Lil Yachty has been a pretty eclectic type of artist since he's burst onto the rap scene. He's been involved with some big radio singles as the featured artist, but his solo work has never quite fit perfectly into the mainstream music mold. According to a recent interview with The New Yorker's Kelefa Sanneh, Quality Control's Coach K wants Lil Yachty to remain focused on finding his voice instead of that elusive "hit" record.
Coach K, born Kevin Lee, says that Yachty's appeal, especially online, lies in his realness. “He’s not a street cat,” Lee explained. “But, in the streaming world and online, his credibility was real—he was authentic.” Lee has become known in the industry as an expert when it comes to discovering and then nurturing young talent, particularly when they're coming out of Atlanta's red-hot hip-hop factory. The stroke of genius in his dealings with Yachty was, after Teenage Emotions was considered to be a commercial flop, Lee's advice was not to change a thing:
“'I got something to prove right now,' Yachty told Lee. 'I gotta have fire on fire on fire on fire.' But Lee says that Yachty shouldn’t worry about old-fashioned hits," said Sanneh, "because his big and loyal online audience doesn’t worry about them, either." It's the kind of approach that has the Boaty one on the right track for a follow-up long-form project.
Where does Lil Yachty rank when it comes to Quality Control's artists? Let your voice be heard in the comments.
