No one could’ve expected how big a star Lil Yachty would eventually become. His breakout song, “One Night”, was a breezy, colorful time, ditto for his feature on DRAM’s smash hit “Broccoli”. But those are playful, almost childlike records. Moreover, his 2017 album, Teenage Emotions, practically flopped on arrival, was critically panned, and its biggest song peaked at a modest No. 76 on Billboard’s Hot 100. For a lot of artists, that would end their time in the spotlight. But Yachty persevered, and now he’s one of the bigger acts in hip-hop. Now, he’s reflecting on the time when no one believed in his stardom.
Recently, Lil Yachty posted a video on Instagram (now captured by DJ Akademiks), thinking back on his journey. Ten years into the game, he wants people to realize that he’s surpassed everyone’s expectations of him time and time again. Consequently, he should receive a bit more legitimacy when people talk about him. Yachty demonstrates real longevity in a music industry that is frequently discarding its stars.
Lil Yachty Demands Respect From People Who Doubted Him
“Well, first they said I was a one-hit wonder,” Yachty says. “They were like, ‘You’re not going to make it past ‘One Night.’ That’s it.’ And then they said, ‘one year.’ Like, ‘We won’t hear him by next year.’ Then it became the average rapper has a lifespan of five years. And now the conversation is, ‘How is he still relevant?’”
Nowadays, Lil Yachty lets his resume speak for itself. He’s gone from Drake to James Blake, launched his own rap collective, Concrete Boys, and never settled into one genre or another. He’ll go from hip-hop to psychedelic rock alike, all with his wobbly, squiggly crooning. This kind of creativity is the kind of stuff that people credit Tyler, the Creator for, someone that Yachty looks up to a lot.
As a result, when Lil Yachty finished his time touring with Tyler on his Chromakopia tour, he made it a point to thank him for his guidance. “Last leg of this tour for me and I just want to take the time to thank you for your friendship, thanking you for giving me the praises i needed to push me on and holding me accountable when i do some ignorant s***,” he wrote. “All in all, i’m grateful. 1 of the few mentors i have, always held me accountable, always challenged me. Forever grateful. “Young men need mentors. Need a line of proper guidance. Thanks Tyyytyyy.”
The post ‘How Is He Still Relevant?’: Lil Yachty Reflects on People Predicting He Would Be a One-Hit Wonder appeared first on VICE.
