Every once in a while, a Hip Hop artist comes along with a sound that is nothing like anything that his peers are doing. These kinds of artists are usually very polarizing, with a lot of more traditional Hip Hop fans rejecting the sound and a lot of younger fans attaching to it and becoming obsessed with these artists. Oftentimes, these artists end up becoming huge successes, with so many other currently popular and rising artists becoming inspired by them that the hating Hip Hop fans can help start to gravitate towards this sound. Artists over the years I can think of who had this effect are Future, Playboi Carti, Travis Scott, and Lil Uzi Vert. All of these artists got a lot of pushback when they first emerged, but they have now become some of the most important artists in the genre. Yeat is an artist who I think fits into this mold perfectly. His sound is so unlike anything his peers are doing, and he has already had a massive impact on Hip Hop. Since rising to prominence, Yeat has continued to improve, honing in his distinct sound and becoming he is one of the most interesting rappers on the come up today. Yeat first went viral after dropping his debut album Up to Më in 2021, when he was praised for the fresh sound that made him stand out. He followed this album with two releases in 2022, his second album, 2 Alive, as well as an EP called Lyfe. These projects did well, but Yeat really cemented himself as one of the new titans in Hip Hop with his 2023 album Afterlyfe. This album is recognized as his best release to date, with Yeat proving he is here to stay and a force to be reckoned with. Yeat has now returned with his highly anticipated fourth album, 2093. This record has been receiving a ton of hype, and it can make Yeat one of the new top rappers in the game if it is successful. That said, here is how I feel about Yeat’s 2093. Please let me know in the comments below what your favorite songs are from this record, and also comment on how you feel about 2093 as a whole.
Normally in my reviews, I talk about every track. Considering this album is 22 songs long and I do not want to make this a novel, I am instead going to cover some of my favorite moments in 2093 while briefly mentioning the more forgettable ones for me. The problem with doing that, though, is there is so much to love about this project. There are a few skippable moments where the album tails off a bit, but for the most part, 2093 creates a riveting sonic landscape that is dark, anxious, and exciting. 2093 starts really strong with the anthemic opener ‘Psycho CEO.’ This track has such an epic feeling. I love the menacing, looming synths that drive the melody of this track. When paired with the track’s buzzing bass, it makes this track so huge. Yeat’s vocals on ‘Psycho CEO’ are just as intense as the instrumental. I especially when he hits the higher notes on this track, as it makes the song feel so extreme. ‘Psycho CEO’ is an excellent introduction song, and it begins this album on a strong note. After Power Trip,’ which has a bit more of a toned-down sound that brings the album back to earth a bit, we get ‘Breathe,’ which may be my favorite song on the album. In fact, I would be surprised if it is not among my favorite songs of the year when 2024 is over. ‘Breathe’ is a song where Yeat is stepping out of his comfort zone. It does have the kind of buzzing bass one would expect from a Yeat song, but the tempo on this one is unlike anything i have heard from him. The best way I can describe this one is that is like an Industrial House/R&B Trap fusion. The beat for this one is fast and fun and will make anyone want to dance. I like the higher-pitched and heavily saturated synths that come in and out, as it gives the melody a brighter sound that is almost pleasant(which is obviously out of character for Yeat). Yeat’s vocal performance on ‘Breathe’ is great. His quick flow and low tone go so well with this instrumental, making the song feel like a Gothic Cyberpunk Club banger. Following ‘Morë,’ which is a song where Yeat goes back to his roots, we get ‘Bought The Earth,’ which is another track with a song where Yeat expands his horizons and does something different for himself. If I did not know this track was by Yeat and was not paying attention to the vocals very much, I may actually think this is a Future song. The instrumental reminds me a lot of Future’s music from his self-titled album/HNDRXX era. Although Yeat’s vocal style is distinctive, his flow even reminds me a bit of Future on this one. Yeat hits notes on this track that I did not know he could hit. I love how he strains his vocals, as it makes the song more emotional. ‘Bought The Earth’ has a lot softer and more charming a sound than one would expect from Yeat. This is a beatless track-driven orchestral melody that sounds like it is provided by violins and a sweet vocal sample. This song feels melancholy and hopeful at the same time(which is also reflected in the lyricism of the track). After ‘Nothing Changë,’ which may be the first truly skippable track on the album(it is not bad, it just does not draw me in that much), we get ‘U Should Know,’ which feels like Yeat’s version of the modern Melodic Trap music artists like Don Toliver, Nav, or Gunna are known for. It has the kind of tempo and melody that those artists are known for, but it is drowning in the kind of futuristic synths and sound effects that make Yeat so distinctive. The best way I can describe this one is that it sounds like if one of those artists above was transported to a dystopian future and came back with a Gothic and severe tone and sound. I could see this one becoming a sleeper hit because of the similarities to other current Melodic Trap. Yeat’s vocal performance on ‘U Should Know’ is not exceptional, but it is solid and does not take away from the enjoyability of the track. ‘U Should Know’ is one of the more tame songs from this record that I like a lot, and it shows that Yeat does not have to be super fierce all of the time.
‘Lyfestylë’ with Lil Wayne is probably the most disappointing moment on the record for me. I really want this one to work, but it just doesn’t. Unfortunately, I feel like Yeat’s and Lil Wayne’s flows and vocal styles don’t work well on this one. I hope this is not the only time Yeat gets to work with one of his idols in Lil Wayne, but ‘Lyfestylë’ is a miss. It is followed, however, by another major highlight from this record for me. ‘ILUV’ is a crazy track with an unexpected sample used in a way that is so cool and weird. The sample used on this track comes from the iconic Alt-Pop track ‘Fleece’ by Crystal Castles. The sample not only comes from the melody of that Industrial Noise-Pop track but also from the vocals on the chorus. The best way I can describe the instrumental for this one is that it is literally like a chopped-and-screwed Trap version of the song ‘Fleece.’ Yeat’s super guttural and deep vocal performance on this one nicely contrasts the slightly brighter sound of the melody and Crystal Castles vocal sample. After a slightly boring(in comparison with the rest of this album, not with other artists, of course) cut in ‘Tell më,’ we reach what might be the best stretch in the album, starting with ‘Shade.’ This one has quickly emerged as a fan favorite, and it is not tough to see why. ‘Shade’ literally sounds like an Electronic R&B Trap song from the actual year 2093. This is a song that embodies the futuristic and hellish theme of this record perfectly. The melody for this track is extremely dramatic, sounding like it is being played on some sort of otherworldly organ. The beat for most of ‘Shade’ is extremely weird being provided by squeaky synthetic drums that give the song such a distinct tempo. Towards the end of the track, the beat drops into a sludgy Trap tempo being provided by robotic-sounding drums. Yeat’s vocal performance throughout ‘Shade’ is great. He demonstrates a wide range in his vocals on this one, and his vocals help take this song over the top. ‘Keep Pushin’ is not a song that I have seen getting a lot of love since the release of this record, but I do enjoy it. This is probably the softest and lightest-sounding song on the album. Although the melody for this one is pretty melancholy, it does not feel nearly as tragic as the rest of the record. The song starts with an awesome synth and guitar solo that almost gives the song a 1980s Arena Rock feeling. When the beat comes in, it has a danceable R&B Trap tempo with a metallic tint to the drums that is pretty interesting. Yeat’s vocals on ‘Keep Pushin’ are not the best on the record, but he does show off a flow on this track I have not heard from him before that rides this beat well. I think ‘Keep Pushin’ is a sleeper track from this record that deserves a bit more appreciation. We go from one of the most low-key songs on the record to one of the most high-key ones in ‘Riot & Set it off.’ This is easily one of the craziest songs on the record. Everything about this track is so ferocious and harsh. The melody on this one is so cold and it’s honestly pretty scary, and the beats are insane. Like ‘Shade,’ this one has a fast tempo for most of the song, with a deliberate and slow Trap beat coming in at the end of the track. Instead of having an R&B Trap beat, though, ‘Riot & Set It Off’ has a super rapid Phonk beat. Yeat’s vocals on ‘Riot & Set it off’ are just as wild and strange as the instrumental. His vocals make this song seem even more colossal. ‘Riot & Set it off’ is such an unhinged song that no other mainstream Hip Hop artist today could make.
After a couple of tracks in ‘Team ceo’ and ‘2093’ that do not engage me much, we get the the Future feature with ‘Stand On It.’ Now ‘Stand On It’ is a very good track, but it does the same thing that I feel almost any song featuring Future does. Like so many other songs featuring him, this song seems like a Future song to me more than it does a Yeat song. It has easily one of the most mild instrumentals on the record. This melody and beat for ‘Stand On It’ feel like a pretty typical Future Melodic Trap track from the late 2010s with a slight Yeat accent on it through the distortion. Yeat’s flow and tone on this track have a Future feeling to them as well. This makes Future sound better than him on this track because no one is going to beat Future at his own game. ‘Familia’ is the other track from this record that has pretty unanimously been picked as a fan favorite. Like ‘Shade,’ it is not tough to see why this is the case. This may not be the risky or riveting song on the record, but it is easily the catchiest one. In a way, this instrumental reminds me of ‘Stand On It.’ This song has a late 2010s Atmospheric Melodic Trap sound that is heavily distorted and saturated to give it a Yeat twist. The best thing about this instrumental is the random guitar riffs that come in and out that ramp up the intensity of the track. Yeat’s vocal performance on ‘Familia’ is just great. His flow is so addicting and easy to follow, and his tone sits on the melody perfectly. Yeat once again goes from a more subdued song in ‘Familia’ immediately to a more powerful one in ‘Mr. Inbetweenit.’ To be honest, this may be the heaviest song on the whole record, which is saying a ton. The best way I can describe this one is that it feels like a Yeat version of an early Man On The Moon Kid Cudi song. This song has the kind of off-kilter tempo and Ethereal synths driving the melody that make me think of classic Kid Cudi music, they are just way more heavily distorted and sludgy than anything Kid Cudi would have put out. Yeat’s vocals on ‘Mr. InBetweenit’ are not anything special, but his flow is solid and his vocals certainly do not take away from the track. This song is such a head trip that it kind of embodies the feeling of the whole record. It is unusual, but it works so well. After three songs in a row that feel like pretty standard and basic Yeat-style songs ‘Psychococainë,’ Run Thëy Mouth,’ and ‘If We Being Rëal’(these tracks are not bad and probably appeal to fans of his who have been there from the beginning, they just are not nearly as exciting as many other moments in the record), Yeat closes 2093 with the song ‘1093.’ This is the brightest and most pleasant-sounding song on the record. Driven by colorful and vivid synths, this song is not as heavy or dark as pretty much anything before it. The lack of a true beat on this track makes it feel extra powerful. Yeat’s vocals on ‘1093’ are a lot more charming and agreeable than most of his other performances on this record as well. ‘1093’ has a very climatic feeling to it, as if Yeat is trying to send this album out on a positive note.
After starting his career out in such a polarizing and enormous manner, Yeat had a lot of expectations on his new album 2093. I am glad to say that I think he lived up to those expectations with this record. This is an album that no other popular rappers right now could make. Yeat has crafted a sound that is so uncomparable to his peers, and they are currently trying to catch up. 2093 is an album that is aptly named, as it feels like it is from the future. I have seen some funny descriptions for the sound from this album being either the Batman: Arkham Knight video games or that feels like a Cyberpunk Space Cowboy Intergalactic war, and I think these ideas fit the theme of 2093 perfectly. The only thing that holds this record back for me is its runtime. Like I said throughout the project, there are no actual bad songs on this record in my opinion. If the most forgettable 5-8 were cut out of the record, I think this album could be above a 9 in terms of score. Regrettably, the skippable moments do hold the album back a bit for me. 2093 is still a high-quality record, though, and it proves that Yeat is now one of the better young rappers in the game today.
EAST SIDE VIBES 