Lil Yachty has been teasing his new album for some time, but fans weren't ready for the psychedelic vibes he had in store.
On Friday, January 27, the Quality Control rapper stunned the industry with his brand new album Let's Start Here. With help from a live band, Lil Boat puts rap to the side as he offers a fresh alternative rock vibe throughout the project. He self-produced 12 out of the 14 songs with contributions from executive producer SADPONY, Patrick Wimberly, Jake Portrait and plenty other beatmakers. The experimental LP has been in the works for over a year. Last January, he explained that he's always wanted to make an alternative rock album.
"My new album...it's a non-rap album, it's alternative. It's sick," he told Ice Box jewelers in Atlanta. "I've always wanted to [do an alternative album] but now I have met all these amazing musicians and producers."
"It's like a psychedelic alternative project that's cool, it's different," he add. "It's different. It's all live instrumentation. I've changed my dynamic, you know what I'm sayin'? Like, I'm telling you, this album...I'm creating music a whole lot differently."
Yachty embraces his love for Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and completely switches up his flow as he croons over live guitars and drums. Prior to the album's release, Yachty hosted an exclusive listening party in New Jersey. Initially he advertised "fine dining" on a flyer that went out earlier this week, but was actually just an assortment of snacks and drinks. Among the theater full of attendees were his friends Drake and Offset, who sat next to him in their reserved section.
Earlier this week, Yachty also dropped a teaser for the album, which could also be a sneak peek into his upcoming video. Let's Start Here. serves as the follow-up to his viral hit "Poland" and his 2021 album Michigan Boy Boat. The latter features Tee Grizzley, Icewear Vezzo, Babyface Ray, Sada Baby, BabyTron and more. Listen to Lil Yachty's new album below.