Well now. On top of a new clothing collection, mercurial internet sensation Lil Yachty is capping off a very successful 2016 with an appearance in the storied pages of the New York Times Style Section. The extended piece on the rapper, we learn about his experiences with fame and see him styled in a number of high end brands.
Throughout the piece, we learn of Yachty’s unshakable confidence in himself. “I always knew I was going to be something,” he says in the article. “I didn’t know what.” As he goes on, it’s clear his self-perception is still shifting. “I’m not a rapper, I’m an artist,” he continues, “and I ‘m more than an artist, I’m a brand.”
He also proclaims himself (again) as the “the face of the youth” and “the new sound,” a much debated statement that will probably only serve to drive Lil Yachty’s fame even higher. One fascinating detail about his youth we hadn’t heard yet is that his father Shannon McCollum worked as a photographer for acts like Outkast, Goodie Mob and Lil Jon, giving Yachty and early sense of style. His father also took photos of him weekly as a child, and says that “by 3 or 4, he was so comfortable in front of a camera.”
Read the whole story for an in-depth look at Lil Yachty's rise to fame.