Meme or Masterpiece? Yeat - 2 Alive

On Christmas day of 2020, Playboi Carti released the most polarizing album since Kanye West’s Yeezus in 2013. This album created a pathway for new artists to experiment with extreme vocal tones and rage rap. Thanks to TikTok virality and a rampant cult fanbase, Yeat has positioned himself to be the next rapper to evolve that sound.

Yeat’s 2 Alive is the mainstream audience’s first glance at the full arsenal of the Portland rapper. He greets the listener on several tracks with an unwelcoming, violent delivery of adlibs. Yet, his nonchalant cadence and flow brings balance and makes for an easier listen. At times, the cadence is so nonchalant that he stumbles into a mumble with no intention of being understood. He displays this disregard for enunciation, reminiscent of Young Thug, on Nvr Again and Dnt lie. 

The Thug influence should not be understated. Just looking at the tracklist you will notice that most of the features are YSL affiliates (Young Thug himself, Gunna, and Yung Kayo). Yeat gives his best Thug Impressions when he switches from raspy strophes to random abrupt screeches throughout the album. It’s not all gimmicks for Yeat; he boasts his skill when he speeds recklessly through a bar and still falls into a consistent pocket on Rollin. He effortlessly complements intoxicating production with his unique voice, even using his voice as an instrument with lazy, leaned out adlibs evocative of Chief Keef on Kant die. 

In an industry where it is nearly impossible to be original, Yeat is finding his niche. His production, led by Trgc and Sharkboy, provide synth heavy inflections and timely bells that create an inescapable pulse for the listener to latch onto. He has developed his own lingo with twizzy, Tonka, and his typography (using umlauts over his “e’s”). 

“Got twizz army b*tch, we got troops” - Dnt lie 

“I’m in that Tonka, baby, yeah, come show me love” - Poppin

His star power is limitless with his originality, self-awareness, and hit-making potential. Nursery rhyme melodies on Real Six and Outside showcase his intentionality and knack for song-making. While the content is surface level right now, complexity is not a priority for Yeat. His focus is on rallying behind his momentum and snatching the torch as the next biggest star in rage rap. 

“I ain’t even talking bout sh*t, I’m just talking bout life” - Taliban.