Lil Uzi Vert released long-awaited “Pink Tape” last Friday, their first album since “Eternal Atake” released three years prior. The project sticks to their typical cloud trap approach to hip-hop, however they frequently venture into metal and rock territory across the tracklist.
“Pink Tape” is a colorful and diverse collection of songs encapsulating Uzi’s blend of infectious melodies, hard-hitting beats and braggadocious lyricism. The album begins with a woman speaking the line, “Haha, Uzi, not again. You’re never gonna change.”
The rest of the album backs up this statement as Uzi sticks true to their unique tastes, mixing them together into a culture-bending project.
Like many 13-year-olds in 2007, Lil Uzi had an “emo phase.” They even toured with Fall Out Boy in 2015 as part of the “Boys of Zummer” tour. This early 2000s rock influence is heavy on the new album. One song is a cover of System of a Down’s “Chop Suey!” and other songs during the latter half of the album feature collaborations with bands like Bring Me The Horizon and Japanese kawaii metal band BABYMETAL.
Japanese and kawaii culture is also a staple of Uzi’s style. One song entitled “Nakamura” references the Japanese WWE wrestler of the same name. On “Suicide Doors” they name drop Goku, comparing the spikes on his head to theirs. They also claim that they “dress Asian” on the song “Died And Came Back”.
Appearance is important to Uzi, with many lyrics from the project being about their style. Littered throughout the tracklist are mentions of the watches they wear, the jewelry they own and the cars they drive. In “Pluto To Mars” they gloat their “Yellow diamond look[s] like Marge,” comparing the appearance of their diamond to that of the famous wife Marge Simpson from the cartoon television show “The Simpsons.”
On “Endless Fashion”, Uzi and Nicki Minaj name-drop brands that they frequently wear including Dolce, Gabbana, Burberry and Carhartt, over an interpolation of Eiffel 65’s “I’m Blue,” — a song also sampled on David Guetta’s “I’m Good (Blue)” which reached the Billboard Top 10 earlier this year.
The album also offers features from artists such as Travis Scott and Don Toliver, increasing its appeal towards a more mainstream audience. The most popular song on the album, “Just Wanna Rock”, recently went viral on TikTok. The song is a switch from Uzi’s typical cloud rap style and features a more four-on-the-floor, electronic sound.
However, compared to other rappers Uzi joined on the 2016 XXL Freshman Cypher, they have not branched out much from their old sound. Denzel Curry and Lil Yachty are venturing away from their trap roots towards more funk and psychedelic rock influences. Many songs on “Pink Tape” feel repetitive and phoned in, failing to stand out in the album’s hour-and-a-half-long tracklist.
“Pink Tape” shows Lil Uzi’s strength in their ability to craft a catchy melody and blend together genres. However, other than the few ventures and collaborations into the world of rock, the album was lacking in aspects to make it stand out from previous songs Uzi has released. This album will likely not reach the heights that their past work has, as their failure to evolve as an artist and unnecessarily long tracklist makes it a slog to listen to all the way through.
