REVIEW: Lil Yachty - Let's Start Here

Lil Yachty traded in his 808s for psychedelic rock guitars, expansive synth-pop, and jazzy-funk soundscapes, delivering Let’s Start Here—an unexpected reinvention.

For someone who spent the early years of his career as the poster child for much-criticized mainstream mumble rap and the SoundCloud generation, Yachty’s latest offering feels like a reset—the end of an era and the beginning of something new. This album has fans from all corners of music talking, from pop and rock to funk, hip-hop, and even jazz. It’s the unique blend Yachty has been crafting over the past year.

From the start, Yachty wastes no time diving headfirst into an over-the-top psychedelic number filled with guitar solos reminiscent of Funkadelic’s “Maggot Brain.” The opener, “the BLACK seminole,” runs nearly seven minutes and packs the most excitement on the album. Interestingly, many artists would place a track like this later to ease listeners in, but Yachty makes a bold statement by leading with it. The texture and mood recall Pink Floyd as if Richard Wright himself was playing the keyboards. A mumble rapper channeling psychedelic rock—call it Purple Floyd.

With production help from Chairlift’s Patrick Wimberly, the instrumentation is expansive, yet Yachty navigates these deep waters calmly and confidently. He never sounds out of place—rather, he sounds ready, as if this moment had been years in the making. This aligns with his Rolling Stone interview ahead of Michigan Boy Boat, where he revealed his interest in psychedelic rock and desire to bring those elements into his next album. “I met Andrew from MGMT, and I’ve been talking to a bunch of people. I met Kevin Parker, I’ve been talking to him. It’s just inspiring,” he said. “What I’m trying to do on my next album is really take it there sonically.”

Since 2021, Yachty’s musical outputs have hinted at this shift away from his earlier style. Even his viral TikTok duet to Sadie Jean’s hit “WYD Now?,” — showcased a vocal style closer to what Juice WRLD might have done.

Given the creative ground Let’s Start Here covers, it could have easily faltered. But Yachty’s self-awareness and carefully chosen collaborators ensured his vision came to life. The impressive list includes Patrick Wimberly (Chairlift), Jacob Portrait (Unknown Mortal Orchestra), Mac DeMarco, Alex G, as well as pop songwriters Jeremiah Raisen and Justin. Together, they helped craft one of the year’s most compelling albums, notable for its cohesiveness.

Features include the vocally impressive Diana Gordon (formerly Wynter Gordon) on “drive ME crazy!” and “I’VE OFFICIALLY LOST ViSiON!!!!” (she absolutely kills it), Fousheé on “pRETTy,” R&B crooner Daniel Caesar, and even Justine Skye. Listening to the softer alternative rock tracks, lushly produced, I can’t help but think Kid Cudi and Phoebe Bridgers would have been great additions.

Besides Funkadelic’s clear influence, the album draws on Daft Punk’s robotic vocals, Silk Sonic’s funk, and Tame Impala’s psych-rock vibes—especially on “the ride-” and “running out of time.” The atmospheric, melancholy hooks on “paint THE sky” recall The Weeknd, and “running out of time” features a bassline reminiscent of Metronomy’s “Heartbreaker.”

Though Yachty’s songwriting remains somewhat inconsistent, his emotional delivery is stronger than ever, with some of his best vocal performances to date. Thematically, he grapples with loneliness, heartbreak, and failure.

Critics may argue Yachty isn’t breaking entirely new ground here. But this is a side of him we haven’t seen before. Being boxed into a specific style for so long, especially one that’s brought commercial success, makes branching out daunting.

In terms of “mumble rappers doing the unexpected,” this moment feels akin to Playboi Carti’s Whole Lotta Red or Lil Uzi Vert’s Eternal Atake—projects that pushed artistic boundaries for the subgenre. Yachty isn’t merely imitating; however, some parts draw from proven successful formulas, which lowers the risk. But personally for him, this is a major creative gamble.

This doesn’t make it a bad album. On the contrary, it feels like a genuine labor of inspiration and respect for the great artists who came before. Not every album needs to be a “masterpiece” to count as a success—sometimes, good is enough for a first step in a new direction. Yachty deserves credit not just for experimenting but for executing it well. Too often, rappers aren’t fully recognized as artists unless they make landmark genre-defining records like 808s & Heartbreak, To Pimp a Butterfly, IGOR, or Speeding Bullet to Heaven.

At minimum, Let’s Start Here matches Yachty’s most acclaimed work—and doing it in unfamiliar genres is commendable. He took a huge risk, and I believe it will pay off. In his catalog, Yachty has officially entered uncharted waters.