“Let’s Start Here.” sets a new standard


Holden Kibane | Daily Trojan

Known for more than his music-making creativity, Lil Yachty is a persona that everyone from rappers to rap fans have grown accustomed to loving. Yachty has been prevalent since he dropped his first mixtape titled “Lil Boat,” in 2016. Since then, Lil Yachty has mastered every flow and style. From his Detroit-influenced “Michigan Boy Boat” album to his pop-inspired project titled “Teenage Emotions,” Lil Yachty has proven he can do it all. 

With that in mind, it comes as no surprise that Lil Yachty decided to dip his toes in yet another genre of music. “Let’s Start Here.” arrived on Jan. 27, bringing 14 tracks including features from artists such as Daniel Caesar and Diana Gordon. For 57 minutes, the project forces each and every listener to tap their feet and bob their head. The beat of each track makes moving along inevitable. For this reason, and many more, “Let’s Start Here.” is proof that Lil Yachty can excel without needing to rap.  

It comes with no hesitation to say that Lil Yachty succeeded, in fact, excelled, with “Let’s Start Here.” The project itself is far from forgettable. It creates positive momentum for the rapper in this genre of psychedelic rock/alternative. The album has multiple green flags, including replayable tracks and a unique sense of production. Apart from this, Lil Yachty didn’t fail to implement his distinctive, autotune-influenced sound. 

From track one, “the BLACK seminole.” the listener gets an insight into what the entire album is going to sound like. Lil Yachty does an excellent job at almost easing his listener into his newly-created sound. From the beat drop that is immediately followed by Yachty’s autotuned voice to the chords that pair well with the track’s melody, “the BLACK seminole.” is a reference point to what new Lil Yachty sounds like. 

On track two, “the ride-,” Lil Yachty wastes no time and gets straight to the point. The song opens with a high-pitched, mellow-sounding and flute-like beat. It walks listeners through a forest at sunrise without a care in the world. Lil Yachty executes the ad-libs for this track perfectly. It’s almost as if he recorded the ad-libs and the lyrics to the song in one go with how perfectly they are paired. 

Track four presents “pRETTy”, one of the best-produced songs on the album. When you listen to this song for the first time, it makes you think of the amount of time that went into producing this work of art. It’s interesting to see how Lil Yachty used his rap experience on this track, more specifically his iconic “Poland” flow. This flow can only be characterized as chopped-up vocals amped with auto-tune. “pRETTy” really highlights the versatility that Lil Yachty has when it comes to music-making. The track’s ability to be catchy yet unique makes it special. 

“drive ME crazy!” is by far the grooviest track on the album. From the beginning, the ’70s-influenced beat grabs the listener’s attention. It almost transports you to the time of bell bottoms and afros. About one minute into the song, Lil Yachty makes his appearance. “drive ME crazy!” uses the least auto-tune on Lil Yachty’s vocals, but ironically is the most soothing because of it. 

The final track of the album, “REACH THE SUNSHINE.,” will make listeners feel as if they are at a firework show. Track 14 is the final goodbye from the album, and because of this, it seems as if Lil Yachty pulled out any and all of the tricks up his sleeve to really leave the listener blown away. Anything on this track can be mentioned and given praise, but what stands out the most is the song’s tempo. Despite almost being a six-minute song, Yachty paces it so the audience feels that it’s not long enough. Lil Yachty leaves the listener hungry for more only to realize that it’s the last song of the album. In doing so, Yachty tells his listeners, “I’ll see you later,” instead of “goodbye.” 

It takes a lot of confidence for successful rappers to step out of their comfort zone and release music in other genres. In 2022, we saw rapper Drake attempt an EDM/house music-influenced album titled “Honestly, Nevermind.” Although this album was not a fan favorite, it inspired many other rappers to step away from the “rap” label. In 2010, we saw another attempt to redefine a rap career with Lil Wayne’s rock-influenced project, “Rebirth.” Considered one of Lil Wayne’s worst projects, many would label this as a failed attempt. Those who are successful transcend the role of rappers and become artists. After “Let’s Start Here.,” it’s safe to say that Lil Yachty not only established but also proved his role as a musician and artist. 

It’s difficult to assess if this is a reset button on Lil Yachty’s image and career or if it’s simply another persona he’s created. Whatever he decides, he’s going to be successful if he keeps implementing such creativity and authenticity to his sound. Lil Yachty’s “Let’s Start Here.” leaves no room for anyone to call him a one-hit wonder or SoundCloud rapper. From now on, he ditches the role as a rapper and embodies that of a talented artist.