“I WANT BENTLEY I WANT MONEY” Yeat cracks off on AftërLyfe’s long-teased “Split,” proving yet again that he’s nowhere near finished shifting the culture.
Not only was 2022 his bona fide breakout year — dropping two albums and a deluxe in 2 Alivë and LYFË — the California-raised rapper shared his highly-anticipated album AftërLyfe on Friday (Feb. 24).
The 22-track project includes four features in NBAYoungBoy (“Shmunk”), Kranky Kranky (“Rave Party” and “Mean Feen”), Luh Geeky (“Now”), and Talking Ben App (“How It Go”). Aside from YB, the other three guest spots are vocal alter egos — igniting a “different new wave” altogether.
I’m coming way different on the album… It’s a whole different sound fully. It’s just rap beats mixed with… It’s just a different style. I don’t know. It’s not regular rap beats. It’s a whole different new wave.”
Yeat via Complex
While it’s been nearly six months since he dropped LYFË, Yeat largely surpassed his underground status in the past year — off the back of his viral Minions challenge, Lyrical Lemonade videos and wildly-popular tracks like “Out thë way,” “Poppin” and others. His shrouded mystique and inescapable noise he’s conjured is impossible to ignore, as highlights like “Shmunk,” “Back up,” “Mysëlf,” “Split,” “Sum 2 do,” “Watch” and more serve as an extension of his undoubted impact.
The record immediately received high praise — earning Yeat over 18 million streams in one day. AftërLyfe also landed Yeat his biggest album debut of his career, reaching No. 1 on Billboard’s Rap Albums chart last week. Selling 55,000 first-week units, the rapper achieved three Billboard Hot 100 placements — a first for him in his career, per Hits Daily Double. He earned his first-ever chart placement with his 2021 album Up 2 Më, which peaked at No. 146.
Yeat was right, this is different — completely and utterly — but in all the best ways. Constant vocal variations, immaculate beat selection and even an attempt at psych-rock ballad on the album’s closer “Mysëlf,” Yeat’s shedding his underground skin for the last time. Coming of age, more like coming of a career. While AftërLyfe may insinuate death, Yeat’s reign has never felt more alivë.
Yeat season is in full swing — and AfterLyfë is already shaping up to be the “AOTY” BNYX promised.
Check out ‘AftërLyfe’ below!
