Eternal Atake

The album that I have decided to review is Lil Uzi Vert’s Eternal Atake (Deluxe)- LUV vs The World 2. Lil Uzi Vert has risen over the past few years to become one of the most prolific rappers in the world. I chose this album because out of all the albums that have been released this year, this one has continued to be my favorite. His music has become ever so popular and this album has been regarded by many as his best album to date. Lil Uzi Vert is a rapper and that is the style of music he consistently produces. His rapping though, in my opinion, is more melodic and rhythmic than many other rappers. His lyrics are encapsulating, using verses that are so creative and unique to other rappers. Lyrically, he has made himself iconic in the rap world with his wording in his songs. For example, in his song “Shoota” with Playboi Carti, he says, “Everybody rock with me because I’m up now. Took your girl and I’ma score like I made the touchdown.” I find that line to be extremely creative because of how he pulls things that are completely unrelated to the topic and makes them relevant. He has truly dismissed the stigma that in order for a hip-hop artist to succeed, they must break out from the stereotypical hip-hop style. He has continued to create his own style within the realm of hip-hop and it has paid dividends on his overall success.

While much of what he talks about in his songs involves heartbreak, money, girls, and cars, he finds new ways to describe often the same thing, making each of his songs completely different. He even ties those subjects into each other, talking about the girls who broke his heart because all they wanted was his money. He often uses his music to flaunt the finer things in life though. He sings about his designer clothes which are often a topic of conversation when talking about him due to his unique sense of fashion. In the song “Myron” he says, “I wear more Supreme than a hypebeast,” referencing the designer brand. His come-up from a relatively unknown artist to a nationwide sensation took place very quick and he enjoys rapping about his success as he mentions in the song “Leaders” saying, “Tourin’ I’m sellin’ out shows. Made a cult followin’ like Jim Jones.” While obviously he is not calling himself a cult leader who committed a mass murder, he uses unique phrases like this throughout his album to emphasize things or create an abnormal way to describe something simple. That is what is so unique about his music, he does not describe things in a simple manner, but rather a more detailed and unique way. He creates new sounds, making you feel as if you are entranced in another world. He even took inspiration from the Backstreet Boys in his song “That Way” by putting a spin on their song “I Want it That Way.”

Lil Uzi Vert also brings in other artists’ styles by including many features in his songs, which is displayed very well in Eternal Atake. He brought in artists Chief Keef, 21 Savage, Future, Young Thug, Gunna, Lil Durk, Young Nudy, and NAV to work on this album with him and it paid dividends. Each of these artists offer something different to the album whether it be Chief Keef’s traditional heavy and hardcore style or Gunna’s young and up and coming lyricism in which he actually tends to be as creative as Lil Uzi Vert. He also pays respect to the late Kobe Bryant in his song “Bean,” with Chief Keef saying, “You know I’m ballin’ usual like Kobe (24).”

In the first part of the album, Lil Uzi Vert presents three different personas. The initial persona that Lil Uzi Vert presents is his “Baby Pluto” alter-ego of sorts. This is Lil Uzi Vert’s most “hype” section of the album. By that I mean that these songs make people want to jump and mosh pit the most out of the album. Saying they are the most hype does not necessarily mean they are the best but they are different from the rest of the album. My personal favorite from this first section is “Baby Pluto.” In these songs he talks a lot about his ability to get women and how no guys compare to him basically. He “flexes” per se that he is powerful and can do what he wants. He also talks about the fact that people have thought at times that he is a Satanist by saying “They thought I believed in the devil like Ouija” in “Baby Pluto.”

The next persona he reveals is his Renji persona. This is more emotional than a lot of his songs. He talks a lot about love and what he desires as well as how he copes with not finding love. He presents himself as a vulnerable person which in the traditional world of hip-hop is not mainstream at all. In recent years rappers have started rapping about more sensitive issues such as mental health, drug abuse, and love. Lil Uzi Vert raps about love a decent amount and we have also seen rappers such as Juice Wrld and XXXTentacion talk about love as well as mental health. Through the song “I’m Sorry,” Lil Uzi Vert talks about how girls only want him for his fame and his money saying, “She want me cause I drive a Mercedes.” They see him for the nice things that he owns and they’re all just fans. He wants a meaningful connection, but he fears that where he is in his life and how famous he is, is preventing him from truly getting to know people in a deeper capacity. He shows that people who rap about hard things can also be vulnerable at times. In “Chrome Heart Tags,” he talks about how he just buys designer things to make him feel better and uses this retail therapy to find a connection with something which I feel is displayed well when he says, “She ain’t never gon talk back. Getting big money that a tall bag.”

Lil Uzi Vert’s third persona is not a persona at all. He sings as himself and who he is. These six songs in the album talk about space. He speaks about things from another world. He says that he comes from another world. He sings about outer space in a way that shows people how big the universe really is while tying love into it. He talks about how he wants more from his life such as in “P2” when he says “Countin with my thumb now, money make me numb now.” As from before he still presents himself as vulnerable but at the same time talks about all there is to discover in this universe. He says, “I gotta keep my head high. I got a whole nother check, not talkin verified.” By this he refers to the fact that a girl broke his heart but he still has so much left to do in this world, therefore he must stay confident.

One big reason this album has received so much attention, aside from the fact that it is a great album, is that it had been almost three years in the making. Fans of Lil Uzi Vert had been waiting since his last album, “Luv is Rage 2,” to hear this, since his feud with his management to eventually signing with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation. This album had much build up and anticipation. Fortunately, it was worth the wait and it has now become his best album every song having millions of streams on all platforms.