2020 Hip-Hop Power Players: Lil Uzi Vert
Theo Wargo | Credit: Getty Images for TIDAL
The year 2020 has been unprecedented, historic and many other things. The music industry, in particular hip-hop wasn’t immune from any of it. As we close 2020 we take a look back at some of hip-hop’s biggest power players.
Before releasing his album Eternal Atake in March of this year, Lil Uzi Vert had gone three years without giving his fans a full musical body of work. Given the climate of rap since his last release it was well overdue. His core fans missed him and he showed everyone else why he had such a strong stay in the house of hip-hop. He also showed why his miscellaneous business (Label issues, “street” issues, etc) remained a topic on the blogs.
Here comes EA, Eternal Atake. Having released several singles to build anticipation for the project by the end of 2019 Uzi and his team decided it was time. His label issues seemed to be straightened out, the buzz around the music was almost where he wanted it, and the game needed something fresh. Uzi gave his fans a few free gems (Sanguine Paradise & That’s A Rack) and dropped what would be his only single to make the album, Futsal Shuffle 2020.
Vert went viral when he released futsal shuffle and was able to not only milk the buzz, but add to it with his dance videos. He embraced the love so much that the Shuffle became one of many Tik Tok dances this year. Now that everything was in order, it was finally time.
What confirmed it was time was the heavy reception to him teasing album covers. Quite genius I might add, Having told fans it would release within a time period, he delivered it sooner. Surprisingly at that.
He released the album several hours after 12 AM creating much more of a frenzy and it would be a topic for months to come. Now everyone is engaging, digesting and dissecting. The very next day he confirmed a deluxe album, in which he was the only artist this year, brave enough to market it as another album. Then he released the deluxe the following Friday. Having just released 30 brand new records in seven days, it was very much reminiscent of FUTURE, HNDRXX back in 2017.
Then comes July 2020, the pandemic is at its peak and social unrest has swept the nation and Lil Uzi and Future are back to teasing a project together. They announce the album via Instagram, but really at the time it was still unclear if it was indeed, an album. July 31st, they released two records.
future Verified
BABY PLUTO DAY
So as time proceeds the people are thinking no way that’s it? No way they got hype Williams to do a visual for them for just two songs. The people were once again, correct. November 11th, 2020 (2 days prior to release) they officially announced the album, Pluto x Baby Pluto. Then surprised us with it.
In my opinion the album initially was overwhelming, but after several listens you start to like tracks that were just alright during first listen. Four days later, the deluxe version of the album was released. This was just another of the many surprises Uzi had for us this year. He even went as far to mention that the initial album was “for the streets” and the deluxe would have pop hits.
This album however, very much feels like it was for Uzi.... and Future of course. Uzi & Future were able to work through any pressures of recording alone and bounced energy off of each other, song after song. The two show their range and why they have remained at the top of the mountain peak for years.
Uzi seemed to be happy, comfortable, ALIVE again. The game missed him, and he seemed to miss it.
In 2020, Lil Uzi owned it. He made it his business, to handle his business this year. He didn’t come to kid around, remaining a staple of the culture and as authentic as it gets. Collaborating with several underground artists, as well as previewing underground fashion lines while remaining a model off the runway.
I didn’t even mention him going viral with Rihanna.
Lil Uzi comes in at No. 3 because though a lot of people delivered this year, most of them were not heavily anticipated. It’s great to show up for somebody but it’s even better when they want you too.
Baby Sasuke, Not Naruto!