Lil Yachty and Ian are on unstoppable runs this year — and both refuse be overlooked on their mind-melting collab “Hate Me.”
Since being brought out during Boat’s set at Summer Smash, Ian has not only speed ran the underground circuit, but is more than just another white rapper: He can really put it on wax.
His Lyrical Lemonade video for “Figure It Out” was the bridge to connecting with Yachty on “Hate Me” (released on July 26) — and it’s another glaring example of the 19-year-old rapper’s undeniable motion. His debut mixtape VALEDICTORIAN and viral single with VonOff1700, “Fit Check,” have been cause for Ian’s rapid industry ascension. We’re just happy to have made it to Friday, or so he says on “Hate Me.”
Directed by Yachty’s personal videographer and new LL director AMD Visuals, “Hate Me” takes place in a boundless white space where glitchy effects, seamless pans and face-bending double takes capture the track’s fiery temp check.
The wavy single, which was exclusively available on Lyrical Lemonade’s YouTube channel for 24 hours, is another full circle moment for both Yachty and Ian — having worked with LL, Cole Bennett and AMD in their own respects. It’s clear “Hate Me” was a labor of love for all parties involved, as Boat and Ian skate over staticky, sliding production from ChildBoy. It became the No. 1 trending video on YouTube a day after its release, and the latest offering in a three-track span from Yachty starting with “Let’s Get On Dey Ass.”
Following Let’s Start Here in January 2023, Boat has taken his sound and artistic stature to an entirely new space. Viral singles like “SLIDE,” “TESLA” and “STRIKE” — along with his work and creative direction on Drake’s Her Loss — elevated Yachty into the upper echelon of rap powerhouses. The foundation of Concrete Boys, dropping the label’s first mixtape together (the first volume of many it seems) in April, as well as linking with James Blake on BAD CAMEO has set Yachty and team for long-lasting success.
However, rumors of KARRAHBOOO leaving the group surfaced after she was absent from Concrete’s Broccoli City Fest set on July 27. She’s since unfollowed Yachty and Draft Day on Instagram, and was removed from the collective’s IG bio. Regardless of what the future of Concrete looks like, Boat’s run has been impenetrable for nearly two years straight.
Watch “Hate Me” below!