Lil Yachty has responded to comments labelling him a ‘SoundCloud rapper’ and explained why he believes it’s an unfair term.
Last Friday, Yachty released his fifth album, Let’s Start Here, marking his first full-length release in three years. The record sees him expand his wings into other genres, such as psychedelia and rock. Therefore, Yachty believes he’s a complete artist, unlike when he exploded during the SoundCloud rap era in 2015.
At a listening party for the new album in New York last week, Yachty explained to his fans: “This album is so special and dear to me. I think I created it just because I really wanted to be taken serious as an artist, you know? Not just some SoundCloud rapper, not some mumble rapper, not some guy that just made one hit.”
He added: “I wanted to be really taken serious because music is, like, everything to me. I respect all walks of music, not just rap and hip-hop. Everything. So I think I wanted to make something to show the world just how great it was to me.”
Following Yachty’s comments, fans responded angrily to the musician distancing himself from the hip-hop community. One wrote on Twitter: “I hate how rappers don’t even respect rap as an art form. Why does ‘I want to be considered an artist’ always follow with them making some shit from another genre.”
This post caught Yachty’s attention, and in response, he explained how he didn’t mean to upset those within the hip-hop community, which wasn’t his intention. In a now-deleted tweet, Yachty said: “It’s not about respecting rap; it’s about being respected as more than a rapper. I create music in more than just that lane.”
Listen below to the dreamy ‘Say Something’ from Yachty’s new album, Let’s Start Here.
