vocal versatility. He moves into trap-soul territory here, the lyrics all reflective introspection. Mortality, fame, and trust issues are all tackled with a sincerity that can take you by surprise. The magic, though, is how it all fits into the party vibe without killing the buzz. A testament to Lil Yachty’s ability to diversify without losing his identity. “pRETTy” is a track that defies categorization, just like Lil Boat himself. It’s a joint that’s unapologetically Yachty, while simultaneously pushing the boundaries of what that even means. So don’t sleep on it.

28. Oprah’s Bank Account (Lil Yachty & DaBaby feat. Drake) – Lil Yachty

It’s a testament to Yachty’s chameleon-like ability to adapt his flow to suit those he spits alongside. Drake brings his signature groovy, laid-back style, interspersing his verse with witty one-liners, while DaBaby flips the script with his rapid-fire delivery, giving the track that extra edge. Yachty steers the ship with his off-beat creativity, his bars dripping with the ambition that’s a cornerstone of his artistry. This track is a throwdown, a show of clout, demonstrating the far reach of Yachty’s influence in the hip hop community—you gotta respect it.

27. Get Dripped (feat. Playboi Carti) – Lil Yachty

Recorded for Boat’s 2018 album “Nuthin’ 2 Prove”, this joint is all about the drip. Yachty spits a catchy, autotuned chorus that’s all about stuntin’ on those who once slept on him, while Carti contributes a verse that’s as stylishly nonchalant as his fashion choices. But the real star might be the slappin’ production, cooked up with a heavy trap beat that takes no prisoners. While some might dismiss this as shallow mumble rap, I’d argue it’s a vital chronicle of hip hop’s current bling era. Just don’t sleep on the lyrical nuances beneath the icy veneer of the drip.

26. Gucci Flip Flops (feat. Lil Yachty) – Bhad Bhabie

Certainly, we can appreciate a good party tune, and Yachty knows how to throw down and get crowds moving. However, the joint effort appeared more like a case of riding trends, rather than carving new paths within the hip-hop landscape. For one, Bhad Bhabie’s career inception via her meme-able debut already casts a shadow on her artistic output. Then, Yachty’s verse, while delivered with his trademark buoyant enthusiasm, teeters around the same subject matter he tends to tread in other tracks. They throw down about designer gear and living grand, which ain’t exactly groundbreaking. Bottom line, “Gucci Flip Flops” showcased entertaining hip-hop artists, yet didn’t elevate their outpourings into something unique or memorable.

25. the BLACK seminole. – Lil Yachty

This Lil Yachty joint showcases the rapper’s sublime ability to weave intricate stories with wordplay and metaphors that hit different. Distinguished by its ethereal, cloudy rap instrumental that flirts with lo-fi elements, Yachty’s flow is melodic and hypnotic. His lyrics are reflective, a journey into the depths of his mind showcasing the struggle and resilience of the Black experience – a nod to the Seminole people, a Native American tribe known for their resistance against colonial forces. It’s a less traversed territory for Lil Boat, but he navigates it with impressive candor. A standout cut that proves Yachty’s versatility and his quiet, underappreciated ability to observe and articulate the life around him with poetic flair.

24. Greed (feat. Lil Yachty) – LUCKI

Now, I ain’t gonna front, Yachty’s verse on this joint took it to another level. This ain’t your mainstream, radio jiggy jam, nah, this is that underground, lo-fi hip hop that takes you back to the basement parties when True School was still a seedling. Yachty came in slinging that confessional style of rhyming that keeps it 100, crafting a narrative focused on the allure of money and the struggle against temptation, letting his bars play out like a confession booth monologue. LUCKI and Yachty’s chemistry on this track is undeniable, their styles blending like a late night cipher on the corner. This ain’t the Lil Boat show y’all might be used to, but it proves he can hang with the best of ’em.

23. Half Doin Dope (with BabyTron feat. Lil Yachty) – JID

Roguishly playful and mirrors an interesting partnership between these artists that we didn’t know we needed! Yachty flips his flow and matches BabyTron’s relentless energy with a swagger of his own. Yachty’s verse drips with drug-talk references, which are delivered with a youthful and carefree aura that’s magnetic. Yes, it’s still Yachty, the king of the teens, but he’s leveled up, showing he can tussle with unabashed lyricists without losing his cool. Overall, “Half Doin Dope” is evidence that when Yachty goes hard, he goes really hard, no half stepping.

22. Pretty Boy (feat. Lil Yachty) – Joji

This track is a gem, no cap. Trust, it’s not your typical Yachty flow, it’s more low-key and introspective. The beat might remind you of old school hip hop, but the lyrics got that modern flavor that’s pure Yachty. Joji provides the perfect backdrop with his melancholic, lo-fi style, creating a moody atmosphere that draws attention to Yachty’s bars. I gotta say, this collaboration ain’t just a dope track, it’s a masterclass in bridging hip hop’s sonic evolution. All in all, “Pretty Boy” lets Yachty flex his versatility, proving he ain’t just a one-trick pony in the rap game. Give it a spin, no doubt you’ll be vibin’.

21. One Night – Lil Yachty

We talkin’ “One Night,” one of Lil Yachty’s breakout hits. Now, this is the song that really blew up Yachty’s status, and it was a Flavor Flav clock moment for the rap game because this song signaled time for a change. The vibe was different. The energy was different. Lil Yachty came through with a melodic flow, something between singing and rapping, a deal seldom heard in 2016. The beat was a syrupy slow drip, minimalist and hypnotic, with a robotic nursery rhyme feel. Critics barked at its simplicity, but yo, the simplicity was the magic of it. “One Night” was a manifesto, asserting Yachty’s nonchalant attitude towards fleeting relationships, outlined with his distinctive raw, teenage emotion. This joint was a curveball that Hip Hop wasn’t expecting, but the game has been better for it.

20. Taylor Port Junkie (feat. Lil Yachty) – Rylo Rodriguez

Yachty’s verse drops like a squad of B-boys, breakdancing on a cardboard mat laid out on the tough, gritty streets of hip hop. But it’s not all twisty-turny razzle-dazzle. Nah, Yachty’s got this skill for laying down bars that both stun with their vocabulary and resonate with raw emotion. This feature stands as another testament to the Boat’s versatility, straddling the divide between mainstream acceptance and street authenticity. Rylo’s own verses compliment Yachty’s, supplementing the track with a rousing narrative that feels right at home amidst Yachty’s poetic resonance. “Taylor Port Junkie” ain’t just a song; it’s a head nod to the streets, a salute to the struggle, and a celebration of the hustle.

19. Slide – Lil Yachty

A track that’s all about vibin’ and livin’ free. The beat? Oozing with summer feels. Yachty’s flow – light, yet hard-hitting. This joint be having you dreaming of sunshine and palm trees real quick. Yachty spits game, flexing his racks and swag. He ain’t shy about his wins. This track’s got Yachty’s signature playful wordplay, but don’t sleep on the depth either. “Slide” is unapologetic – it’s about enjoying the moments and the moolah. In the pantheon of Yachty’s hits, this one won’t top the list, but it’s a feel-good joint that’ll have you swaying. It’s smooth sailing with this track, no cap.

18. Broccoli – DRAM

This wasn’t some salad bar filler; it was a main course. The two artists vibe together seamlessly, delivering playful bars over a piano-driven beat that’s as infectious as it is unexpected. D.R.A.M.’s sing-song delivery meshed perfectly with Lil Boat’s mellow hooks but let’s keep it a buck; it was Yachty’s verse that stole the show. With lines about his nonexistent baby mama drama and paper chasin’, Yachty added that extra bit of flavor that turned “Broccoli” into a hip hop head’s favorite side dish. A catchy and carefree anthem that still slaps to this day.

17. Van Gogh (feat. Lil Yachty) – JID

Showcasing JID’s lyrical prowess spiced up by our main man Lil Yachty’s blend of mumble and trap rap. This collab paints a canvas where East Coast and Dirty South hip-hop meet, makin’ a sonic masterpiece worthy of its name. Yachty’s flow channels ‘Van Gogh’, not merely to play with the idea of being an artist but also to dish out clever lines about his position in the rap game. While the track may not have the complexity of a Van Gogh painting, it definitely has the vibrancy. Lil Boat’s verse ain’t his deepest but his off-kilter delivery and charisma offer an interesting contrast to JID’s intricate wordplay. This joint ain’t just a song, it’s an artistic statement. No doubt.

16. Pardon Me (Lil Yachty feat. Future & Mike WiLL Made-It) – Lil Yachty

Yachty treads over Mike WiLL’s bouncing beat with an ease that reveals his growing comfort on the mic. His lyrics hit harder, a testament to the evolution of his pen game since the “Lil Boat” days. And when Future slides in, he adds an extra layer of gravitas, his deeper tone a perfect counter to Yachty’s light-hearted delivery. It’s a standout joint that showcases Yachty’s ability to navigate the more street-oriented style of hip hop without losing his unique boat boy charm. Is it Yachty’s best work? Nah, but it underscores his willingness to step out of his comfort zone, always a commendable trait in an artist.

15. The Secret Recipe – Lil Yachty

The track showcases Boat’s underrated ability to weave a narrative, painting vivid imagery of his come-up story. Yet, it’s Yachty’s ability to balance his gratitude for success with a sharp critique of the fast life that resonates. A standout moment? That chorus, with Yachty’s promise to never reveal his “secret recipe” for success. It’s a clever nod towards the secretive nature of hip hop, where styles are fiercely protected. The track is a fine showing of Lil Yachty’s lyrical skills beyond the braggadocious bravado, underscoring his versatility in a genre that’s always evolving.

14. TESLA – Lil Yachty

Ain’t no need for a chorus when Yachty’s delivering bars so wild that Teslas crash into space, man. The beat’s this menacing thump, it walks up on you like a debt collector. Guest verses from 9lokknine provide a sharp edge, no doubt. But it’s Yachty’s punchy, playfully arrogant flow that steals the show. Despite some criticism, this track proves Lil Yachty ain’t no one trick pony; he’s got depth, style, and enough energy to charge a whole fleet of electric cars.

13. Yacht Club (feat. Juice WRLD) – Lil Yachty

The two young guns playing off each other’s energy like Harden and Westbrook during an all-star face-off. Now, peep this – Juice out here flexin’ his rapid-fire flow, throwing down bars about fame, fortune, and flexin’ in typical Juice fashion. Yachty, on the other hand, bouncing back with a laid-back verse, letting that lazy, melodic flow of his do all the talking. What you got here is a heady mix of styles, both rappers going hand in hand like a pair of Aces on a poker table. It’s tragic we won’t see this dynamic duo anymore, but at least we got this banger to remember Juice by.

12. Poland – Lil Yachty

While some heads might’ve wanted him to keep spitting over that bubblegum trap, this track stood as a testament to Yachty’s versatility. On “Poland,” Yachty traded the bouncing beats of Atlanta for the more somber, atmospheric vibes often associated with Europe’s underground scene. But don’t get it twisted, the boy kept his bars tight, delivering a raw, unfiltered look into his life and mindset. The result was one of the realest tracks in his discography, and a bold reminder that Lil Yachty ain’t just about that mumble rap game. Always remember: hip hop is about pushing boundaries, and Yachty does just that with “Poland.”

11. NBAYOUNGBOAT – Lil Yachty

Lil Yachty went hard on this cut, dropping off a bass-thumping track that calls you back to the roots of Atlanta trap music. Teaming up with NBA YoungBoy, the Boat brought his A-game, weaving in his signature melodic hooks amidst gritty trap beats. YoungBoy’s gritty verses blend cohesively with Yachty’s playful flow, reinforcing the track’s assertion of their undeniable hustle and loyalty to the streets. Sure, it ain’t conscious rap, but it ain’t trying to be either. It’s heavy-hitting, ground-shaking hip hop that don’t need no cosign. This joint is pure hot sauce, leaving you grooving and asking for more. No cap, this collab was a match made in hip hop heaven.

10. From The D To The A (feat. Lil Yachty) – Tee Grizzley

Tee Grizzley and Lil Yachty come together like the Avengers of hip hop, each flexing their unique styles in this motor city-dirty south alliance. Yachty’s verse is a masterclass in offbeat flow, his delivery casually commanding and hypnotic. Grizzley’s verse is aspirational, energetic, and maintains the gritty authenticity he’s known for. However, it ain’t all bombast and braggadocio – there’s depth beneath the surface. The song’s essence lies in the unity of two distinctly different hip hop scenes, Detroit and Atlanta, a testament to hip hop’s enduring ability to bring folks together like no other genre. ‘From The D To The A’ is the embodiment of hip hop’s regional diversity and shared spirit.

It’s one of Lil Boat’s most streamed features, showcasing his wavy, unhurried flow against a summery beat that’s pure sunshine vibes. KYLE brings his own quirky charm, but we all know it’s Yachty’s verse that makes the track bounce – that man didn’t pull any punches with his whimsical wordplay that caught everybody’s ears. This ain’t about rap warlords or the streets, it’s a feel-good anthem that unabashedly celebrates youthful exuberance and innocence. This isn’t just a song, fam, it’s a time capsule back to 2017 – a testament to simpler times, where the game was fun and players played. Yachty wasn’t just featured, he was instrumental, and for that, “iSpy” holds a special place in the Lil Boat discography.

Lil Boat’s lyrical prowess here is like a maestro conducting an aggressive symphony. His flow? Cold as ice, punctuated with raw emotions that resonate even in the deepest recesses of one’s subconscious. His bars are as sharp as a street hustler’s switchblade. Yachty’s signature playful cadence is laced with a certain dark undertone in this one, making “Coffin” a hauntingly beautiful piece of art. It’s not your everyday Yachty song, but when the beat drops and his voice pierces through, you’re reminded why the kid from Atlanta managed to flip the hip-hop game on its head.

This track showcases Yachty’s ability to flip styles like a seasoned veteran, maneuvering through the beat with an electrifying flow. You can feel the energy surge as he bobs and weaves with his lyrics — a testament to his improvisational prowess. This joint is a reminder of why Lil Boat is one of the most intriguing figures in the hip hop game. The beat, supplied by DJ Scheme, only amplifies Yachty’s vocal finesse, creating a soundscape that’s both audacious and alluring. While it might not be Yachty’s biggest chart topper, “E-ER” is an essential addition to any hip hop aficionado’s playlist.

6. SOLO STEPPIN CRETE BOY

Now, this joint right here isn’t necessarily Yachty’s most mainstream hit, but it’s a track that emphasizes his versatility. The beat hits different, filled with that low-fi vibe it takes you back to those early days of hip hop, kind of a liquid swords type energy. Yachty’s delivery is relaxed, yet assertive. This is one of those tracks where you can feel the essence of Yachty’s individuality. It’s not without its shortcomings, though. The production could’ve used a little extra polish, and the song doesn’t quite stick the landing. But it speaks volumes about Yachty’s ability to adapt and flow with different styles. It’s a testament to his talent that he can go from bubblegum trap to a bare-bones hip hop groove without skipping a beat.

5. Magic In The Hamptons

Social House snatched Lil Yachty up for this joint and ain’t no denying, the Boat took it to another level. He bodies that beat with his off-the-cuff bars that give life to that joyous backdrop. The track, with its fun-loving lyrics and catchy melody, pulls you into a world filled with beach house parties and cool breezes. It’s a departure from Yachty’s usual trap-heavy sound, but that’s his genius – dude can switch lanes and still out-race the pack. Don’t sleep on this one though, the magic ain’t just in the Hamptons, it’s in every verse dropped by Yachty. Our good kid, m.A.A.d respect for trying something different, and nailing it.

4. drive ME crazy!

Don’t get it twisted: this ain’t just about the hooks. Yachty’s lyricism on this track be sliding through like a diligent student of the rap game. Peep the playful braggadocio as he flexes on his haters, showcasing a youthful swagger that’s become a staple in his discography. In talking up the best of Lil Yachty, “drive ME crazy!” is a straight up necessity. It’s that special mix of eccentricity and earworm rap that embodies the Boat persona.

3. Strike (Holster)

This track is a testament to Yachty’s commitment to pushing boundaries and experimenting with sound, and it’s nothing short of poignant. The playful, off-beat melody is a little like dipping into an audio fun-house, twisted with Yachty’s signature carefree, yet assertive, rhymes. Every beat is an opportunity for Yachty to flex his lyrical prowess, and he makes full use of it. It’s where the Boat meets the road, where creativity meets control, an intoxicating fusion that is unmistakably Yachty. This ain’t your grandpa’s hip hop, but it’s proof that Yachty embodies the future-forward thinking that drives the genre. “Strike (Holster)” is Yachty staking his claim, loud and clear. Pure ethos in eargasm form, Yachty devotees know what’s up.

Released in 2020, it’s an absolute flex anthem where every verse is a testament to the wealth and status of its performers. But, let’s keep it a buck, Yachty ain’t just riding coattails here. Nah, he consistently holds his own amidst his superstar collaborators, and his flow is as smooth as butter on the beat. However, this track ain’t about complex lyricism or introspective lines; it’s about commanding a vibe and Yachty does this with utmost finesse. If it’s a hyped-up atmosphere you’re after, you just can’t skip “Flex Up.” In the spectrum of Yachty’s discography, this one’s an undeniable standout.

1. Another Late Night

An intriguing display of stylistic contrast and alignment with Drake’s introspective lyricism and subdued delivery to form a fascinating counterpoint to Lil Yachty’s trademark energy and charisma. Packed with emo-trap sentimentality, this cut juggles between Drake’s dark Toronto vibes and Yachty’s ATL bravado, creating a unique hip hop blend that leaves the listener wanting more. Its commercial success not surprising; two powerhouse artists from different hip hop regions, bridging the gap. Not the most groundbreaking joint for either artist, it’s a cool reminder of the genre’s vast spectrum, y’know what I’m saying? However, one can’t shake off the feeling that Yachty could’ve tapped deeper into his playful, experimental style, and graced us with that Boat energy we love. In summary, solid track, but not peak Yachty or Drizzy.

DJ SpinScribe

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Lil Yachty's Label Concrete Boyz set to release their first collaboration project 'It's Us Volume 1' this April

A ccording to NFR Podcast, Lil Yachty's record label, Concrete Boys (also known as Concrete Boyz), is set to release their first collaboration project titled It's Us: Volume 1 on all streaming platforms this April.

NFR's official X account posted on March 25, confirming the release date of the Concrete Boyz project as April 5, 2024. The post also revealed the featured artists, including Lil Yachty, Karrahbooo, Draft Day, DC2Trill, and Camo. The tweet read:

"LIL YACHTY, KARRAHBOOO, DRAFT DAY, DC2TRILL, CAMO!"

The tracklist for the upcoming album is yet to be confirmed, but based on the artists involved in this project, it's likely to showcase a fusion of alternative rock, R&B, and rap.

Lil Yachty and Concrete Boys Discography

Yachty (Lil Boat), who is currently signed to Quality Control, incorporated his own Record Label Concrete Boyz, a few years ago in an attempt to bring upcoming artists in his genre to the spotlight.

Over the years, Yachty and his team have been slowly recruiting rappers and artists from across the music industry, from 31 Camo to Karahbooo, all of whose music appears to have been inspired by Boat's discography.

Lil Yachty has also collaborated with his signees on some of his previous work. Below are two songs officially released alongside Artist Draft Day:

• Demon Time (Feat. Draft Day)
• POPOVICH Freestyle (Feat. Draft Day)

On May 29, 2020, Yachty released his fourth studio album, titled Lil Boat 3 , across all DSPs (Digital Streaming Platforms) via Quality Control Music and Motown Records. The 19-track project included a track titled Concrete Boys .

This track acted as the official introduction to the "Concrete Crew" he was building with his record label. The song includes a shout-out to the Concrete Boys in the chorus when Yachty implies that when his "back is against the wall," he can always rely on his crew to come through for him.

Another notable bar from Lil Yachty's song has been listed below:

"I just woke up, dreamin' 'bout the rose (Oh my God) / They had ni**as 'round me who don't stand on toes (Hell nah) / Barely ever do I think about my foes / How much longer will I live? Only God knows."

On December 16, 2023, a song titled Mo Jams was released on the official YouTube channel for Concrete Boys, alongside a music video that featured most of the CB roster, except for 31 Camo. Mo Jams was produced by Rawbone and acts as the first official collaboration between the members of Concrete Boys.

This track, although not being released on DSPs, has garnered significant attention for an upcoming collaboration project by racking up almost 4 million views on YouTube.

As fans await a Concrete Boys collaboration album, Lil Yachty continues to impress fans by following up on his widely acclaimed 2023 project Let's Start Here, which found the rapper delving into a more experimental sound with his music.

Notably, Yachty has been releasing a string of singles, which include his collaboration with Fred Again.. on stayinit. The rapper was also featured on Lyrical Lemonade's debut studio album, All Is Yellow , which dropped two months ago in January 2024.

• Lil Yachty Website

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Best New Tracks: Childish Gambino, Denzel Curry, Lil Yachty and More

Dive into the weekend with these 10 music projects..

As the week in music comes to a close, Hypebeast has rounded up the best projects for the latest installment of Best New Tracks .

This week’s lineup is led by Childish Gambino , Denzel Curry and Lil Yachty , who each dropped the albums  Bando Stone & The New World  and  King of the Mischievous South Vol. 2 , and the single “Let’s Get On Dey Ass.” Also joining this selection are fresh releases from Big Sean , Rakim with B.G. , Hus Kingpin and Compton Menace , Dillon Francis with Chloe Moriondo , midwxst , Blood Orange with Liam Benzvi , Benny the Butcher and Bbyafricka with Surf Gang .

Childish Gambino -  Bando Stone & The New World

Denzel Curry -  King of the Mischievous South Vol. 2

Lil Yachty – “Let’s Get On Dey Ass”

Big Sean – “Yes”

Rakim x B.G. x Hus Kingpin x Compton Menace – “Now Is The Time”

midwxst -  BACK IN ACTION 4.0

Dillon Francis x Chloe Moriondo – “Lonely (Planet Earth)”

Benny The Butcher – “Summer ‘24”

Liam Benzvi x Blood Orange – “Other Guys”

Bbyafricka x Surf Gang -  Hard Copy

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Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Yachty and more close out Milwaukee's Summerfest with a hip-hop feast

It's only fitting that Summerfest — one of the world's largest music festivals with more than 600 performances over nine days — should end with a massive show in its biggest venue, the American Family Insurance Amphitheater.

Hip-hop superstar Lil Uzi Vert closed out the Milwaukee fest's largest stage Saturday, a noteworthy booking considering the only other place they've played this year was Coachella, and they have no other appearances scheduled this year (so far).

But with all due respect to Uzi Vert, that's not what made this show massive.

It was the incredibly stacked bill leading up to the finale, with Lil Yachty, J.I.D., Rico Nasty, LIHTZ and a thrilling Milwaukee hip-hop showcase starring breakout rappers J.P. and 414BigFrank, with surprise appearances by SteveDaStoner and Mook G, plus Milwaukee spinner Djay Mando.

In total, there were nine rappers who performed at the amphitheater Saturday. The show lasted a full five hours, with 15 minutes max between sets.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

More: 'Thankful for the opportunity': Milwaukee rappers J.P., 414BigFrank mark Summerfest debuts

More: Ivan Cornejo, Anne Wilson, Amy Grant and the best and worst of Summerfest 2024's final day

Lil Uzi Vert ends Summerfest with a wild, rare show

That said, purists will scoff at the idea of Lil Uzi Vert being considered hip-hop, and their 45-minute Summerfest set wouldn't convince them otherwise. Rapping isn't the strong suit for the rap superstar, who went for long stretches across their songs not really rapping at all — including one somewhat tedious moment where they were trying to take a selfie on a fan's phone while the DJ blasted "Fire Alarm."

But Uzi Vert's appeal is that they are a walking, (sort of) rapping embodiment of Freud's concept of Id. And what they primarily wanted to do at this rare 2024 show is rock out.

For "x2," from last year's white-knuckle "Pink Tape" album — a song that sounds a bit like a Nintendo game soundtrack on steroids — Uzi Vert jumped the barricades to hang with fans at the base of a video screen, freaking out security. During "Amped," they were so hyped up they tossed an (unlucky) fan's phone that ended up on stage some 20 feet in the air, then for subsequent song "Pop," flung a microphone across the stage in a fit of passion.

Then later for a song that can aptly be described as their life's mission statement — "Do What I Want" — Uzi Vert dropped to their knees on a ramp on stage, in the center of a big ring of lights, where they were greeted with a deafening singalong. But it still wasn't loud enough for Uzi Vert, who orchestrated the crowd from their knees with waving arms, the singalong, seemingly at peak volume seconds ago, reaching greater heights.

Uzi Vert put a lot of energy onto that stage and was paid back from the crowd in kind, who supplied more electricity than even the DJ's bass-rattling song drops could muster singing and rapping along to Uzi Vert's unstoppable bangers like "20 Min" (including, for a minute, a cappella); their superstar-cementing blockbuster "XO Tour Llif3"; and their latest tsunami-level rager "Just Wanna Rock."

And while Uzi Vert's team made the curious choice to not let their set be filmed to be projected on the amphitheater's big screen, that didn't prevent the crowd way back on the bleachers from wilding out.

Lil Yachty has fun slipping into their old persona and songs

Lil Yachty has earned a reputation for being one of mainstream hip-hop's most admired weirdos, but even their recent output has managed to surprise, from last year's "Let's Start Here" album, which drastically switched up his style for a more psychedelic soul rock sound, and this year's "Bad Cameo," an often dreamy album made with Justin Vernon-loving English producer and songwriter James Blake.

"Cameo" didn't make a cameo during Yachty's nearly hourlong set, but it did begin with "Drive ME Crazy!" from "Here." But Yachty at the start of his set was surprisingly passive, the crowd, from my perspective, seemingly more excited to see Yachty than to hear Yachty take detours with newer material.

So, after a few songs, Yachty vowed to "turn this (expletive) upside down," delivering on that promise with "Slide" — a more straightforward, crowd-bouncing 2023 hip-hop track — and the audience transformed there for being happy Yachty was on stage to being thrilled to dance and rap to his music.

And that remained the mode, from both the rapper and his fans, for much of the rest of the set — aside from a touching moment when Yachty had the boisterous crowd join in a moment of silence in memory of Yachty's "Yacht Club" collaborator Juice WRLD.

If Yachty, at this stage of his artistic evolution, doesn't feel much connection with cutesy, nursery rhyme-like early hits like "Minnesota," "Broccoli" and "iSpy," he didn't show it, seemingly having as much fun vibing to those songs as his fans did nostalgically belting out their lyrics.

And while Yachty, like Uzi Vert, coasted here and there without much live rapping, he offered more than the main headliner, like an a cappella spin through "From the D to the A."

J.I.D. demonstrates superhuman spitting skills with opening set

J.I.D. accomplished the impressive feat of making Imagine Dragons seem cool in recent years with his dizzying guest verse on their hit “Enemy,” and his Summerfest set was an even greater demonstration of his superhuman skill.

His words flew so fast — but the enunciation still sticking with every syllable — that his rhymes outraced the speedy scroll of lyrics on the screen behind him for “151 Rum.” One could quibble that he announced it was his time to bounce five minutes before his set actually was supposed to end — but J.I.D. brought so much energy to thrillers like “Stick” and “Surround Sound,” and did such a good job convincing old hip-hop heads that the art of rap was in good hands, that he earned the right to hit the showers early.

Rico Nasty goes for the throat with visceral, fun set

Rico Nasty was no-nonsense for her 35-minute set, barely taking a break or talking to the crowd. But her personality was loud and clear.

Her brash, punk-inspired flow went straight for the jugular — even while it was peppered with some throat-ripping yells, eerily cutesy delivery a la early Nicki Minaj, and the occasional butt shake.

She never coasted on backing vocals either — her head-spinning delivery for “Cold” was especially fiery — and hearing her rap her signature song “Smack a (expletive)” over the beat for Ludacris’ “Move (expletive)” was an inspired flip.

LIHTZ doesn't fit bill, but makes lasting impression

On paper, LIHTZ was the most out of place of all the rappers on Saturday’s bill. While everyone else on stage had catalogs filled with high-energy bangers, the masked Philadelphia rapper specializes in softer, slower, melodic pain rap, with pensive piano and acoustic guitar the dominating sounds on “Mixed Signals” and “Serenity.” But LIHTZ was such a passionate presence on stage, with such a luminous flow — even expressed a cappella for a portion of “Broken Spirit” — that he was impossible not to like.

Milwaukee's own J.P., 414BigFrank, SteveDaStoner, Mook G, Djay Mando kick things off

Saturday’s amphitheater show at Summerfest was a celebration of some of hip-hop’s most exciting national talents — and that includes Milwaukee’s street rap scene, which has earned a place in that conversation.

For about five years, local rappers have earned hundreds of thousands, even millions, of streams for individual songs at a rapid clip. There have been record deals and glowing coverage from Pitchfork, Rolling Stone and other major outlets. And Saturday, multiple buzzy Milwaukee rappers played Summerfest’s biggest stage.

Milwaukee’s premier party starter Djay Mando set the mood first, slipping in local rap gems like Munch Lauren’s “Big Money” and AyooLii’s “Schmackin Town” into his mix. Then came 414BigFrank, whose big, fun-loving personality instantly emerged for this year’s lowend breakout “Eat Her Up,” with Frank and about a quarter of the large on-stage entourage busting into some synchronized dance moves.

Unannounced special guest Mook G took the stage next for “Pay Me,” with another surprise guest, SteveDaStoner, rapping by his side. Stoner essentially has become the mascot for Milwaukee’s rap scene — and a popular guy eager for a selfie roaming the stages through the fest this year — and when he took over the set for his signature banger “RWS,” it was clear how Ludacris could have charmed enough by the guy to join him for a viral “free concert” stunt at 3rd Street Market Hall last month.

J.P., effortlessly translating the charm and charisma from his TikToks to a big stage, closed out this 25-minute Milwaukee rap party — a fitting choice considering none other than Lil Uzi Vert was the first famous rapper to endorse the Milwaukee rapper following his debut lowend single “Juicey Ahhh.” Alas, it didn’t make the set, but J.P. has since had an even bigger smash, “Bad Bitty” — arguably the biggest song ever from a Milwaukee-based rapper, with more than 19 million Spotify streams and counting. You better believe even the people toward the back of the amphitheater rapped “Bad Bitty” back to J.P. at the top of their lungs.

To see the scene celebrated on the biggest stage of Milwaukee’s biggest festival was a joyful achievement after years of unprecedented accomplishments. Here’s hoping it marks the first chapter of an exciting new beginning.

Contact Piet at (414) 223-5162 or  [email protected] . Follow him on X at  @pietlevy  or Facebook at  facebook.com/PietLevyMJS .

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The 100 Best Album Covers of All Time

From biggie to beyoncé to bad bunny, from nirvana to nas to neil young, this is the album art that changed the way we see music.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY MATTHEW COOLEY

The album is the best invention of the past century, hands down — but the music isn’t the whole story. The album cover has been a cultural obsession as long as albums have. Ever since 12-inch vinyl records took off in the 1950s, packaged in cardboard sleeves, musicians have been fascinated by the art that goes on those covers, and so have fans. When the Beatles revolutionized the game with the cover of Sgt. Pepper , in 1967, it became a way to make a visual statement about where the music comes from and why it matters. But the art of the album cover just keeps evolving.

So this is our massive celebration of that art: the 100 best album covers ever, from Biggie to Beyoncé to Bad Bunny, from Nirvana to Nas to Neil Young, from SZA to Sabbath to the Sex Pistols. We’ve got rap, country, jazz, prog, metal, reggae, flamenco, funk, goth, hippie psychedelia, hardcore punk. But all these albums have a unique look to go with the sound. The most unforgettable covers become part of the music — how many Pink Floyd fans have gotten their minds blown staring at the prism on the cover of Dark Side of the Moon , after using it to roll up their smoking materials?

What makes an album cover a classic? Sometimes it’s a portrait of the artist — think of the Beatles crossing the street, or Carole King in Laurel Canyon with her cat. Others go for iconic, semi-abstract images, like Led Zeppelin, Miles Davis, or My Bloody Valentine. Some artists make a statement about where they’re from, whether it’s R.E.M. repping the South with kudzu or Ol’ Dirty Bastard flashing his food-stamps card to salute the Brooklyn Zoo.

Many of these covers come from legendary photographers, designers, and artists, like Andy Warhol, Annie Leibovitz, Storm Thorgerson, Raymond Pettibon, and Peter Saville. Some have cosmic symbolism for fans to decode; others go for star power. But they’re all classic images that have become a crucial part of music history. And they all show why there’s no end to the world’s long-running love affair with albums.

CONTRIBUTORS: David Browne , Jon Dolan , Suzy Exposito , Andy Greene , Kory Grow , Maya Georgi , Maura Johnston , Gabrielle Macafee , Angie Martoccio , Mosi Reeves , Rob Sheffield , Hank Shteamer , Simon Vozick-Levinson , Alison Weinflash , Christopher Weingarten

From Rolling Stone US

Spinal Tap, ‘Smell the Glove’

There was no easy way to discuss “the issue with the cover” of (totally fictitious heavy-metal band) Spinal Tap’s (nonexistent) 1982 album, Smell the Glove, as recounted in a scene from the mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap: “You put a greased, naked woman on all fours, with a dog collar around her neck and a leash, and a man’s arm extended out up to here holding onto the leash, and pushing a black glove in her face to sniff it,” artist-relations rep Bobbi Flekman (Fran Drescher) says. “You don’t find that offensive?” Well, somebody did, so Spinal Tap ended up with an all-black cover. The band members equivocated it by saying it looked like black leather, a black mirror, death, and mourning. Then Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) got it: “There’s something about this that’s so black, it’s like, ‘How much more black could this be?’ And the answer is, ‘None. None more black.’” The joke manifested itself in real life with Spinal Tap’s soundtrack album, a punk band called None More Black, and “Black Albums” from Metallica, Jay-Z, Prince, the Damned, and many others. Plus, Spinal Tap eventually released their original album cover, albeit toned down a little, years later on the sleeve of their single “Bitch School.” —K.G.

Grateful Dead, ‘Europe 72’

Together or separately, the San Francisco artists Alton Kelley and Stanley Mouse made sure that album art for the Grateful Dead was as trippy (1971’s Grateful Dead) or earthy (Workingman’s Dead) as the music inside. Their visuals for the band’s live triple album are among the simplest in Dead album history. The big, clumsy foot about to stomp on Europe is a witty metaphor for the Dead’s wild-eyed series of shows on that continent, and the “fool” smashing an ice-cream cone into his forehead on the back cover is just goofy Dead fun. (It may also be connected to a tale in drummer Bill Kreutzmann’s memoir about the band dumping some ice cream onto an annoying fan.) Even in the land of the Dead, where visual and musical indulgence could rule, Kelley and Mouse realized that sometimes, less is more. —D.B.

Lil Yachty, ‘Lil Boat’

The cover of Lil Yachty’s debut mixtape, Lil Boat, finds the rapper clad in overalls, standing in a small boat in the middle of the ocean. The collage is framed by a red border printed with the numbers 33.7750° N 84.3900° W — coordinates for the Five Points neighborhood in downtown Atlanta — marking the then-18-year-old rap vocalist as the latest manifestation of the city’s fast-moving and highly influential scene. Mihailo Andic, who designed Lil Boat using a photograph provided by Yachty’s management, drew inspiration from Tumblr. “I thought it’d be a great idea to pitch a cover to his management team: Yachty, on a boat, in the middle of nowhere,” he told Green Label in 2016. “My whole style uses retouching and superimposing photos to make them look as one.” —M.R.

Public Image Ltd, ‘Metal Box’

“We were turned on by the idea that it would be difficult to open the can and get the records out,” Public Image Ltd guitarist Keith Levene told author Simon Reynolds in Rip It Up and Start Again. The post-punk pioneers were already blowing apart rock music with their long, repetitive, often improvisatory songs, and Metal Box rethought the album format itself — three 45 rpm LPs to be treated like 12-inch disco singles, all annoyingly crammed into an unwieldy canister. “With Metal Box, the cover came first, both mentally and physically,” frontman John Lydon told Classic Rock. “We spent most of the advance on it, so making Metal Box presented us with a real challenge because we didn’t have any money left for recording sessions.” —C.W.

Phoebe Bridgers, ‘Punisher’

Phoebe Bridgers’ excellent pandemic-era album has a cover that represents everything we were feeling at the time: fear, loneliness, heartbreak, and the secret wish for extraterrestrials to scoop you up into the sky and get you the hell out of here. Bridgers and photographer Olof Grind took a 24-hour road trip through the California desert, scouting for a location. “I always love a good adventure while shooting, and driving out in a pitch-black desert at 3 a.m. on dirt roads definitely added to my excitement,” Grind said. Bridgers made the skeleton suit her signature look, wearing it on the entire Punisher album cycle and tour. And it’s still impossible not to think of Grind’s image when you listen to songs like the gorgeously devastating “Moon Song” and the strangely romantic “Garden Song.” —A.M.

Offset, ‘Set It Off’

Designed and art-directed by Amber Park, the cover image for Offset’s Set It Off shows the Atlanta rapper tumbling through the sky as the world explodes around him. The image represents modern rap’s shift toward Wagnerian-size drama, with Offset as another kind of heroic survivor, outlasting and overcoming his many controversies. He wears sequined socks and gold gloves, which nod toward his fascination with Thriller-era Michael Jackson. And the image is constructed upside down, making it appear like he’s falling into the sky, not out of it. “I wanted it to be an art piece,” he told Our Generation Music. “It’s like I’m falling down but I’m going up.” —M.R.

Slayer, ‘Reign in Blood’

Just how do you illustrate lyrics like “Raining blood from a lacerated sky/Bleeding its horror, creating my structure/Now, I shall reign in blood”? Slayer producer and label head Rick Rubin turned to political cartoonist Larry Carroll, who tapped into his inner Hieronymus Bosch to create a mixed-media representation of hell with a goatlike deity, decapitated heads, and murderous black angels. “If I remember correctly, [Slayer] didn’t like the cover I did for Reign in Blood at first,” Carroll told Revolver in 2010. “But then someone in the band showed it to their mother, and their mother thought it was disgusting, so they knew they were onto something.” Carroll subsequently created similar hellscapes for Slayer’s South of Heaven, Seasons in the Abyss, and Christ Illusion albums, producing some of the scariest covers in music. —K.G.

Slint, ‘Spiderland’

The members of Slint were just teenagers when they came together in drummer Britt Walford’s Louisville,Kentucky, basement to make the eerily expansive indie rock they’d capture on their epochal 1991 sophomore album, Spiderland. That mix of youthful exuberance and youthful aloneness comes through in the album’s black-and-white cover, which shows them smilingly treading water in a local quarry. The photo was taken by their friend Will Oldham, who’d soon be making his own name with Palace Brothers and Bonnie “Prince” Billy. “We’re just all being youthful and happy,” guitarist Dave Pajo told Rolling Stone’s Hank Shteamer years later, describing the band’s attitude at the time. “When you’re younger, everything is so life-and-death and huge.” —J.D.

Lauryn Hill, ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’

The wood carving at the center of Lauryn Hill’s only official studio album to date is both inspired by artwork for the Wailers’ 1973 album Burnin’ and by the album title itself. “She already had some great ideas that were inspired by the album title,” Columbia art director Erwin Gorostiza told Okayplayer in 2021. The two developed a plan to arrange a photo shoot at Hill’s alma mater, Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey. After photographer Eric Johnson snapped images of her, they decided to select one of them as source material for an illustration that resembles something made by a wayward, “miseducated” student on a school desk. The result vividly reflects Hill’s rustic melding of hip-hop, R&B, and reggae sounds, and her journey to find clarity in a world riven by relationships and desire. —M.R.

Big Brother and the Holding Company, ‘Cheap Thrills’

Counterculture cartoonist Robert “R.” Crumb drew the cover for the 1967 debut by Big Brother and the Holding Company, a psychedelic comic strip that tells the album’s story in each of its songs. The artist laid down the cover after watching the band from backstage at San Francisco’s Carousel Ballroom: “He really wasn’t into our music, but it didn’t matter,” drummer Dave Getz recalled. It really didn’t: Crumb still captured the wild, woolly spirit of Janis Joplin and her bandmates, even if he’d intended for what became the front cover to serve as its back sleeve. —M.J.

Ani DiFranco, ‘Up Up Up Up Up Up’

Modern folk-music icon Ani DiFranco built her enduring success on a mix of anti-capitalist commitment, aesthetic ingenuity, DIY community, and her electric charisma. You can see all of those elements in the multidimensional cover image for her 1999 album. It’s a statement of playful substance over predictable image, but even with her face pointed to the ground she still completely commands your attention. The cover photo was taken by her friend and longtime manager Scot Fisher, who helped DiFranco found the Buffalo, New York-based label Righteous Babe. “We were a mom-and-pop operation,” she recalled in a 2016 interview. “Scot was the photographer and the dude who answered the phone, and I was the graphic designer who would paint the album covers.” —J.D. 

Silkk the Shocker, ‘Charge It 2 Da Game’

The garish, maximalist, larger-than-life album covers of Pen & Pixel defined the late-Nineties CD era, when Southern rap labels like No Limit, Cash Money, and Suave House began to topple the East Coast/West Coast monopoly. Brothers Aaron and Shawn Brauch covered hundreds of album covers with their Photoshop wonderlands of luxury cars, sparkling gems, and bottles of champagne. The cover of Silkk the Shocker’s second album — jeweled lettering, gleaming pinky ring, skewed perspective, gold “Ghetto Express” card — is a classic of the form. “The longer you hold that CD cover in your hand, the more possession-oriented you become,” Shawn told Red Bull. “People would comment later, ‘Yeah, man, the album wack, but the artwork was cool.’ I was like, ‘Well, that’s my job done, right?’” —C.W.

Neil Young, ‘On the Beach’

“Album covers are very important to me,” Neil Young wrote in his 2012 memoir, Waging Heavy Peace. “They put a face on the nature of the project.” This is especially true of 1974’s On the Beach, Young’s devastating rumination on Watergate, the recent breakup of his marriage, his recent albums’ commercial failure, and the overall dissolution of the Sixties dream. It’s all evident on the cover, where he’s seen standing on the Santa Monica shore, his back turned away from the camera. The tail light of a 1959 Cadillac emerges from the sand, surrounded by gaudy yellow patio furniture. The headline from a local L.A. paper reads “Sen. Buckley Calls for Nixon to Resign.” Young spontaneously purchased the items with art director Gary Burden while stoned on “dynamite” weed. —A.M.

Devo, ‘Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!’

“What we focused on was inane, mundane, dumb, mass stuff,” said Devo’s Gerald Casale to NBC. “We liked to go to Kmart and Gold Circle because it had all this discount stuff. That’s when I found, in an aisle of discontinued sports goods, the Chi Chi Rodriguez golf-ball package.” For its debut, the band wanted to use the image of the flamboyant golfer they found on a $1.99 box of balls; however, Warner Bros. lawyers intervened. They quickly found a composite photo of four U.S. presidents that Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh called “perfectly hideous” and had it airbrushed onto Rodriguez’s face. —C.W.

Frank Ocean, ‘Blonde’

The now-iconic photograph of Frank Ocean in the shower as he cups his hand over his face, his hair dyed in lime green, was the result of a lengthy 2015 collaboration between him and German photographer Wolfgang Tillmans. The image plays to both men’s interest in otherness, not only as a sign of queer identity, but also as a method of presenting a distinctly iconoclastic yet public self. Ocean and Tillmans were brought together for a photo shoot by the fashion magazine Fantastic Man. Blonde introduced Tillmans, who had been documenting underground culture since the Eighties, to a new generation. It also introduced a defining image of the singer, one both invitingly mysterious and alluringly unknowable. —M.R.

Minor Threat, ‘Minor Threat’

Minor Threat epitomized American hardcore punk at its most fiercely independent. You see that spirit in the classic image of singer Ian MacKaye’s brother Alec sleeping on the steps of Dischord House, where so many of the D.C. punk kids lived and where the band ran their label. Alec’s shaved head, his scuffed work boots, his rumpled clothes, his folded arms, his punked-out exhaustion — it summed up the whole ethos of Minor Threat. The image has been a symbol of DIY realness ever since, inspiring many tributes, most famously the cover of Rancid’s 1995 …And Out Come the Wolves. No wonder corporate America wanted a piece — Nike tried to appropriate it for their bizarre 2005 “Major Threat” ad campaign, until public outrage shut it down. —R.S.

Jay-Z, ‘The Blueprint’

For The Blueprint, Jay-Z turned to Jonathan Mannion, a photographer who had shot all of Jay’s covers since his 1996 debut, Reasonable Doubt. Mannion took inspiration from Jocelyn Bain Hogg, a British photographer who snapped South London gangster Dave Courtney giving a lecture at Oxford Union, for his book The Firm. Mannion’s shot replicates the aerial framing, finding Jay-Z looking away from the camera, holding court over a group of minions only identified by their shoes. Designer Jason Noto of Def Jam’s in-house creative department the Drawing Board cast the entire image in faded blues and grays. In 2021, Jay sued Mannion over prints the photographer sold from their many sessions. The two settled out of court in 2023. —M.R.

Taylor Swift, ‘Folklore’

Taylor Swift stepped back from her songs on her eighth album: “I found myself not only writing my own stories, but also writing about or from the perspective of people I’ve never met, people I’ve known, or those I wish I hadn’t,” she posted upon Folklore’s release in 2020. Its striking monochromatic cover — a departure from the candy-coated Lover front, and the first collaboration between Swift and photographer Beth Garrabrant — is similarly situated in the wide world, with the coat-clad singer seeming tiny amid mist-cloaked trees and mossy terrain, gazing upward with a pondering expression. —M.J.   

Shakira, ‘Dónde Están los Ladrones?’

After wrapping up her 1997 Pies Descalzos Tour, Shakira landed in Bogotá, Columbia, to discover her briefcase had been stolen … and in it, the songs she’d written for her next album. She’d decidedly named her 1998 record “Dónde Están los Ladrones?” or “Where Are the Thieves?” — and conceptualized the theft as an allegory for thefts of all kinds, including that of Columbia by corrupt politicians, drug lords, and paramilitaries, during what’s since been described as the “Dirty Wars.” Shot against a statement hot pink, Shakira posed for her album cover donning edgy purple braids, with extended dirt-covered palms. “The dirty hands represent the shared guilt,” she said of her cover. “No one is completely clean.… In the end, we are all accomplices.” —S.E.

King Crimson, ‘In the Court of the Crimson King’

King Crimson knew they were onto something big when they pieced together “21st Century Schizoid Man,” the snarling, sweeping portrait of an unraveling collective consciousness that would open their 1969 debut LP. And when artist Barry Godber dropped by London’s Wessex Studios to show them the cover painting that lyricist Peter Sinfield had commissioned, they knew they’d found the perfect visual counterpart. “This fucking face screamed up from the floor, and what it said to us was ‘schizoid man’ — the very track we’d been working on,” bassist-vocalist Greg Lake later recalled. Pairing the image with lyrics like “Blood rack, barbed wire/Politicians’ funeral pyre/Innocents raped with napalm fire,” it’s hardly a leap to imagine the cover figure looking on in horror at the atrocities the song describes. —H.S.

Weyes Blood, ‘Titanic Rising’

On the cover of Titanic Rising, Natalie Mering — the California singer-songwriter who records as Weyes Blood — appears inside an eerie deep-sea installation, hovering between a brass bed and a white wicker desk, with posters adorning the walls. The image perfectly captures the themes of Titanic Rising: millennial doom, the climate crisis, the isolation of technology, and water itself. “This bullshit initiation into culture — for most young people in the Westernized world, it’s their bedroom,” she told Rolling Stone. “They hang up posters of their favorite celebrities and their favorite movies, and they formulate these ideas about life and what life should be like, and what they want. And it’s all an incubation of capitalist bullshit. But it’s still very sacred.” —A.M.

Lil Wayne, ‘Tha Carter III’

“I’m going to be so honest with you: I don’t know Tha Carter III, Tha Carter II, Tha Carter One from Tha Carter IV. And that’s just my God’s honest truth,” Lil Wayne told RS last year. “I believe that [God] blessed me with this amazing mind, but would not give [me] an amazing memory to remember this amazing shit.” Fair enough. But the cover of Tha Carter III, Wayne’s best album, is unforgettable. Rappers have made iconic album artwork using baby photos before — think Ready to Die, Illmatic — but Wayne took it a step further, giving Baby Weezy a diamond pinky ring and some facial ink, for an image that summed up the unstoppable, no-fucks-given charm that made him a superstar. “We wanted to bring something new to it,” art director Scott Sandler said. “What if we put the tats on the baby?” —A.M.

New York Dolls, ‘New York Dolls’

Rolling Stone’s review of the New York Dolls’ 1973 self-titled debut refers to the punk pioneers as “mutant children of the hydrogen age.” This comes across perfectly on the album cover, which shows the androgynous quartet slumped together on a couch, slathered in makeup and hairspray. It was created by Vogue photographer Toshi Matsuo after the Dolls nixed a plan by their label to shoot them near vintage dolls in an antique shop, sans makeup. “That couch we were sitting on, we found that on the street and brought it up,” said guitarist Sylvain Sylvain. “We put the white fabric on it — I remember tacking it on.” The look was so ahead of its time that imitators wouldn’t come along until hair metal arrived a decade later. —A.G.

The Smiths, ‘The Queen Is Dead’

Throughout the Smiths’ feverishly productive run in the mid-Eighties, lead singer Morrissey selected photo stills depicting midcentury movies and pop-culture moments for their singles and albums. His pick for the Smith’s third album, The Queen Is Dead, may be their most iconic: an image of French superstar Alain Delon in the film L’Insoumis, lying in distress. The concept of this beautifully handsome yet controversially macho star — the Brad Pitt of the Sixties — as a “queen” nods toward Morrissey’s subversive sense of humor. The layout, handled by Rough Trade’s Caryn Gough, casts the photo in shades of dark green, making Delon appear as a doomed royal in their death throes. —M.R.

Tyler, the Creator, ‘Igor’

The cover for Tyler, the Creator’s fifth solo album is striking in its minimalism: a pained close-up of the California-born polymath combined with a typewriter-font assertion that he was responsible for all the album’s sonics, and a salmon backdrop that feels aggressive despite its pastel hue. Igor further established Tyler as an artist willing to push himself into new realms, and the cover announces that to anyone flipping through a collection. “We work well together because I believe in what he wants to create,” photographer Luis “Pancho” Perez, who worked with Tyler to create the cover, told Complex in 2019. “Nothing has really changed his confidence in himself.” —M.J.

Radiohead, ‘Kid A’

At the close of the 20th century, Radiohead were an acclaimed British rock band desperate to be anything else. That jittery unease fueled the artwork that Thom Yorke created with his old friend Stanley Donwood, riffing on ancient mythology and paranoid dreams in late-night sessions. “There was an air of chaos suddenly, and that was really fun,” Yorke told Rolling Stone years later. The cover they chose for Kid A has all the unsettling intensity of the music Yorke was making with his bandmates: an icy, forbidding mountain range, like something out of a digital nightmare. “It was almost a dark fairyland,” Donwood said. “A very lonely, cold, and quiet place, apart from the punctuations of terrible war.” —S.V.L.

Blur, ‘Parklife’

Designers Rob O’Connor and Chris Thompson took to London’s streets for inspiration as they were brainstorming a cover for what would go on to be Blur’s era-defining 1994 album. While peering in the window of a betting lounge for sports-related ideas, they found a concept that had bite: “We centered in on the greyhounds,” Blur guitarist Graham Coxon told Brit-pop chronicler Dylan Jones in 2022’s Faster Than a Cannonball, “because they had an aggressiveness we liked. We chose the ones with the most teeth. They look deranged, just longing to kill, and there’s a bizarre look in their faces. You just don’t get that look with a footballer — well, maybe a little bit.” The image of racing dogs underscored the hunger of the best Brit-pop, and set Blur apart from their more glam-minded peers. —M.J.

Willie Nelson, ‘Red Headed Stranger’

On his legendary 1975 opus, Red Headed Stranger, Willie Nelson tells the tale of a preacher on the run after killing his own child and unfaithful wife. Nelson stepped into the role of an outlaw on the cover (designed by Monica White), which showed his unruly image framed in the style of a ‘Wanted’ poster. Red Headed Stranger was country music’s first concept album, a watershed for the outlaw-country movement that included Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson, and its cover went a long way toward creating the subgenre’s rough-hewn iconography.  —G.M.

Billie Eilish, ‘When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?’

Just like the music, the cover of Bille Eilish’s classic debut drops you right into her creepy-crawly teenage nightmares. Photographer Kenneth Cappello collaborated with Eilish on a 12-hour shoot, ending up with a deeply unsettling shot of Eilish sitting on bed, her eyes entirely white, pupils obscured. Eilish brought in sketches of her inspirations for the cover, which included the Babadook. (“I got so much inspiration from The Babadook,” she told Rolling Stone in 2019.) “She’s all in,” Cappello told MTV News. “Those wide eyes? Those aren’t in post, those are contacts. She goes all in on everything.”

FKA Twigs, ‘LP1’

The hauntingly plastic visage of British musician FKA Twigs dominates the cover of LP1, a bizarre representation of her disturbingly mutant electronic pop. It was constructed by Jesse Kanda, who met her via his longtime friend and collaborator Arca. “We did the front cover for her album in my room, with my shitty lights, and no people running around. I have the most control when I do everything myself,” he told Dazed in 2014. He sculpted a photograph of her using 3D technology, manipulating and warping the image, then painted over the results. Longtime XL Recordings art director Phil Lee and Twigs collaborated on the aquamarine blue design that spotlighted Kanda’s imagery. In 2015, the cover earned a Grammy nomination for Best Recording Package. —M.R.

Grace Jones, ‘Nightclubbing’

The famous Nightclubbing photo of Grace Jones dressed in an Armani suit, a cigarette dangling from her lips, was the culmination of a tempestuous personal and professional relationship between her and photographer Jean-Paul Goude. The image seemed as much a cheeky New Wave commentary on corporate Eighties style as an exercise in gender-bending fashion. But despite observers’ claims (and criticism) of how Goude crafted and manipulated her image, Jones has always asserted that she was in control of the process. “Jean-Paul would say, later…that he had created me,” she wrote in her 2015 autobiography, I’ll Never Write My Memoirs. “I knew that wasn’t the case, that I was creating myself before I met him.”–M.R.

R.E.M., ‘Murmur’

Lots of Southern bands had used pastoral imagery on their album covers to underscore their music’s down-home difference. R.E.M. flipped the script with the cover of their debut, Murmur. The front image shows a goth-y woods overrun by kudzu — a weed that grows so fast it covers and kills any plant in its way. The back image is of a disused train trestle near the band’s hometown of Athens, Georgia. Taken together, it was a perfect reflection of the band’s mysterious, enveloping sound. The “Murmur Trestle” immediately became part of local lore, defended by R.E.M. fans when it was approved for demolition in 2019. “Why do they need to preserve it?” said photographer Sandra-Lee Phipps, who took both photos. “It was just done randomly. Somehow it ended up mattering to people.” —J.D.

Van Halen, ‘1984’

When Warner Bros. designer Margo Nahas heard Van Halen’s original concept for the cover of their sixth LP — four dancing women made out of chrome — she quickly passed. (Already a seasoned illustrator of chrome, she “couldn’t imagine doing all the reflections,” she later said.) But when her husband, fellow designer Jay Vigon, brought her portfolio to the band, they were instantly drawn to her now-iconic painting of an angelic baby grinning and holding a smoke, which she’d modeled off a friend’s son. “I took a picture of him, took him candy cigarettes, which he proceeded to eat, every single one, after a brief tantrum, of course,” Nahas recalled in 2020. The impish yet innocent image encapsulated the lovable mischief of the band’s “Hot for Teacher” era. —H.S.

Lorde, ‘Melodrama’

For her highly-anticipated sophomore album, Lorde crafted a delicate cover that evoked Melodrama’s emotional heft. Painted by the Brooklyn artist Sam McKinnis — whom Lorde connected with via a fangirling email — and inspired by an image that McKinnis had made riffing on the cover of Prince’s Purple Rain, the cover is based on a photograph McKinnis took of Lorde as she lay in bed. Drenched in the shadows of a moody, electric blue that could swatch a dance floor or the walls of a club bathroom, with warm cracks of daybreak creeping on Lorde’s cheek, the image depicts her in the morning after a night of dancing with “all the heartache and treason” she sang about on the album. —M.G.

Marvin Gaye, ‘Here, My Dear’

There are breakup albums, and then there’s Here, My Dear, Marvin Gaye’s brutally honest unpacking of his in-progress divorce from his first wife, Anna Gordy. The serene front cover shows Gaye depicted as a Roman statue, standing in front of a lavish temple — its cornerstone bearing the inscription “Love and Marriage” — next to a sculpture of embracing lovers. But by the time you see the back-cover image, the sculpture and the temple have caught fire and are actively crumbling, and the inscription on the building now reads “Pain and Divorce.” If all that weren’t bleak enough, on the inner sleeve, we see a couple’s hands engaged in a Monopoly-like board game, with all their earthly possessions at stake between them, and the scales of justice looming ominously in the background. —H.S.

DJ Shadow, ‘Endtroducing’

DJ Shadow’s 1996 debut LP was constructed almost entirely out of samples, a love letter to funky, crackly old vinyl that was released into a world where most record stores only sold CDs. The cover image shows two of Shadow’s buddies from the Bay Area hip-hop label SoulSides, producer Chief Xcel and rapper Lyrics Born, going through the stacks at Records, a local institution (now closed) that billed itself as “a speciality shop dealing in out-of-print phonograph records.” As Shadow said of the store in the documentary Scratch, “Just being in here is a humbling experience because you’re looking through all these records, and it’s sort of like a big pile of broken dreams, in a way.” —J.D.

Sonny Rollins, ‘Way Out West’

“I was really living out my Lone Ranger thing,” Sonny Rollins said in 2009, reflecting on his Western-themed classic Way Out West. He wanted a cover that evoked the Westerns he grew up on, so photographer William Claxton suggested they pick up a ten-gallon hat, a holster, and a steer’s skull and head to the Mojave Desert, where he shot Rollins holding his saxophone and staring down the camera like a hardened cowboy. Some were critical of what they saw as the photo’s hokey premise and incorrectly assumed that Rollins was pressured into it. “Many people thought wrongly over the years that I was asked to pose that way or that the material was forced on me, because California was thought to be a movie place and a commercial place,” he said. “Not true. I was given complete control.” —H.S.

Janet Jackson, ‘The Velvet Rope’

With its themes of self-care, depression, and the then-taboo exploration of Black female queerness, The Velvet Rope may be Janet Jackson’s most intimate full-length work. Ironically, its cover depicts her clothed, not topless as on the Patrick Demarchelier-photographed shot on her previous album, 1993’s Janet. Photographer Ellen von Unwerth captured Jackson dressed in a black turtleneck with her head pointed downward. Meanwhile, the deep-red background tipped her audience to the burning emotions inside Jackson, as if she’s struggling to get it all out. (The interior photographs, shot by von Unwerth and Mario Testino, are more risqué.) “You know people they still ask me about it,” said von Unwerth of the enigmatic cover. “It became more iconic in a way.” —M.R.

My Bloody Valentine, ‘Loveless’

Swoosh-y abstraction was a go-to look for turn-of-the-Nineties shoegaze bands like Ride, Slowdive, and Swervedriver. But those bands usually worked in moody blues and grays. My Bloody Valentine’s choice of hot pink (a color you were more likely to see on a Poison record) for the cover of their 1990 masterpiece Loveless grabbed your eye with a look as undeniably loud as the band’s stomach-rattling guitar swells. MBV mastermind Kevin Shields and visual artist Angus Cameron collaborated on the image, taking a screengrab of Shields’ hands on his guitar from the band’s Cameron-directed “Too Shallow” video and turning it into a blur of radiant abstraction. —J.D.

Beastie Boys, ‘Licensed to Ill’

The cover of the Beastie Boys’ debut is as brash and playfully referential as the Beasties’ sound. Producer Rick Rubin got the idea for the cover — a Boeing 727 with a Beastie Boys logo and a tail number that, viewed in the mirror, says “eat me” — while reading through the Led Zeppelin bio Hammer of the Gods and spying a photo of the band’s private jet. “I wanted to embrace and somehow distinguish,” he said in the book 100 Best Album Covers, “in a sarcastic way, the larger than life rock & roll lifestyle.” Artists Stephen Byram and World B. Omes crafted the gatefold cover with a surprise in mind — at first it looks almost majestic, but when seen in full, the plane is revealed to have crashed, its front end crumpled. The resulting image provides another layer of irony: The plane, many have noted, looks like a joint smashed in an ashtray.

Joni Mitchell, ‘Hejira’

Joni Mitchell wrote Hejira while traveling cross-country, so she could have slapped a photo of an open road on the cover and called it a day. Instead, it was only the beginning. The sleek road sits inside a black-and-white Norman Seeff portrait of Mitchell, “haunted, like a Bergman figure,” wearing a beret and holding a cigarette. Around 14 photos were used for the cover and sleeves — including figure skater Toller Cranston out on the ice, to complete the wintry vibe — and an airbrush was used to make the images on the cover look like one cohesive illustration. The effort paid off, creating a beautifully intricate album cover to represent delicate tracks like “Amelia” and “Song for Sharon.” Looking back, Mitchell said it’s her favorite cover of hers: “A lot of work went into that.” —A.M.

Sonic Youth, ‘Goo’

Sonic Youth’s long run as the official band of America’s avant-garde art scene means that their catalog is full of iconic images, like Daydream Nation’s Gerhard Richter candle painting and Dirty’s Mike Kelley rag doll. But none are as enduring as the black-and-white sketch that SoCal punk legend Raymond Pettibon contributed to Goo. The pair of impossibly cool young sociopaths and their neo-noir tale of sex and death have been endlessly memed since then, but back in 1990, they made execs at the band’s new major-label home nervous — which was kind of the point. “That was so important at the time,” Lee Ranaldo later told biographer David Browne. “In a way, we were still in that world … that our ‘scene’ was making.” —S.V.L.

Rosalía, ‘El Mal Querer’

Rosalía tapped a longtime internet friend, the Spanish Croatian artist Filip Ćustić, to conceive what he’s described as a “visual universe” for her 2018 flamenco-pop masterwork, El Mal Querer. The two chatted over Whatsapp to devise an image for each track that would “update Spanish imagery to the 21st century.” In consistency with the record’s theme, Ćustić depicts Rosalía as an ethereal queen of the seraphs, a symbol of the divine feminine, liberated from the tyranny of a controlling man. “She emerges naked from the heavens, as if she were a goddess more than a virgin, saying, ‘This is me, and this has been my learning process,’” explained Ćustić in Spanish newspaper El Pais. —S.E.

Lana Del Rey, ‘Norman Fucking Rockwell’

On the cover of her sixth album, Lana Del Rey seems to be pulling us into her world of deconstructed American myths, as she clings to the Kennedy-esque figure of Jack Nicholson’s grandson Duke Nicholson. From its oil-painted blue sky to Del Rey’s bright-green nylon jacket, the image’s retro-modern feel perfectly reflects the way the music inside offers her own 2010s vision of fading Laurel Canyon glory. The cover photo was taken by Del Rey’s sister, Caroline “Chuck” Grant, who has collaborated with the singer on a number of music videos and photo shoots (including a 2023 cover of Rolling Stone UK). “She captures what I consider to be the visual equivalent of what I do sonically,” Del Rey said in a 2014 interview. —G.M.

T. Rex, ‘Electric Warrior’

Few rock sleeves feel as purposefully barren as the Electric Warrior cover, which finds glam god Marc Bolan suspended, along with his guitar and amp, in what might as well be an interstellar void. Using a live-image shot by Kieron Murphy, Hipgnosis designers Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey Powell added a striking gold halo that helped turn Bolan into a visual icon at precisely the point when he was completing his metamorphosis from flower-child folkie to consummate rock & roll dandy. “Black and gold, the metal guru in full force,” Beck once wrote of one of his favorite album-art specimens. “This is what we want a rock cover to look like.” —H.S.

A Tribe Called Quest, ‘The Low End Theory’

The cover of A Tribe Called Quest’s second album features an unnamed model photographed by Joe Grant. She’s kneeling in black shadows, her body covered in green and red paint. It’s partly inspired by Ohio Players’ memorable 1970s run of covers that depicted women in freaky and suggestive positions. “I wanted a white background for the shot, but they flipped it and made it black,” said group leader Q-Tip in the 2005 book Rakim Told Me. All of the Low End Theory’s visual elements, from the woman in body paint to the red-black-green color scheme reminiscent of the Pan-African flag, became defining elements for Tribe moving forward, and a signature for their deep-rooted and jazz-inflected bohemian sound. —M.R.

Björk, ‘Homogenic’

The making of Homogenic was a fraught time for Björk, as she adjusted to a new level of global fame and the suicide of Ricardo López, a disturbed fan who mailed a letter bomb to her London home. After spotting a striking fashion photo created by photographer Nick Knight and designer Alexander McQueen, she enlisted them to sum up the various emotional currents in her life in an arresting hyperreal portrait. The blend of cultural elements — a Japanese kimono, a European manicure, Maasai neck rings, and a Hopi “butterfly whorl” hairstyle — reflected Björk’s perception of herself as a global citizen. As she later said: “We were trying to make this person that was under a lot of restraint, like long manicure, neckpiece, headpiece, contact lenses — still trying to keep the strength.” —H.S.

Judas Priest, ‘British Steel’

Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton put in his time at the British Steel Corporation, working for the steel producer for five years before his band — who produce a different kind of heavy metal — decided to name their sixth album, British Steel. The title clicked with art director Rosław Szaybo and photographer Bob Elsdale, who created a giant razor blade out of aluminum with the band’s logo on it. Szaybo volunteered to hold it for the shot. “A lot of people looked at it and were really quite horrified,” Elsdale told Revolver. “The edges of the blade seemed to be cutting into Rosław’s flesh, because he was really gripping it quite hard. But that wasn’t the case — it actually had blunt edges. It wasn’t bloody, but it had an element of drama.” —K.G.

Sleater-Kinney, ‘The Hot Rock’

“It’s a labyrinthine record,” Carrie Brownstein wrote of Sleater-Kinney’s fourth LP, The Hot Rock, in her memoir, “sad, fractious, not a victory lap, but speaking to uncertainty.” Following up on their 1997 breakthrough, Dig Me Out, Brownstein, Corin Tucker, and Janet Weiss were working through interpersonal struggles while facing more scrutiny than ever before. The cover photo by Marina Chavez, showing the band standing on a Portland, Oregon, street corner, captures that heavy energy: Tucker and Weiss each stare toward the curb, the drummer looking almost trepidatious, while Brownstein holds up her hand, hailing a cab, her face bearing a disgruntled expression. Like the jewel thieves in the 1972 heist film that gave the album its name, the trio had no choice but to get a move on and meet their moment. —H.S.

David Bowie, ‘Diamond Dogs’

David Bowie closed out his glam era with the decadent apocalyptic excess of Diamond Dogs, a concept album set in a crumbling America of the future. “When we got to Diamond Dogs,” he later said, “that was when it was out of control.” The deranged spirit extended to its cover, designed by Belgian artist Guy Peellaert, which depicted Bowie as a grotesque half-man/half-dog, including genitals on his twisted body. Bowie’s pose on the cover was inspired by a 1926 photo of singer Josephine Baker. Just as the album was ready to get shipped to retailers, Bowie’s record label pulled the cover and had it airbrushed into something less offensive. Some copies did make it out, and Diamond Dogs remains the most provocative album cover of Bowie’s career. —G.M.

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Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Yachty, Rico Nasty and More at Summerfest 2024 Milwaukee 

Lil Uzi Vert headlined a star-studded hip-hop lineup at Milwaukee’s Summerfest 2024. Lil Yachty, J.I.D., Rico Nasty, and Uzi supported Uzi in the lineup, showing why this festival lives up to the hype.

Rico Nasty kicked off the main performances, and reports are that her set was curated perfectly for the energetic crowd.

Next up was Dreamville artist J.I.D., who performed “Never” and “Surround Sound,” bringing the crowd out of their seats, where some were moshing with energy. Gotta love a good mosh pit in Hip Hop.

Then Lil Yachty took the stage. Reports are that the energy shifted downward a bit but that’s expected after many acts leading up to a big headliner.

The evening ended with a memorable performance from Lil Uzi Vert, who ensured their place was nothing short of a highlight for the festival. They dropped their hits, living up to their rockstar persona. Closing Summerfest 2024 with Uzi proved to be a winning move.

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