For the past week or so ever since this album came out it has been on regular rotation for me and before I get into it this is hands down the best trap album of the year for me. It's still March but I honestly don't think we will have a trap album better than this in 2020. I hope I'm proven wrong but that's the pedestal I'm putting this album on.

Production

Every track in this album has immaculate production and is a delight to listen to. This is one of those albums that really benefits from a good speaker system and turning up the bass just a little bit. Your neighbours might hate you for that though.

I would like to call out one specific track for what I think is one of the best sampling I have heard in a hip-hop track in a bit: You Better Move. This track samples the sounds from the video game ' Space Cadet 3D Pinball ' that was in Windows 2000 and XP. Listening to this track the first time immediately took me back to playing that on my first computer as a kid. The samples works so damn well with the track as well, shoutout to Brandon Finessin who produced this track. A new bar has been set for sampling video game music and sounds in hip-hop.

Another track that I would like to talk about is Prices. This track samples a Travis Scott track called 'way back' and it is also a exemplary example of the exquisite sampling work in this album. Just glorious. This one was produced by Harold Harper and Cashmere Cat.

Lyrics

Going into this (trap) album I wasn't expecting the strongest lyricism but I think I should give Lil Uzi Vert some credit here. While the lyrics are not the most densely packed, they are clever and delivered well. Good hooks all around, a couple questionable lines. Basically what you expect from a trap album.

I mean, this is unironically a lot of fun:

I went to the store and got me some Vetements
Some Pradas, Balenci', Balenci', Balenci'
I spend it all on that lil' bitch
Balenci', Balenci', Balenci', Balenci', Balenci'
Balenci', Balenci', Balenci', Balenci', Balenci'
Balenci', Balenci', Balenci', Balenci', Balenci'

Lil Uzi Vert - POP

Prices again is a standout track for me, I just love the pre-chorus so much:

[Pre-Chorus]
Uh, you is a lie
Uh, you is not cut from this side, uh
You cannot come to this side, yeah
Gangster, but my jeans too tight (Yeah)
I see my opps through the sight (Uh)
Hit that bitch once and then tell her good night (Yeah, yeah)
All white on my ice, look like rice
Stacked up, then get right out the sight (Yeah)

Lil Uzi Vert - Prices

Concluding thoughts

If you are hip-hop fan I think you should at least give this album a listen even if you are not into the trap sub-genre. It is going to be on regular rotation for me throughout the year especially because of the solid production work on display here.

This is the first time I've listened to Lil Uzi Vert, I'm not familiar with his work before this but consider me a new fan. I'm looking forward to what else this man can do. A fuckin' Space Cadet Pinball sample, yes please.