After a run of three highly popular mixtapes, Lil Uzi Vert’s first studio album Luv is Rage 2 (LIR2), debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The album had an immediate and lasting impact on the trap genre. Before the album was released, Uzi was the face of a new “soundcloud” era of rap that was rejected by more traditional hip hop trailblazers. Uzi had even been labeled by some as “Rock and not Hip Hop.” Despite this, LIR2 was a massive hit and is what I believe to be the greatest trap album of all time.
The opening track “Two” shows Uzi’s versatility in both rapping and singing while talking about his already massive impact on the rap genre. The song shows what is to come on the rest of the album, as we experience his unique vocal and lyrical intertwinement for the first time.
“Sauce It Up”, the album’s third track features a dark and gritty trap beat. The instrumental is a highlight and an example of the album’s unique yet high-quality producing, and allows for Uzi to showcase his rapping ability with his elite delivery and voice. Uzi delivers a catchy hook as well as two strong verses in one of the album’s most popular and quality tracks.
“The way Life Goes (feat. Oh Wonder)” is one of Uzi’s most popular songs and for good reason. The song features an iconic instrumental produced by Don Cannon, and a sample feature from indie band Oh Wonder. The song is emotional in all facets from the lyrics to delivery. Uzi raps and sings about ending an emotional and toxic relationship and finding a way to get past his emotions and live the rest of his life. The song is top three on the album and one of the most genre bending trap songs ever released.
The next three tracks all showcase the quality and versatility of the album. “For Real” has an aggressive beat, delivery, and lyrical performance. The song is a great change of pace on the album as it is so easy to listen to. The opposite can be said from “Feelings Mutual” which is a dark and emotional trap instrumental. Uzi uses his melodic style which matches the beat perfectly and gives another emotional lyrical and vocal performance. “Neon Guts (feat. Pharrell Williams)” is the most unique song on the album. Being produced by Pharrell himself the song is incredibly up beat as the two artists go back and forth bragging about their creative success and their quality life styles. Each of these three songs are unique in style and show Uzi’s flexibility on the album
“UnFazed (feat. The Weeknd)” gives us the best feature on the album. The Weeknd gives a strong vocal and lyrical performance on a simple yet effective piano instrumental. Both artists perform their verses unapologetically confident while also showcasing their unique deliveries and voices. Both artists play well off of eachother and it provides a great listening experience.
“Pretty Mami” is undoubtedly the most underrated song on the album, as it showcases how well rounded Uzi is, and the Rock influence on the whole album. The song fires on all cylinders with elite production, elite vocal, and lyrical performances from Uzi as he uses a combination of his famous melodic flow and his ability to rap. The song is the best on the album and incredibly underrated.
“Dark Queen” gives us Uzi’s most heartfelt song on the album. The instrumental is dark but allows for Uzi’s unique style. He raps about his mother and growing up in Philadelphia giving an emotional lyrical and vocal performance. It is one of Uzi’s highest quality songs as it is versatile and emotional.
Of course it is hard to talk about this album without mentioning the two most popular tracks on the album “20 min” and “XO Tour Llif3”. “20 min” is all vibes with its iconic upbeat production. Uzi’s melodic flow and confidence go perfectly with the song as he effortlessly flows on the beat. “XO Tour Llif3” also has an amazing instrumental, but is very dark and almost scary, as Uzi’s melodic flow is emotional and numb. He raps about his difficulty with substance abuse and his struggles with mental illness. The song is very catchy with one of the more iconic and memorable hooks in trap history. Both songs have amassed one billion streams on spotify, and are iconic trap songs.
Hip Hop fans may point to other trap albums as the greatest ever. They would be quick to point out albums such as Playboi Carti’s Die Lit, Travis Scott’s Astroworld, or Young Thug’s Jeffery. Yes, these are all time trap albums that still strike conversation today, but fail to reach the same combination of impact, originality, popularity, versatility, and quality that LIR2 did. Uzi’s unrivaled vocals allowed for an experimental album. Because of the experiment’s success, it ushered in a whole new wave of artists such as Ken Carson, Yeat, and even Playboi Carti who could use unique flows and deliveries. LIR2 changed the hip hop genre forever as it ended the criticism of the soundcloud era, and made trap music mainstream in the industry in the late 2010’s to this day.