Lil Uzi Vert has had such an artistic rebrand in recent years that it's easy to forget how long they've been popular. They have dominated the charts for a decade, and collaborated with some of the biggest artists in the world. One of these artists is Kanye West. Uzi Vert and West appeared on the Travis Scott single "Watches" in 2018, but they were actually supposed to link up two years prior on West's album The Life of Pablo. Lil Uzi Vert laid down vocals for the song "Fade," but they were scrapped from the final version. Whatever they would have sounded like on the song was left to the imagination.
Until today. The alternate version of "Fade" was leaked online on May 29, complete with a verse from Uzi. The rest of the song is similar, with backing vocals from Ty Dolla Sign and Post Malone, but their singular style completely changes the feel of the song. Lil Uzi Vert is actually the first person to get a verse before West, and they make the most of it. They ride the bouncy house instrumental with ease, and opt for a low key, cool approach. This stands in direct contrast to the wild inflections of say, Uzi's guest verse on "Bad and Boujee." It's understandable why West scrapped it for something with more energy, but it's still very interesting to hear.
Lil Uzi Vert Laid Down A Guest Verse Back In 2016
Lil Uzi Vert has been vocal about the unreleased music they have with Kanye West. During the 2018 Grammy Awards, the rapper told Complex Magazine that they and West literally hundreds of songs that have yet to see the light of day. "Me and Kanye been working ever since Lil Uzi ever existed in his music career," they explained. "I always knew 'Ye. We have like hundreds of stuff, but trying to get it together. Stuff means it rounds about to anything you can think of."
West has been one of Lil Uzi Vert's most vocal champions. He regularly praises Uzi's albums, and during a 2022 episode of Drink Champs, cited the rapper of one of two artists who represent the future of hip-hop. "It's always two," he noted. "Always two at a time. It's really [Playboi] Carti and Uzi." West also went as far as to compare Lil Uzi Vert to Steve Jobs in a 2020 tweet. When rumors surfaced that he was no longer a fan of the rapper, West set the record straight. “I love Uzi," he wrote. "I be saying the same thing about Steve Jobs I be feeling just like Uzi."