As prolific and combative as rap has been this year, the one rapper who could be said to have been more productive than almost any other (while staying stubbornly uninvolved in any of the various beef that’s been going on) is Lil Yachty. He’s worked with everyone from BIA to Pharrell (twice) and dropped a slew of tracks ranging from grungy rock to boisterous battle rap.
And, apparently, he’s just getting warmed up. On Sunday (October 20), he released videos for three new songs: “All Around The World,” “Cry Me A River,” and “we Ball Forever.” Each of the three songs displays a different side of the Atlanta rapper, who tries out wildly different flows and vibes, from singsong boasts on “All Around The World” to heady, intricate rhyme schemes on “Cry Me A River.” Meanwhile, on “We Ball Forever,” Yachty contemplates all the beef going on hip-hop at the moment and dismisses it, deciding that getting paid for self-expression is much more desirable.
Even so, he hasn’t quite been able to completely avoid controversy this summer. In July, he confirmed that the rapper Karrahbooo had parted ways with his Concrete Boys collective, but the split became acrimonious in August, with Karrahbooo accusing the group of bullying her and Yachty airing her out for haughty treatment of his staff.
Still, Yachty has done what many of his peers and contemporaries have been unable to: Keep the focus on their musical output rather than controversy.
You can watch all three of Yachty’s new videos above.