Lil Yachty has nearly completed his evolution from Internet phenomenon to permanent fixture in the rap game. In the past 10 days, he earned a spot in XXL's 2016 Freshman class and signed to Quality Control to the surprise of no one -- QC head honcho Coach K has managed and mentored Yachty since late 2015. With an innovative use of auto-tune, neon red braids, and love for all things nautical, Yachty is probably not a human being and possibly an alien species. Hate him or love him, he is here to stay.
Click through the gallery to get acquainted with Lil Yachty via his 10 most essential tracks.
"All Times"
One of Yachty's early hits, "All Times" consists of Yachty rapping about his gun-toting havits and distrust of the general populace over the Rugrats theme song. It's an insightful window into Yachty's psyche and a perfect example of his particular brand of "flex music."
"Keep that chopper with me at all times."
"Minnesota"
The "Minnesota" beat possesses an uplifting happiness that is legible to even a toddler, similar to the way "Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)" was a huge hit among the age 2-6 demographic. The extended version of the song features Quavo, Skippa da Flippa, and Young Thug, and Yachty is clearly the best equipped to handle the beat out of all of them.
"Ballin Like a Piston"
If you are looking to convert and/or son a Lil Yachty hater, point him in the direction of "Ballin Like a Piston." Much like Lil B, Yachty possesses a turbo boost more potent than 90% of the rap population. He can genuinely spit when he feels so compelled.
"Wanna Be Us"
Burberry Perry is Yachty's best friend, hype man, and go-to producer. He is also probably the only hip hop artist to have hiked the Appalachian Trail. He shows off his hiking prowess in the video for "Wanna Be Us," in which he heads out on a pleasant sunset hike with his BFF Lil Boat.
"We Got It"
Lil Yachty and his QC brother Rich the Kid have collaborated on numerous occasions (honorable mention: "Fresh Off The Boat"). Their best collab by far is "We Got It," a sizzling trap banger. Yachty and RTK trade 4s throughout, and their back-and-forth rapidly escalates into a friendly competition that brings out the best of Yachty's rapping abilities.
Chance the Rapper - "Mixtape" feat. Young Thug & Lil Yachty
Not totally unlike how Chance the Rapper stole the show on Kanye West's "Ultralight Beam," Yachty stole the show on "Mixtape" by delivering an exquisite verse on living life and making art on his terms (and extending two middle fingers to the haters).
Bankroll Mafia - "Hyenas" feat. Lil Yachty
When I saw Yachty open for Young Thug at the beginning of May, I was taken aback for his auto-tuned riffing style in which his melody had nothing to do with the chords playing underneath. But as his short but memorable appearance on "Hyenas" indicates, Yachty possesses good melodic instincts (when he wants to).
D.R.A.M. - "Broccoli" feat. Lil Yachty
The only rapper who enjoys cheesin' more than Yachty is D.R.A.M., so it was only a matter of time before they formed a creative partnership. A sort of evolved form of "Minnesota," "Broccoli" is centered around the unlikely combination of a flower blossom piano vamp and apocalyptic 808s. Yachty spouts plenty of memorable one-liners, most notably "Hey lil mama would you like to be my sunshine?/ Nigga touch my gang we gon' turn this shit to Columbine."
"No Hook" feat. Quavo (prod. FKi)
FKi craft an exquisite beat comprised of soft synth hits that evoke raindrops noiselssly splashing onto lilypads, with more severe, distorted synth hits punctuating the tranquility with bolts of lighting. In the words of Carver Low, "[the song's] futuristic sounding beat perfectly caters to Lil Yachty’s category-resistant nasal flow."
"1Night"
As the legend goes, Lil Yachty was a miserable freshman at Alabama State (just last fall) when "1Night" started to pick up some steam online. He dropped out, began pursing music full-time, and the rest was history.
Yachty only has a few music videos out, but the "1Night" video is a nearly perfect encapsulation of Yachty's essence.