I first had an inkling Lil’ Yachty was a big deal when I saw his name pop up on some lineups for festivals booked by EDM/Hip Hop promoter Prime Social Group, including the notorious Number Fest in Athens, OH. My suspicions were confirmed when I was strolling down Sixth Street at SXSW this year and I found myself in the middle of a mob so dense I just had to go with the flow for a bit. The guy at the center of it? Lil Yachty.

The mumble rapper is controversial, for sure. I have to say I was less than impressed than his single “The Night,” but his climb to fame continues to intrigue.

The first single from the album “Peek-a-boo” didn’t do a lot to contain my feeling that this artist and I are basically speaking different languages. The lyrics frankly strike me as mildly obnoxious sexual musings. And trying to sound badass while saying “Peek a boo” is kind of hilarious to me. “Dirty Mouth” isn’t much better. The whole song is basically bragging about how much money he has and how much action he’s getting. I have to lend credit to humorously addressing the much treaded upon topic though – lines like “I hit your mama at the Hyatt House / Then I offered her Waffle House” show that Yachty probably doesn’t take himself too seriously. Given how these lyrics sometimes read like a parody, it would actually be really genius if this artist were taking that approach to his music. A humorous social commentary on boasting in hip hop culture, if you will.

I could be way off though. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m about the last person on earth to claim any sort of authoritative knowledge on hip hop culture. I will admit that this is the most time I’ve spent picking apart anything in the “mumble rap” movement.

I have to lend credit to Yachty’s generally positive attitude in his tunes. In tunes like “Better” we have a laid back summery vibe that feels inspired by reggae. It’s a simple song about appreciating what you have yet not settling for the status quo. He also shines in the love song “Forever Young,” dropping one of my favorite lines on the album thus far: “I don’t know much but sure, let me check your fouls
Two technicals but you beautiful.” His vocals, though obviously autotuned, are infectious. His humor reemerges in “X-Men,” an insult track where he calls out haters for being “stinky like farts.” I’ve never heard fart in a hip hop song before, that’s for sure. “Bring it Back” is a catchy tune crafted obvious to make people dance. He also pokes fun it his lifestyle in “Priorities.”

Teenage Emotions is a discourse of a young guy thrust into a big fame lifestyle pretty darn quickly. Yachty seems to have a generally good attitude about it, though the lyrics to some of the tracks read like a self-parody, and some of their attempts to communicate a message fall flat. Nonetheless, Lil Yachty is and will continue to be an interesting case study in modern hip hop.

Score: 3/5

-Ryan Getz