Lil Uzi Vert used this past week to drop what was surely one of rap's most anticipated release, Luv Is Rage 2. Giving fans all of 12 hours in terms of notice, the resulting release is one that showcases a young emcee who is continuing to grow and help shape the current sound of hip-hop's newest wave. However, when he sat down with Zane Lowe, who hosts his own radio show on Beats 1 for Apple Music, for an interview, Uzi had some surprising revelations for those who watched. While this is true of pretty much the entire chat, several assertions in particular should pique the interest of anyone interested in not only Uzi's musical background and what inspires him, but also where he's headed after Luv Is Rage 2.
For starters, his biggest musical inspiration seems a highly unlikely choice for someone in the rap game: Paramore's Hayley Williams. "She’s like the best,” he told Lowe at one point in their conversation. “It’s hard to top that. She’s like the best, just of my generation... There’s nobody bro." It doesn't seem like a piece that fits all that well with Lil Uzi Vert's sound, but there are some small signs that this love for one of alternative rock's most recognizable names has been there for a long time now. One of the few accounts that Uzi follows from his official Twitter page is Williams', whom he sings along with when a Paramore song starts playing on his car stereo.
The rock roots have certainly given Uzi a specific musical direction that he wants to pursue next in his career. He told Lowe that an out-and-out rock album is what he's leaning towards undertaking as his next project, the fact that he's never pursued the genre in the studio notwithstanding. When asked if he'll still release the album even if it's "terrible," Lil Uzi Vert was non-committal. "I don't know. It's kind of hard for it to be bad because I don't really be looking at my songs like they're good or bad," he said. "So when I put 'em out, someone accepts them." It's some quiet confidence from a rapper who's got plenty more interesting material to bestow upon the world.
Check out the full video interview below.