Yetter really wants you to know how weird he is. There’s anonymity, umlauts, distressed balaclavas. He used crop circles and billboards near the Arc de Triomphe and Big Ben to promote his new album “2093,” promising a “better life.” The album has a similar concept, revolving around the Lyfestyle Corporation, “a utilitarian dystopia set in 2093 and run by Yeat.”
When Yetter announced 2093, he promised fans that their CEO “listens to you,” “knows what you want,” and that their “patience and loyalty will be rewarded.” As a reminder: he released Aftërlyfe less than a year ago. Has anyone really lost their patience waiting for Yate’s new album?
Yetter said he prefers to communicate using numbers rather than words. Instead of sending an address, he sends coordinates. The frustrating thing about Yate is that there’s nothing weird about his lyrics. He’s as average a writer as the rap world has ever seen, but in 2093 he picked some of the best beats of his career; it’s a spectacular, exciting-sounding rap album.
Yetter’s melodic prowess underpins much of the album, almost making the catchy lyrics irrelevant. But “2093” has 24 tracks in total, and by the end there’s nothing new. There’s nothing like a clever quip, a thoughtful narrative, or a diary-style revelation to get this project across the finish line.
Like its predecessor, “2093” has few guests. Two of Aftërlyfe’s stand-ins and NBA YoungBoy also appear. The new project stars Drake, Future and Lil Wayne. The absence of many voices gives the album an undeniable cohesion, but three of the guest songs provide an immediate jolt, suggesting that Yetter will either have to come up with more ideas or bring in more voices next time.
From a sonically and production perspective, this is easily Yetter’s best work ever. This, along with his harmonizing abilities throughout much of the album, makes the project extremely appealing. But over the course of its 77 minutes, it’s hard to remember the good ideas that stand out among the same bland lyrics repeated over and over again. Yetter does a lot of funny, captivating, and captivating things with his voice, but few words come out of his mouth convincingly.
If he keeps the bars together consistently, this could easily be one of the best albums released so far this year. That’s what’s great about the rest of this record. The opening song “Psycho CEO” is a monk-like chat, with drumbeats and harmonies interacting with each other, sounding like five different Yeats having a conversation under the main vocal line. too crazy.
Even the way his delivery moves from one line to another and the way he employs different processes is enticing. He has a great idea in his first full verse. “I just poured a planet in my IV bag,” he spits, delivering the kind of evocative and silly line that makes Yette so endearing. But then he added: “You can’t leave without money, which is obviously sad.”
When Yetter really invests in his lyrics, the results are fantastic. On “Power Trip,” a frantic beat switch is followed by a dreamy interlude that sounds like pastoral folk music rendered by artificial intelligence. Childish Gambino also joined the host, while Yeat underscored his musings on an unspecified relationship with a powerful bar: “When I’m high, I can’t hide in Behind the lies/I know you know you feel this way/Cause you can’t look me in the fucking eyes.”
Beat-wise, a lot of the cyberpunk and electronic influences on this record can be traced directly back to Yeezus, which is especially evident in songs like “Morë,” which is built around making people Built with guttural buzzing distorted synths and clanging metal drums; it sounds like a snippet from one of Ye’s landscape-changing records.
However, Yate could have learned another lesson from Kanye. The Chicago hitmaker knew his ideas would pack a bigger punch in a simpler form. Yeezus’ 24-song set wasn’t going to work; Yeezus was a sensation at 10 years old. In 2093, it’s hard to capture anything significant, as Yetter has given up his personality for aesthetics.
The most memorable line is “Shade,” which features colorful instrumentation, blaring synths and electric guitar screams. This is a great beat; one of many on the album. At one point, Yetter raps, “I don’t like talking, I beg number five.” That’s probably a good way to operate on a day-to-day basis, but when it comes to telling the story of 2093, he follows that philosophy a little too strictly.
Release date: February 16, 2024
Record Label: Field Trip/Capitol
Listen to 2093 below:
