Luv Is Rage 2
A vertiginous, gone-viral stage dive at 2017’s Rolling Loud Festival upheld Uzi’s claims to being a “rock star.” On *Luv Is Rage 2*, he engages one of rock’s other key tropes: peering into the abyss. With his sharply melodic flow, he makes plenty of allusions to his success, comparing his diamonds to Pharrell’s over the video-game bleeps of “For Real” before trading triumphant verses with the man himself on “Neon Guts.” However, he also peels back some layers of an unsettled soul, confronting the pain of a broken relationship on “Feelings Mutual” and “XO TOUR Llif 3.”
Uzi’s latest project comes very close to delivering on the chaotic, sublime promise of “XO Tour Llif3.” It’s the Philly rapper’s most musically developed work to date.
After the steady release of EPs and mixtapes in the three years following their debut, Philadelphia rapper Lil Uzi Vert finally issued their first official studio full-length in 2017.
That hit would be “XO Tour Llif3,” one of the best rap singles of the year and the biggest smash yet from the ascendant Atlanta rapper Lil Uzi Vert.