Lil Yachty‘s debut album Teenage Emotions is not going to make you a fan if you don’t already like him.
Lil Yachty is 19-years old with a lot of money in his bank account. So, that should let you know what to expect to hear if you try sitting down listening to him rap for an hour. Since he jumped straight from high school into a rap career, his conversation is going to be limited. But even his biggest fans could not have thought that the self-proclaimed “King Of The Teens” would have so little to say on a 21-track album that is boldly titled Teenage Emotions.
The first six songs feature Yachty either rapping about how much money or p*ssy he’s getting right now. His boasts and brags on songs like “Dirty Mouth” are at Ric Flair levels, but it definitely lives up to the title because you will need to clean your ears out after listening to it.
He seems to hit his creative stride at track #8 on “All You Had To Say” where he actually starts to show teenage emotions for the first time on the album. Here, he talks about the isolation he’s felt since becoming a star. He sets the tone for the when he opens with, “I done lived my life long enough to know, everybody not as real as they say.” Yachty follows up with “Better” and “Forever Young” where he displays his pop melodies skills with lighthearted lyrics about simply wanting to improve his situation.
After this, he ventures back into the “money and p*ssy” raps while reminding us all that he doesn’t care what anyone thinks about him. Especially on “Priorities” where he admits to having his priorities out of order with no real desire to change them. Then on “No More” he recognizes that he should probably stop wasting his money on the “b*tches” in his life.
The album’s highlight is “Made Of Glass” where he sings about seeking the affection of a girl who never seems to notice him. The song stands out because it is one of the rare times that Yachty actually shows an “emotion” that doesn’t have anything to do with his money.
If you’re going into listening to Teenage Emotions looking for things to hate on, you will find plenty. But, if you are willing to give Yachty a shot, you may find yourself enjoying the few times he does show emotions. You will also notice that as an artist, he is more than the soundbites he’s known for.
That said, this album does not need to be 21 songs long. If Yachty trimmed the fat of the “money and p*ssy” raps, he would have a very respectable debut on his hands. But, since he is all about his money, it becomes obvious that this album has so many songs because he and his team want to take advantage of the new streaming rules that actually reward artists who drop long ass albums. Complex does a good job of breaking that trend down.
Listen for yourself below.
