Sharp notes: Lil’ Yachty’s “Let’s Start Here”

Fans were expecting Lil’ Yachty to stay in his lane with a trap-rap-style release, but rap is the last thing “Let’s Start Here” could be labeled as. Officially, it is an alternative piece, but people are also referring to it as “psychedelic rock” and are making several comparisons to other famed musicians, such as the Beatles and Pink Floyd. 

“Let’s Start Here” came completely out of left field, but saying it was well-received would be a massive understatement. Scrolling through the entire #LetsStartHere tag on Twitter reveals a scarce amount of criticism, and most of the time it was even paired up with praise. 

In fact, the “Poland” rapper is even reaching an entirely new fan base, with several people tweeting about their new-found love for the artist. @MindfireXL, the host of pop culture and entertainment podcast The Film Blerds, tweeted “Am I a @lilyachty fan now? To say #LetsStartHere is a departure is an understatement. … Conceptually it is the pure definition of everything, everywhere, all at once.” 

Lil’ Boat, as fans refer to him, made a point that he does not want to be treated like a mumble rapper. It’s not easy for people to break out of their labels — especially in the music and entertainment industry — but he did it flawlessly. 

Prior to the listening party, he posted a video to Twitter where he said, “This album is so special and dear to me. I think I created it just because I really wanted to be taken serious as an artist, you know. Not just some SoundCloud rapper, not some mumble rapper. Not some guy that just made one hit.” 

He wanted listeners to give it a chance and be open-minded about hearing something so new. The day before the release of the album on Jan. 26, he tweeted, “I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO LISTEN FULLY THROUGH THE FIRST TIME. DONT SKIP, DONT SHUFFLE. I NEED U TO HEAR IT HOW ITS INTENDED PLZ.”

The album’s most considerable criticism is the lack of lyrical substance. In many instances, it’s difficult to understand what he’s saying. His voice is diluted through auto-tune, and it’s easy to lose track of the songs’ meanings and purposes.

The project is certainly upheld by its intriguing and unique sound — simultaneously stimulating and yet relaxing, too. Each track is distinct and expressive. They stand individually, even when looking at them all together.

The first song on the album, “the BLACK seminole.” is being sonically compared to Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” — specifically, the songs “Breathe (In the Air)” and “The Great Gig in the Sky.”  

The album has no listed features, but reports show that MGMT’s Benjamin Goldwasser, Mac DeMarco, Daniel Caesar, and Magdalena Bay were among the contributing artists.

“Let’s Start Here” is Lil’ Yachty’s first project release since 2021’s mixtape “Michigan Boat Boy” and first studio album since “Lil’ Boat 3” in 2020.

You can stream Lil’ Yachty’s “Let’s Start Here” on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music, and other major music streaming services.