The album that changed the current rap scene. A niche subgenre of rap becoming mainstream simply because of one rapper. Pink Tape by Lil Uzi Vert has been one of the most inspirational albums in recent times. This album helped inspire the new generation of rap, with many underground artists implementing a rage aspect to their sound.
The Lead Up
Pink Tape is Lil Uzi Vert’s first full length project since their 2020 release of Eternal Atake. The 3 year wait had many fans speculating on whether he would end up sticking with his original style, or whether he would experiment with different unheard sounds. Fans heard many different sounds from Uzi during the wait, such as the release of ‘Sasuke’, a song referencing the character from the anime Naruto. This track featured Uzi experimenting with a “baby voice” that was noticeably disliked by fans, which may have caused Uzi to scrap the sound. In 2021, he released the single ‘Demon High’ for Halloween. This was the first song Uzi released that had similar sounds to the official release of Pink Tape. The album was initially introduced to the fans in 2021, when Uzi hosted an Instagram Live and previewed several songs that made it onto Pink Tape’s final release.
The final result displays Lil Uzi Vert’s mixed personality in an album blending rock, rap, pop, and even some metalcore influences.
Experimentation
Lil Uzi Vert takes a maximalist approach on Pink Tape embracing the idea of “more is more.” According to Matthew Ritchie from Pitchfork, Pink Tape is a “Frankenstein creation that attempts to marry all the parts of Uzi’s personality, creating a sprawling realm of pulsating rap, death metal screams, and rock riffs.” Uzi starts the album off with ‘Flooded The Face’ and ‘Suicide Doors’, two songs that set the pace for the album with Uzi growling and rapping over fierce, out-of-this world beats. Uzi then collaborates with Travis Scott on track 3 titled ‘Aye’, a “straight up flex-anthem from two artists at the top of their game” as described by MC Artificial, analyzer from Beats, Rhymes, Lists. Lil Uzi Vert continues the fierce anthems until roughly midway through when he switches it up and samples WWE fighter Shinsuke Nakamura’s entrance song ‘The Rising Sun’ on the track ‘Nakamura’. Uzi then trails ‘Nakamura’ with 3 rock inspired tracks, one being ‘Chop Suey’, a cover of the song by System of a Down. Uzi then completely switches direction and follows with multiple introspective songs where he talks about different struggles he faces in life that come with money and fame. Pink Tape wraps up with the song, ‘The End’ featuring the kawaii metal band BABYMETAL. This song circles back to the beginning rage beats with a twist of death metal. Mark Chinapen, a modern music analyst from Medium also suggests Lil Uzi Vert’s “brand of emo rap pairs nicely with the album’s introduction of more electric guitars and metal drums on most songs.”
Accolades
Pink Tape debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200. According to Keith Caulfield from Billboard, “Pink Tape brings a rap album to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for the first time in 2023.” The album earned 167,000 week one sales, which was 2nd all time for the rapper. A record breaking 18 songs from the tape debuted on the Billboard 100, which made Lil Uzi Vert the 14th rapper to reach 100 total entries. Pink Tape also became certified platinum and the single “Just Wanna Rock” from the album became quadruple platinum.
Lasting Impact
To conclude, Lil Uzi Vert’s Pink Tape served as a bold experiment that challenged the existing norms in the rap scene. It’s genre-blending approach and exploration of diverse sounds have left a significant mark, influencing both artists and fans to embrace a more expansive look on rap. While the overall success of Pink Tape may be questionable, the album undoubtedly pushed boundaries and solidified Lil Uzi Vert as a trailblazer in the rap scene.
