Lil Yachty’s been on quite the tear lately, going way out of his way that he can make any kind of music with any kind of collaborator. From straightforward rap bangers with the likes of J. Cole and Drake to more experimental collaborations with James Blake and Gus Dapperton, Yachty has been on a one-man mission to prove he’s the hero hip-hop needs to pull it out of its “terrible state.” After showing off his rap chops on the more traditionalist “A Cold Sunday,” Yachty smashes together noise rap and dubstep on “Something Ether,” a glitchy, industrial banger sure to turn those traditionalists against him but garner an even wider variety of rage-ready fans.
That all this comes after his alt-rock album, Let’s Start Here, feels a little like evidence that Yachty really is underrated by… well… everyone. Refusing to be boxed into any single category, he effortlessly slips between lanes, genres, and personas, going from spitting cavalier punchlines with Michigan’s rising stars to crooning along to Joy Division-inspired easy rockers played by his all-woman band. At some point, we’re going to have to start mentioning him with the same reverence as those above collaborators; all he needs is one big commercial hit and the narrative will definitely start rolling. “Something Ether” probably won’t be that hit, but stranger things have happened.
Watch Lil Yachty’s “Something Ether” video above.