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Satan and rap music have had a complex relationship since the early '90s, with the biblical figure still seen as taboo by rappers, critics and fans today.

Rap and Satan are having a moment. Contemporary rappers such as Lil Uzi Vert, SahBabii, and Trippie Redd have incited controversy for referencing Satanic images in their music and aesthetic. More recently, Lil Nas X has received backlash for his "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" music video, which features him giving a lapdance to Satan. However, the relationship between the two isn't a recent phenomenon. The truth is that the biblical figure has been referenced in rap since the early '90s.

Although Satan's influence on music is commonly associated with rock - thanks to bands and artists such as Black Sabbath, Slayer, and Marilyn Manson - rap has also had a fascination with Satan. But the pairing is complex considering the genre is rooted in black American culture, and religion is an integral part of black American culture.

According to a national Pew Research Center's Religious Landscape Study, black people are the leading race in believing in God. They're also leading in the importance religion has in one's life, with 75 percent stating that it's very important. This is in stark contrast to the percentage of black people who don't believe in God (two percent), and don't believe religion is very important in their lives (four percent). Additionally, nine percent of black people are unaffiliated with any religious group.

In other words, religion is an integral part of the black identity in the United States, with Christianity being the primary religion practiced.

This is why the use of images or themes related to Satan in rap is seen as controversial. In 1993, after being signed to Columbia records, Big L released a promotional single titled "Devil's Son," which featured the following lyrics:

"On my skull the 666, no tricks
When I catch fits, my mom picks up the crucifix

And I kill chumps for the cheapest price

I'm rollin' with Satan, not Jesus Christ

Enemies, I got several done

Big L straight from hell, the motherfuckin' Devil's son"

Because of the lyrical content, "Devil's Son" was banned from radio at the time. Two years later, the Harlem rapper released his debut album, Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous, which included the track "Danger Zone." The song featured lyrics such as "It's the triple six in the mix straight from h-e-double hockey sticks," and "Every Sunday a nun lay where my gun spray / Fuck Carlito, we doin' shit the Devil son's way." Columbia hardly promoted the album because of its lyrics, and Big L was dropped from the label shortly after.

In 2010, Lord Finesse, who produced some of Lifestylez, discussed "Danger Zone" and its ties to horrorcore rap - a subgenre based on horror-influenced topics such as death, torture, and Satanism - which was rising at the time thanks to groups such as the Gravediggaz.

"Horrorcore was out [at the time], [and so] with the Gravediggaz...[L was] like, 'Oh, y'all think that's ill? Oh OK, alright,'" Finesse said to HipHopDX. "He was smarter than what he would lead you to believe on that album. But, it's like, [for] Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous, I'm portraying this character, and this character I'm portraying has to be believable...It was a mixture between what was going on in Harlem and fiction."

The idea of portraying a character is a sentiment Three 6 Mafia founding member DJ Paul agrees with. There's no Three 6 without Satan.

"We were into horror movies and serial killers," Paul said. "It's more like a character I'd say. Like Robert De Niro playing the devil [in Angel Heart] or Al Pacino [in The Devil's Advocate]."

Paul was raised in a religious family. Every Sunday he went with his parents to church; he still goes to this day. But Three 6 gave him the chance to explore his darker tendencies - to tell his real-life story of chaos and violence through his love of horror.

"Satan worshipper or thug would be my profile, read my file / I been a mean child for a while within a mystic style," Paul raps on Mystic Stylez, the title track from the Memphis group's 1995 debut album.

As Three 6 transformed from underground Memphis rap heroes into mainstream stars, the group's references to Satan became less common. They even had to change their original name - Triple Six Mafia - once they signed to a label. Still, Satan followed. "Stay Fly," arguably the group's biggest hit, is also central to one of rap's most bizarre conspiracy theories. During the song's chorus, a woman sounds like she's singing "You are God / You are king / Lucifer." A number of forums were dedicated to the theory. And even though it has since been debunked - it's actually Willie Hutch's vocals on " Tell Me Why Our Love Turned Cold" pitched up - it still speaks to how intertwined these dark themes were with the group.

Although Paul sees how Three 6's aesthetic influenced rap, he regrets some of the group's lyrical content.

"Sometimes we went too far," he said. "Some of the stuff I talked about back then I would never talk about now."

Paul thought Three 6 took it far with its references to Satan. But Tyler, the Creator took it even further. When Tyler and his Odd Future collective first sprung up in the early 2010s, the group was immediately branded as a bunch of devil-worshipping misfits.

From having merchandise adorned with 666 and inverted crosses to the lyrical content (Tyler's 2011 debut album Goblin is full of satanic references) the group's references to Satan were a topic of discussion on numerous forums during their rise.

However, Tyler played with fans' perception of him, alluding to how he's seen as a devil worshipper on Goblin's title track: "Oh, that's a triple three six, isn't he a devil worshipper / Cause I'm too f**king ignorant to do some research?"

Shortly after releasing his 2009 debut mixtape Bastard - ironically on Christmas - Tyler did an interview where he talked about the Satanic references, as well as revealed that he was atheist.

"My grandmother once told me I was from hell since I was so evil. I kinda took that and flipped it," the artist said to Cakes & Brains. "Since I didn't have a father, I sorta went to 'this devil guy' as a role model."

Like Paul and Big L, Tyler was playing a character. But unlike his predecessors, Tyler had more freedom to experiment with Satanic references. He came up in the internet age - a time where a new generation of rap fans are more tolerable of taboo topics than previous ones were. Now, contemporary rappers are using Satanic imagery in a more evolved way. For some, it's not to incite controversy or fear - it's to enlighten.

SahBabii created the viral song " Pull Up Wit Ah Stick" in 2016. He's also the creator of Unknownism, a life philosophy that he described as "accepting the fact that you don't know everything and you question everything."

Created by SahBabii when he was only eight, Unknownism has gradually gained a devout following. A search of the word on Instagram will bring back numerous fan accounts that have Unknownism in their name. The word is also spread through hashtags on captions and often accompanied by a hashtag of 666.

But just as there are fans supportive of Unknownism, there are critics who believe the philosophy is just another form of Satanism.

"'Pull up wit a stick, let it hit' I used to like the song until I went to [SahBabii's] IG page....He doesn't believe in God but has made his own religion called Unknownism," one Facebook user posted. "The symbol is an upside-down cross, which is disrespectful to me and what I stand for."

"Really gotta watch what these musicians into. Upside down crosses, Unknownism, 666. Parents, you need to update yourself with what these musicians pushing on your kids," another user wrote.

For the 21-year-old, 666 or an inverted cross has nothing to do with Satan but black affirmation.

"Six six six, that's six protons, six electrons, six neutrons - that equals Carbon 12," SahBabii said. "Carbon helps make melanin so that's the scientific makeup of people of the same skin color as me."

As for the inverted cross, it's a response to Christianity being forced on black people during slavery.

There's no scientific evidence that supports SahBabii's Carbon 12 theory. Still, the appropriation of Satanic references as black empowerment hasn't only caught on with SahBabii's fans but other rappers too. SahBabii said that Trippie Redd and Lil Uzi Vert learned of Carbon 12 through Unknownism.

"I learned it from SahBabii," Trippie confirmed over email. Trippie first referenced the theory after being called out by fans for using 666 in his song titled "TR666."

"Now, why I say TR666? Because Trippie Redd is black, but Trippie Redd is also dark," the rapper said in an Instagram story via Complex. "I make dark music, but I'm black, so I use it as a metaphor."

Lil Uzi has been more enigmatic with why he uses Satanic imagery. Unlike SahBabii or Trippie, the Philadelphia rapper hasn't spoken on it. Influenced by Marilyn Manson, Lil Uzi seems to be following in the rock provocateur's footsteps, using Satanic imagery as a means of inciting controversy. This, along with the rapper's name interpreted as a play on Lucifer, has resulted in numerous forums focused on if Lil Uzi is a Satanist or not.

It's also caused him trouble with other rappers.

Although he didn't specifically call out Lil Uzi, Migos' Offset posted a video on Instagram last year criticizing rappers for wearing upside-down crosses.

"All y'all ni**as wearing upside-down crosses, even my little partners, stop that s**t. You look lame," Offset said in the since-deleted clip. "All that worship the devil s**t. Get with God, man."

Lil Uzi responded by posting a picture on Instagram of a smiley face with an upside-down cross and the number 666, tagging Offset in it. The Migos rapper replied to the post, writing "I will pray for you, my brother."

Most recently, Lil Nas X's "Montero" music video caused controversy for a scene where Lil Nas gives Satan a lapdance after descending down a pole to hell. Despite the scene (as well as the rest of the video) being a reclamation of his queerness against regressive religious views toward queerness, many failed to see beyond the surface of the scene's imagery, with critics labeling the video Satanic or sacrilegious.

"I grew up in a pretty religious kind of home - and for me, it was fear-based very much," Lil Nas said in an interview with TIME. "Even as a little child, I was really scared of every single mistake I may or may not have made. I want kids growing up feeling these feelings, knowing they're a part of the LGBTQ community, to feel like they're O.K. and they don't have to hate themselves."

Unlike the previous instances highlighted, where rappers either made references to Satan and Satanic images for shock value or world building (or both), Lil Nas uses Satan to provide a commentary on how people use Christianity to vilify queerness. How being gay is seen as sexually immoral and Satan is to blame, rather than seeing how this can harm someone who identifies as queer, leading them to not only suppress a part of themselves but feel shame toward themselves, too.

Yes, the scene is provocative (to add to the provocation Lil Nas also launched a pair of "Satan Shoes" that were made using Nike Air Max 97s, resulting in Nike having to release a statement clarifying the company wasn't involved with the shoe, as well as sue MSCHF, the art collective behind the shoes), but it's more than just shock value for Lil Nas. It's him finding comfort in his sexuality while forcing people to reckon with how they condemn queerness because of their faith.

In a genre where everything from gun violence to drug use is discussed, Satan is still very taboo. But as rap's evolution has proved, the biblical figure isn't leaving the genre anytime soon. It'll continue to come back again and again in new and interesting ways. And no amount of prayer is going to stop that.
This piece was originally published in 2018.

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666 And Inverted Crosses: Satan's Influence On Rap Music

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Rap and Satan are having a moment. Contemporary rappers such as Lil Uzi Vert , SahBabii, and Trippie Redd have incited controversy for referencing Satanic images in their music and aesthetic. More recently, Lil Nas X has received backlash for his "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" music video, which features him giving a lapdance to Satan.

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Sarah Thomas

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How Lil Uzi Vert Became an Unlikely Superstar of the Streaming Era

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Lil Uzi has become the perfect avatar for the many changes happening in the music industry-and his creative choices have shifted many norms around genre, masculinity and stardom.

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Eternal Atake Stats

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Plus: Jhené Aiko, NCT 127 and Megan Thee Stallion debut in top 10.

Lil Uzi Vert blasts in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with Eternal Atake, marking his second No. 1 and the biggest streaming week for an album since 2018.

The set was released on March 6 via Generation Now/Atlantic, and starts with 288,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending March 12, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data. It's the rapper's first release in nearly two-and-a-half years, since his first leader, Luv Is Rage 2, bowed at No. 1 on the Sept. 17, 2017-dated chart with 135,000 units.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). The new March 21-dated chart, where Eternal Atake bows at No. 1, will be posted in full on Billboard's website on March 17.

Of Eternal Atake's first-week units, 278,000 are in SEA units, a little under 9,000 are in album sales and 2,000 are in TEA units. That 278,000 SEA-unit figure translates to a whopping 400 million on-demand streams for the set's 18 tracks during the tracking week. That's the fourth-largest streaming week ever for an album, and the largest week for any album since Lil Wayne's Tha Carter V started with 433 million clicks (Oct. 13, 2018-dated chart). ( Note: since January, streams on the Billboard 200 now include both on-demand audio and video streams. Before that, streams were audio only. That said, Eternal Atake would still have the biggest streaming week since Tha Carter V 's arrival, even if only audio streams were counted.)

The streaming high-water mark among all albums is owned by Drake's Scorpion, which opened with 746 million streams in its first week (July 14, 2018).

As Eternal Atake starts with a total of 288,000 units, it also logs the second-biggest week of 2020 for any album. It trails behind the opening week of BTS' Map of the Soul: 7, which launched with 422,000 units (powered by a robust album sales figure of 347,000).

Eternal Atake will likely continue to earn big streaming numbers and units in the coming days, as the set was quickly reissued in a deluxe edition on March 13, just a week after its release. The deluxe album was bolstered with an additional 14 tracks, boasting many guest artists, including Future, Young Thug and Gunna. (All versions of the album will be combined together for tracking and charting purposes.) Also possibly aiding Eternal Atake in its second week (along with all music) will be streams and sales spurred by fans who are now out of school or working from home in the wake of reaction to the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Big news for Lils: As Lil Uzi Vert's Eternal Atake bumps Lil Baby's My Turn from the No. 1 slot (the latter falls to No. 4), it's the first time a Lil artist has replaced another Lil act at No. 1. In fact, Lil Uzi Vert is the third Lil act to reach No. 1 in 2020, following Lil Baby and Lil Wayne ( Funeral; Feb. 15, 2020). Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Baby and Lil Wayne are the only three Lil acts with a No. 1 album. My Turn was Lil Baby's first, while Funeral was Lil Wayne's fifth No. 1.

Outside of the Lil acts, there is one Little artist that hit No. 1: Little Stevie Wonder. Back in 1963, Stevie Wonder, then known as Little Stevie Wonder, topped the Billboard 200 with his live album The 12 Year Old Genius (featuring the No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit "Fingertips"). It was the only album credited to Little Stevie Wonder. The legend later notched two more No. 1 albums with Fullfillingness' First Finale (1974) and Songs in the Key of Life (1976).

Honorable mentions go to the Lil and Little acts that have peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200: Little Big Town, Lil Yachty and Lil Nas X.

Back on the new Billboard 200, Jhené Aiko scores her highest charting album ever, as Chilombo debuts at No. 2. The set starts with 152,000 equivalent album units earned, her best week since the chart began measuring by units in December of 2014. Of its starting sum, 112,000 are in SEA units, 38,000 are album sales and 2,000 are TEA units. (Some of the set's album sales were generated by a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer with her upcoming tour.)

Chilombo is Aiko's fourth top 10 effort as a soloist, following Trip (No. 5, 2017), Souled Out (No. 3, 2014) and Sail Out (No. 8, 2013). She also visited the top 10 as one-half of the Twenty88 duo, alongside Big Sean, reaching No. 5 with the act's self-titled album in 2016.

Bad Bunny's YHLQMDLG slips from No. 2 to No. 3 in its second week (111,000 equivalent album units; down 38%), while Lil Baby's My Turn, as noted above, falls from No. 1 to No. 4 in its second stanza (104,000; down 47%).

Korean pop group NCT 127 lands its first top 10 effort, as NCT #127: Neo-Zone, The 2nd Album debuts at No. 5. The act's previous high was claimed with its last release, 2019's NCT #127 We Are Superhuman: The 4th Mini Album, which debuted and peaked at No. 11.The new release earned 87,000 equivalent album units in its first week, with album sales comprising 83,000 of that sum. Its sales got a boost from an array of merchandise/album bundles sold through the act's webstore, as well as a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer with its upcoming tour. The album also sold strongly at brick-and-mortar stores, including Target.

A quartet of former No. 1s trail NCT 127 on the new Billboard 200: Roddy Ricch's Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial descends 5-6 (57,000 equivalent album units; down 10%), Post Malone's Hollywood's Bleeding climbs 9-7 (51,000; up 2%), BTS' Map of the Soul: 7 falls 3-8 (50,000; down 40%) and Justin Bieber's Changes dips 6-9 (47,000; down 23%).

Closing out the top 10 is Megan Thee Stallion, who scores her second top 10 effort with Suga. The set opens at No. 10 with 41,000 equivalent album units earned, with 36,000 of that sum derived from SEA units. The new release follows the rapper's previous top 10 entry, Fever, which also debuted (and peaked) at No. 10 (June 1, 2019-dated chart).

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Lil Uzi Vert's 'Eternal Atake' Debuts No. 1: Billboard 200

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Lil Uzi Vert blasts in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with Eternal Atake, marking his second No. 1 and the biggest streaming week for an album since 2018. The set was released on March 6 via Generation Now/Atlantic, and starts with 288,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S.

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Eternal Take proves this statement wrong

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There is no worse feeling than waking up in the morning to find out that Beyoncé released an album in the middle of the night while you were sleeping. The whole world got a head start on her music - except you.

Surprise!

In 2013, Beyoncé gave us all a "heart attack" when she released her album "Beyoncé" out of the blue. According to Billboard, "Beyoncé" broke the record for the largest album sales week ever on iTunes. She broke the record in only three days and with no pre-release announcement. Earlier this year, five years later, Beyoncé and her husband, Jay-Z, snuck up on us again, releasing their first joint album, Everything Is Love, with no heads up.

The Weeknd followed in Beyoncé's footsteps this year, taking to Instagram on March 29 to announce that his album "My Dear Melancholy," would drop at midnight. That album went straight to number one.

Rapper J. Cole gave his fans just a week's notice before releasing his fifth album, KOD. Cole is no stranger to using the element of surprise to his sales advantage, either. His third album, 2014 Forest Hills Drive, dropped without any indication that he was even working on new music, and his fourth album, 4 Your Eyes Only, was announced only through an iTunes pre order page, according to.

Credit: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/25/arts/music/j-cole-kod-review.html

No Surprise

Surprise albums have become have almost become expected in the world of music. But with no hype leading up to the release date, how do these albums propel to the top of the charts?

1. The majority of the artists who release surprise albums are household names-anything they release has the potential to hit number one. However, these artists aren't just capitalizing on their fame - they're capitalizing on shrinking attention spans. Artists that market their albums for months may run the risk of their audience losing interest. Buzz around most traditionally marketed albums has months to gain momentum and in today's fast moving media landscape, by the time these records drop, there's nothing novel or exciting about it to grasp fans' attention.

2. When an album is released by surprise, it generates a type of buzz that no amount of careful marketing could ever do. The impulse reaction at drop is to immediately jump to a streaming platform to see that the news is true and listen immediately. It creates an emotional reaction that a billboard or ad cannot illicit. While this excitement is quick and intense, it does fade just as quickly as it began. However, by the time it fades, the albums sales have already been made.

3. Surprise albums generate a rush to be the first to post about it on social media and be the first in your friend group to know about it. The surprise element creates an immediacy to post your knowledge of it on social media outlets, generating free marketing for the album.

Surprise albums have become part of our lives and show no sign of going out of style. We need to face the fact that we should never go to bed with the notion that we are safe from a new Beyoncé album.

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Surprise Albums & Ad Fatigue in the Music Industry

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There is no worse feeling than waking up in the morning to find out that Beyoncé released an album in the middle of the night while you were sleeping. The whole world got a head start on her music -...

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Marliyn Manson is somebody that Uzi looks up to. In this interview, roles are reversed and Manson speaks on Uzi.

https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/7957999/marilyn-manson-lil-uzi-vert-luv-is-rage-2

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Lil Uzi Vert Talks Hating Interviews, Starting To Rap For Attention + Drops Bars!

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Uzi is regarded as being 'cute', 'innocent' and just a cool guy. Fans make videos highlighting WHY uzi should be protected at all costs. The video has clips of uzi in interviews, along with in public with friends or fans.

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Eternal Atake and Eternal Atake (Deluxe Edition)

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Eternal Atake and Eternal Atake (Deluxe Edition)

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In the first week of sales, Eternal Atake sold 288,000 equivalent album units and claimed the top spot for Number 1 Album on the Billboard Top 100. This was the best selling week for an album for any artist since 2018 and the fourth best selling week for any artist ever. "Every song on the album besides “Futsal Shuffle 2020” (which appears as a bonus track) debuted in the Top 20 on U.S. Spotify; “Baby Pluto” topped the stateside streaming chart with 3.364 million plays and debuted at No. 6 on the global chart with 4.691 million streams."

Uzi then revealed that he had a Deluxe Version of the album, asked fans on Twitter what songs they wanted (as many of Uzi's song snippets had leaked online throughout the years), and released another album within Eternal Atake. This album is called Lil Uzi VS The World 2 which dons similarly, the same artwork as its mixtape predecessor Lil Uzi VS The World which released in 2016.

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 21: Lil Uzi Vert performs during the TIDAL's 5th Annual TIDAL X Benefit ... [+]
Getty Images for TIDAL

It's been a long, complicated road to Lil Uzi Vert's Eternal Atake, which he released without notice on Friday. Evidently, the public drama only stoked listeners' excitement, as the new album is on track for an easy No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200 and the highest first-week sales of Uzi's career.

The 25-year-old rapper's sophomore album is projected to move between 275,000 and 325,000 equivalent units in its first week, HITS Daily Double reports. It would mark his second No. 1 debut behind 2017's Luv Is Rage 2, which bowed with 135,000 units.

The two and a half years between Luv Is Rage 2 and Eternal Atake have been riddled with false starts and public feuds between Uzi and his former label, the Atlantic Records imprint Generation Now. Murmurs of a new album began in May 2018, when Generation Now cofounder Don Cannon hinted that Uzi would drop a new album by the end of the year. In July 2018, the rapper shared what appeared to be album artwork on Instagram, and in September, he dropped the promotional single "New Patek," which peaked at No. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In January 2019, however, Uzi abruptly announced that he was retiring from music. The rapper continued to blame Generation Now for the hold-up, while the imprint insinuated he was solely responsible for the album's delay. More public scuffles, one-off singles and missed release dates followed throughout 2019, as the likelihood of a proper release for Eternal Atake dwindled.

Things finally seemed to take a turn for the better in December, when Uzi released Eternal Atake 's lead single "Futsal Shuffle 2020." The track reached No. 5 on the Hot 100, making it Uzi's highest-charting hit to date, surpassing the omnipresent "XO Tour Llif3," which peaked at No. 7 and was certified 7x platinum. Uzi continued to hype the new album and, at the end of February, promised a new release date for mid-March.

Once again, the rapper failed to honor his self-appointed release date-but instead of missing the deadline, he surprise-released Eternal Atake late yesterday morning,ahead of schedule. Even with a truncated first day, Eternal Atake earned 47.7 million Spotify streams, the third-biggest debut of 2020, according to Chart Data. Every song on the album besides "Futsal Shuffle 2020" (which appears as a bonus track) debuted in the Top 20 on U.S. Spotify, while "Baby Pluto" topped the stateside streaming chart with 3.364 million plays. The song also debuted at No. 6 on the global Spotify chart with 4.691 million streams.

The bulk of Eternal Atake's first-week sales will likely come from robust streams, which could produce more Top 10 singles on the Hot 100-and perhaps even earn Uzi his first No. 1 hit. Even if that doesn't happen, Eternal Atake has already cemented Lil Uzi Vert's enduring status one of the biggest names in contemporary hip-hop, and fans are delighted that the wait for a new album is over.
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Lil Uzi Vert's 'Eternal Atake' On Track For No. 1 Debut, Career-High Sales Week

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It's been a long, complicated road to Lil Uzi Vert's Eternal Atake, which he released without notice on Friday. Evidently, the public drama only stoked listeners' excitement, as the new album is on track for an easy No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200 and the highest first-week sales of Uzi's career.

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Uzi's sophomore album Eternal Atake has been teased since July 17th, 2018. The title is in reference to the mass suicide of the cult group Eternal Atake. It has been a rocky road since the teasing of the album, after countless delays, Uzi announcing his retirement in early 2019 and before releasing singles 'Thats a Rack' and 'Sanguine Paradise'. Though the countless delays of the project; Uzi had teased the album for long enough which began to create a buzz from his core fanbase (including me).
However, as Uzi released his hit 'Futsal Shuffle 2020' in the December of 2019 which went along with a dance challenge, it was safe to assume that this was the beginning of the marketing and that Eternal Atake was close to release.
Uzi then began to use social media much more. By responding to fans on twitter and completely clearing his instagram feed so that there was no pictures, for him to then release pictures related to the theme of the project.
Uzi then announced the release date for Eternal Atake on 13/03/20. He released a short film on YouTube which was marketing for the album and featured snippets of his songs and shortly after, released the album a whole week earlier which caught many by surprise (I can vouch for the surprise because I was overwhelmed with both happiness and excitement).

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Short film for Eternal Atake "BabyPluto" 🌟🛸

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"XO Tour Llif3" (stylized as "XO TOUR Llif3"[2] and pronounced "XO Tour Life") is a single by American rapper Lil Uzi Vertfrom his extended play Luv Is Rage 1.5 (2017) and debut album Luv Is Rage 2 (2017). It was released on Soundcloud on February 26, 2017,[3] and later on all music streaming platforms on March 24, 2017. The track was produced by TM88, with co-production by JW Lucas.[4][5] It peaked at number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Lil Uzi Vert's highest-charting single as a solo artist at the time, as well as his second top 10 entry overall after his feature on "Bad and Boujee" by Migos. It is Lil Uzi Vert’s most popular song, and has amassed over 1 billion streams on Spotify.
Lil Uzi went on to release three separate videos for the song, with the first being iconic. The first video release is unlisted on Uzi's YouTube channel and is unable to be linked through Padlet, therefore below is a link to the official unlisted version on Uzi's YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zgmvg-zzctI&list=PLoeP8l1KXc3F4gHRLBjefNbIc2PhPvZkK&index=7

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GQ Interview normalises Uzi by interviewing him on the '10 Things Lil Uzi Vert Can't Live Without'. It's an informal setting, showcasing his cars behind him and generally, Uzi flexes his wealth in this video, however as he has the money and fame to afford these items, it is normal life to him.

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10 Things Lil Uzi Vert Can't Live Without | GQ

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Uzi's appearance is hardly ordinary. While face tattoos and dreads have become the norm in rap, Uzi has his entire face covered in tattoos, while he adorns different coloured hair every other month.. This is referenced in his song 'Banned from TV' on his Mixtape Luv is Rage (2015), 'I tat my face, I dye my hair and let it lock up, yeah'.
Uzi's appearance is relatively normal in the rap industry, therefore it would suggest that he wants to be perceived as different, however it also places him into a group of rappers.

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Lil Uzi Vert is very much into his fashion, often wearing womens clothing and accessories which changes the masculine norm slightly. Images of Uzi wearing skirts and carrying handbags became the subject of trolls who would label Uzi as a woman and label his sexuality which was false, as Lil Uzi Vert has expressed that he is straight through his music. Along with his music being around his love and breakup with former girlfriend, Britney Murphy who is featured on 4 of Uzi's mixtape projects.
While Uzi is rather flamboyant for a genre of music which is polarised by 'masculine thugs', he has probably gained more as its more publicity around his name.

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Lil Uzi Vert And Why People Think He Looks Gay | BET Celebs

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Uzi collaborated with the rap group Migos in October 2016 on the single "Bad and Boujee" which in January 2017 reached number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming Uzi Vert's first number 1 single as a featured artist, and his highest charting single. On February 27, 2017, Woods released the EP Luv Is Rage 1.5 whilst on tour with The Weeknd. The EP was positively received for its "nerdy" nature with Kingdom Hearts themed instrumentals and lyrics referring to anime, Steven Universe and hentai. The EP was also credited as the start of Woods' affiliation with the "emo-rapper" label due to the heartbreak-associated lyrics on the song "Luv Scars K.o 1600" and references to threats of suicide and depression on the stand-out track "XO Tour Llif3". https://populartimelines.com/timeline/Lil-Uzi-Vert

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Lil Uzi Vert @LILUZIVERT on Twitter: 6.3 Million Followers.

Lil Uzi Vert @liluzivert on Instagram: 11.9 Million Followers.

Lil Uzi Vert @LIL UZI VERT on YouTube: 6.64 Million Subscribers.

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The 2018 Grammys pulled in 19.8 Million viewers, highlighting how many people would have been in view of Lil Uz Vert.

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To absolutely no one's surprise, the 2018 Grammys recorded the lowest ratings in several years. This year's CBS broadcast brought in 19.8 million viewers, according to network officials. That's down around 24% as compared to the 2017 Grammy Awards, which nabbed 26.1 million viewers.

There are lots of reasons for this. Perhaps the length of the broadcast is an issue for people who have school and work on Monday mornings. Or perhaps viewers were simply not interested in the hodgepodge mashups of the evening. Of course, Kendrick Lamar's opening performance grabbed everyone's attention, but gauging from the live tweets of the event - and gauging from the live tweets simultaneously from other TV shows - it seemed a number of would-be viewers in that key 18-49 demographic only tuned in at specific moments.

Maybe, despite performances from Sir Elton John and Miley Cyrus and Sting and Lamar and Luis Fonsi and Sza and U2, maybe people were just bored. I know I was.

I found myself asking folks on Twitter and Facebook if they felt bored too, if they felt the broadcast was too long and if they enjoyed some of the longish skits. I also asked my followers to play a game called: What would I edit out of the Grammys if I had the power to do so? Some people chimed back and said that if they were editors, they would have cut or trimmed the "Carpool Karaoke" skit on the New York subway with Shaggy, Sting and James Corden. Others said they would have skipped Sting entirely and went with a Lorde performance. Still, others said they only chimed in to look at Blue Ivy, the perfectly packaged progeny of Beyonce and 8-time Grammy nominated Jay-Z, who did not take home a single statue this year for his landmark 4:44.

There were numerous bright spots in the broadcast, but they were dotted with slow and moody moments. Bruno Mars rocked the house with Cardi B as the duo performed the 90s-tinged "Finesse." Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee had America humping and bumping with "Despacito." And Rihanna and DJ Khalid turned the heat up with their performance of "Wild Thoughts." The poignant rendition of "Praying" by Kesha was a top moment that referenced the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements. Those were definitely great Grammys moments. But when Patti LuPone gave her dramatically beautiful rendition of "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" - according to the producers, it was an ode to returning the Grammys to New York - social media took it one of two ways. Either they loved it and cried with her or they were snarky and wondered why the Tony Awards invaded the Grammys.

Music is music but ouch.

Awards shows have a tough time keeping viewers during their entire two- to three- to four-hour timeslot. And the Grammys haven't dropped this low in viewers since 2009 when some 19 million viewers watched.

All that said, another possible reason for a smidge of that drop could be in the "more than five million" viewers who streamed moments via Facebook pages for CBS, the Grammys and the Recording Academy. Or perhaps those fans went to the appropriate FB pages mid- or post- broadcast in order to get their fix of Lil Uzi Vert or Rita Ora. According to a publicist, the top most-talked about moments per those pages were as follows:

Bruno Mars winning Record of the Year for "24K Magic"

Lady Gaga performing "Joanne" and "Million Reasons"

Kendrick Lamar opening the show with U2's Bono, The Edge, and Dave Chappelle performing "XXX" and "King's Dead"

Elton John and Miley Cyrus performing "Tiny Dancer"

Patti LuPone reprising her 1981 Grammy performance of "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" in tribute to the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber

Social media does make a difference. But for those who stuck to plain old TV, maybe if Jay-Z had nabbed even one award, or if "Despacito" had not been snubbed or if Sza had more air time, things might be different. Perhaps country needed more time on air. Maybe people are tired of seeing U2 perform.

That said, even 19 million viewers is a helluva lot of people. But a drop in viewership is concerning for any enterprise that makes money off advertising to that key 18-49 year old demographic. If the tweets and Facebook posts were any indication, it seems that people knew they were going to tune in to certain acts and were waiting for the rest of us dedicated viewers to tweet or post to Facebook at the appropriate time so that they would know when to chime in and when to leave and go finish washing their dishes.

Still, the Grammys lost around six million viewers from last year to this year. In the words of Marvin Gaye, who was expertly channeled in the Grammys telecast: what's going on?

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Grammys 2018 Loses 6 Million Viewers In The Ratings Game; Here's Why

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To absolutely no one's surprise, the 2018 Grammys recorded the lowest ratings in several years. This year's CBS broadcast brought in 19.8 million viewers, according to network officials. That's down around 24% as compared to the 2017 Grammy Awards, which nabbed 26.1 million viewers. There are lots of reasons for this.

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At the 2018 Grammys, Lil Uzi Vert is interviewed by E! News' Reporter and Host, Giuliana Rancic. This interview highlights the level of fame that Uzi has reached at this point, not only to be at the Grammys as a guest, however to also be interviewed on the Red Carpet and a huge televised event by a largely popular broadcaster, in E! News. This video has amassed, a total of 638,406 views on YouTube.

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Lil Uzi Vert Gives Unimpressed 2018 Grammys Interview | E! Red Carpet & Award Shows

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In the genre of Hip Hop, every year, the magazine/site XXL releases an XXL Freshman list who classify as that years 'Next Big Artists' or, typically new artists are given a platform which reaches all areas of rap and hip hop. The 2016 XXL Freshman list was arguably the most impactful and generational Freshman list as it showed the evolution of rap and the direction it was going in. The Freshman cover featured artists who had received a lot of flack due to their 'mumble-style' of rap such as; Lil Uzi Vert, 21 Savage and Lil Yachty to name a few. More notably, as part of the XXL Freshman list, artists perform a cypher (freestyle) together over the same beat. This cypher was credited with initial negative reviews due to this new sound/wave of rap. However, stood the test of time to now be considered one of the most influential and evolutionary Freshman lists in XXL history as all of the artists in this cypher have gone on to become superstars.

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Kodak Black, 21 Savage, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Yachty & Denzel Curry 2016 XXL Freshman Cypher

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From Uzi's hits such as Money Longer, and more predominantly XO Tour Llif3 off of his debut album Luv is Rage 2; Uzi has gained public attention.

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Early Life and Beginning of Lil Uzi Vert

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Early Life and Beginning of Lil Uzi Vert

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Lil Uzi Vert was born Symere Woods on (July 31st, 1994. Born and raised in Philadelphia, United States of America. Uzi gained initial recognition specifically in the underground rap scene on the popular music app, Soundcloud with the release of the commercial mixtape, Luv is Rage (2015). The success of this mixtape led to Uzi being signed to the record label, Atlantic Records. The year later in 2016, Uzi released his second mixtape, Lil Uzi VS The World which attracted mainstream attention with his hit 'Money Longer' which peaked at number 54 on the Billboard Hot 100.

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Symere Bysil Woods ( sy-MEER ; born July 31, 1995), known professionally as Lil Uzi Vert, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Philadelphia, they gained initial recognition following the release of the commercial mixtape (2015), which led to a recording contract with Atlantic Records, to whom they signed under DJ Drama's Generation Now imprint.

Lil Uzi Vert attracted mainstream attention following the release of their debut single " Money Longer" in 2016. The song would act as the lead single for the subsequent mixtape Lil Uzi Vert vs. the World (2016), which also contained the song " You Was Right". After releasing two additional mixtapes in 2016 and 2017, including one in collaboration with Gucci Mane, Lil Uzi Vert was featured on the Billboard Hot 100 chart-topping Migos' single " Bad and Boujee". They later secured their first top ten single with " XO Tour Llif3", which won the MTV Video Music Award for Song of Summer.

"XO Tour Llif3" acted as the lead single to Lil Uzi Vert's debut studio album Luv Is Rage 2 (2017), which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). At the 2018 Grammy Awards, they were nominated for Best New Artist. Their second studio album, Eternal Atake (2020), was among the most anticipated albums in contemporary trap and hip hop when it was finally released following years' worth of delays. Eternal Atake, like Luv Is Rage 2, debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. After releasing Pluto × Baby Pluto (2020), a studio album with Future, Lil Uzi Vert spent the next three years teasing the release of their third solo album (2023). It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 upon its release and included the Billboard Hot 100 top-ten single " Just Wanna Rock".

Symere Bysil Woods was born on July 31, 1995, in the Francisville neighborhood of North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They grew up listening to Mike Jones and Ying Yang Twins; Jones' 2005 debut album was the first album they purchased. Woods later began listening to Wiz Khalifa and Meek Mill, who influenced their future style. They also began listening to Marilyn Manson, Paramore, Smash Mouth, the Rocket Summer, Simian, My Chemical Romance, and the All-American Rejects when they were 13 years old.

Woods dropped out of school and soon started working at a Bottom Dollar store, but quit after four days and was kicked out of their home by their mother. The situation led to Woods getting their first face tattoo, the word "Faith" under their hairline, which provoked them to take their rap career seriously.

2010-2015: Career beginnings

Woods began to rap in 2010 after hearing classmate William Aston freestyle over a remade Chris Brown instrumental. Woods referred to themself at that point in their life as a "regular kid, I didn't really wanna rap." Woods, Aston, and another friend created the musical group Steaktown and in what they say was "just for money" under the name "Sealab Vertical". They later changed this name to Lil Uzi Vert inspired by the way someone described their rap "flow" as "Fast, like a machine gun." Woods' first project, an EP titled Purple Thoughtz Vol. 1 was released on January 19, 2014. The project, which was described as " phonk" and having cloud rap beats from The Guardian due to its psychedelic and "trippy" production and was released with the single "White Shit" which included a video. The track, which was produced by Spaceghostpurrp, went viral in 2017 within hip-hop circles following Wood's entry into the mainstream. Shortly after the release of Purple Thoughtz Vol. 1, Woods caught the attention of then industry-mainstays like the ASAP Mob.

The project and following features caught the attention of producer and Def Jam A&R Don Cannon after DJ Diamond Kuts played one of Woods' songs on a local radio station, who signed Woods to their The Academy imprint and produced their first mixtape, The Real Uzi which was released on August 5, 2014. After the release of The Real Uzi, Woods signed a record deal with Atlantic Records through DJ Drama, Don Cannon's and Leighton Morrison's imprint, Generation Now.

Following their signing to Atlantic Records, Woods was featured alongside Rich the Kid and ASAP Ferg on Carnage's single "WDYW". They also released several songs on SoundCloud including the Metro Boomin produced "No Wait", "Pressure" which is a collaboration with Lil Durk and " Dej Loaf". They were featured on Fall Out Boy and Wiz Khalifa's "Boys of Zummer" tour in August 2015. Woods released their second mixtape, on October 30, 2015. The project, which features production from then-bubbling producers Sonny Digital, TM88 and Maaly Raw with features from Billboard charting rappers Wiz Khalifa and Young Thug, was received positively and was featured on numerous music blogs such as , , and Vibe. They were further called a "breakout artist of 2015" by HotNewHipHop.

2016: Breakthrough

Lil Uzi Vert performing at the Hard music festival, July 31, 2016

In January 2016, Woods appeared at an ASAP Mob show in New York City to honor the deceased ASAP Yams, and in February, released the single " Money Longer" on their SoundCloud following a radio debut on Shade 45. Controversy arose in March 2016 after a riot broke out at South by Southwest's final day during Woods caused by fight in the crowd. On April 15, 2016, Woods released their third mixtape and first commercial mixtape Lil Uzi Vert vs. the World. The mixtape debuted at number 37 on the Billboard 200 chart, making it Woods' first entry on the chart. The project spent 55 weeks on the Billboard 200 album chart, eventually being certified gold. Woods and Kodak Black embarked on a joint tour in May 2016, titled the "Parental Advisory" tour.

In June 2016, Lil Uzi Vert appeared in XXL magazine as part of their 2016 Freshman Class. As part of this appearance, Woods performed in a 'freshman cypher', a group of underground rappers, alongside Denzel Curry, Lil Yachty, 21 Savage, and Kodak Black. Riding the wave of recognition the XXL Freshman list gave them, Woods released the video for "Money Longer". The single debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 the following week at number 92, their first entry on the chart. The song later peaked at number 54 and is currently certified double platinum in the United States. Another single from Lil Uzi Vert vs. the World, Metro Boomin produced " You Was Right", became Woods second entry on the chart, debuting at number 89 and peaking at number 40.

On July 12, 2016, Woods announced their fourth mixtape, The Perfect LUV Tape, which was released on July 31, their 22nd birthday. The mixtape featured the singles "Seven Million", featuring Future, and "Erase Your Social", both of which failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. The mixtape debuted at number 55 on the Billboard 200 album chart and is certified gold by the RIAA. In October 2016, Woods was announced to be an additional artist on Canadian singer the Weeknd's tour.

Woods announced a collaboration mixtape with Gucci Mane, 1017 vs. the World, which was released on November 23, 2016. Four days later, Woods announced Luv Is Rage 2 which eventually went through a series of delays.

Uzi featured on the hip-hop trio Migos' single " Bad and Boujee". The single was released on October 28, 2016, and is from the trio's second studio album, (2017). In January 2017, around the time the album released, the single peaked atop the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, becoming Uzi's first number 1 single as a lead or featured artist, and their highest-charting single overall. On February 27, 2017, Woods released the EP Luv Is Rage 1.5 while on tour with the Weeknd. The EP was positively received for its "nerdy" nature, with Kingdom Hearts themed instrumentals and lyrics referring to anime, Steven Universe and hentai. The EP was also credited as the start of Woods' affiliation with the " emo rapper" label due to the heartbreak-associated lyrics on the song "Luv Scars K.o 1600" and references to threats of suicide and depression on the stand-out track " XO Tour Llif3".

"XO Tour Llif3"'s significant popularity on SoundCloud resulted in Woods playing it live on the European leg of the Weeknd's tour and was subsequently released as an official single. On April 4, 2017, "XO Tour Llif3" debuted on Billboard Hot 100 at number 49 and peaked at number seven, becoming the rapper's highest-charting song, being certified six-times platinum as of August 2018.

Luv Is Rage 2 was delayed from an unspecified due date on April 2, 2017, with Woods blaming it on DJ Drama. On April 9, Don Cannon confirmed the project would not be released "any time soon" but confirmed that "XO Tour Llif3" would appear on the album. Woods was featured on fellow rapper Playboi Carti's single " Wokeuplikethis". It was released on April 7, 2017, and is from Carti's debut commercial mixtape, Playboi Carti (2017). The single was performed by the pair at Coachella 2017.

Woods was featured alongside ASAP Rocky, Playboi Carti, Quavo and Frank Ocean on ASAP Mob's single " Raf". The single was released by surprise on May 15, 2017, and is from the collective's second studio album, Cozy Tapes Vol. 2: Too Cozy. In early August, hip hop media personality DJ Akademiks claimed that Luv Is Rage 2 would release within 30 days. On August 24, 2017, Luv Is Rage 2 was announced for a surprise release at midnight and on August 25, Lil Uzi Vert released the album which included top ten single, "XO Tour Llif3" as the lead single. "Wokeuplikethis" was eventually certified platinum and peaked at number 76 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 albums chart, with 135,000 album-equivalent units and has since been certified platinum. The album also created ten Billboard Hot 100 charting tracks, with two, " The Way Life Goes", featuring Oh Wonder, and " Sauce It Up" becoming singles. During British singer Ed Sheeran's set at the Video Music Awards, Woods and Sheeran performed a medley of "XO Tour Llif3" and Sheeran's chart-topping single, " Shape Of You".

In September 2017, Woods teased a possible sequel project to Lil Uzi Vert vs The World possibly titled Lil Uzi Vert vs. The World 2 and a collaboration project with Playboi Carti titled 16*29. In October, a joint-tour with Playboi Carti called the "16*29 tour" was announced further promoting the possibility of a collaboration project. The tour was cancelled shortly thereafter due to Woods claiming they needed to "focus". In October 2017, Woods headlined Power 105.1's annual Powerhouse music celebration, alongside the Weeknd, Migos, and Cardi B, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Woods was also featured on Canadian rapper Nav's platinum-certified single " Wanted You". The song was released on November 9, 2017, and is from Nav's debut studio album, (2018).

On December 4, 2017, "The Way Life Goes" music video was released with a remix, featuring rapper Nicki Minaj. The song subsequently peaked at number 24 on the Billboard Hot 100. Woods performed on Stephen Colbert's The Late Show performing "The Way Life Goes" on February 6, 2018, and was later featured alongside Kanye West on Travis Scott's song, " Watch", which was released on May 3, 2018. "Watch" debuted at number 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. They were also featured on a remix for fellow rapper Lil Tracy's single "Like a Farmer". Two months after "Watch", Woods' collaboration with Juice Wrld on the track "Wasted" was released July 10, 2018.

2018-2020: Eternal Atake, Lil Uzi Vert vs. The World 2, and Pluto x Baby Pluto

In January 2018, Woods announced that they had completed a mixtape with record producer Wheezy. In May 2018, Don Cannon confirmed that their new project would be released in 2018 and speculation arose in July 2018 when Woods tweeted the words " Eternal Atake", their second studio album (2020), pinning the tweet and announcing it was "coming soon" and then at the end of the month sharing the then-chosen cover art for the project. The then-chosen cover art for Eternal Atake references the logo of the cult Heaven's Gate. The two members who survived the cult suggested that legal actions could be taken against Uzi for copying the logo style. The then-thought lead single from Eternal Atake, " New Patek" was released on September 18, 2018. Woods was then featured on Lil Pump's single, " Multi Millionaire". The single was released on October 5, 2018, and is from Pump's second studio album, Harverd Dropout.

In April 2019, following label trouble with Generation Now, it was announced that Woods was now signed to Roc Nation. Two new promotional singles were released in April 2019, titled "Sanguine Paradise" and "That's a Rack", originally thought to be from their highly anticipated studio album, Eternal Atake. On December 13, 2019, Woods released a new single titled, " Futsal Shuffle 2020", which is the lead single of Eternal Atake. They then released the second single of the album, titled " That Way", on March 1, 2020. Eternal Atake was released on March 6, 2020, with a sole guest appearance from American singer Syd. The release date of the album was a week earlier than fans expected it to release. "New Patek", "That's a Rack" and "Sanguine Paradise" did not appear on the album. Eternal Atake debuted atop the Billboard 200.

On March 12, 2020, Woods teased that the deluxe version of Eternal Atake and the sequel to their July 2016 mixtape, Lil Uzi Vert vs. the World, titled Lil Uzi Vert vs. the World 2, would release the following day, the date fans expected the release date of the original album. The deluxe edition would have fourteen new tracks, featuring guest appearances from Chief Keef, 21 Savage, Future, Young Thug, Gunna, Lil Durk, Young Nudy and Nav. The first half of the album maintained a leading number one position (equal to 288,000 album sales in the United States) with 400 million streams in early 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic. This marked the largest streaming count for any album since 2018 when Lil Wayne's twelfth studio album, Tha Carter V, garnered 433 million streams.

On April 24, 2020, Woods released a new single titled "Sasuke", the first since the release of the deluxe version of Eternal Atake, with a name referencing the eponymous character from . On July 21, 2020, Woods and Future hinted at an upcoming joint project titled Pluto x Baby Pluto on their social media. The two later released two new singles, "Patek" and "Over Your Head", on July 31, which was Uzi's 26th birthday. Pluto x Baby Pluto was released on November 13, 2020, and peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. A deluxe version containing the two previously released singles as well as 6 new tracks was released four days later on November 17.

2021-present: Red & White, Pink Tape and Luv Is Rage 3

Lil Uzi Vert (second from left) performing with Yeat at The Fonda Theatre in California, May 13, 2022

In late 2020, Woods began promoting new singles on Instagram live videos that were sonically similar to popular releases early in their career. On July 16, 2021, they also announced the title of their upcoming album as The Pink Tape. Woods subsequently announced an upcoming project titled Forever Young, as well as a follow-up to Luv Is Rage 2 and a project to be released exclusively on SoundCloud. On October 29, 2021, Lil Uzi Vert released the single " Demon High".

On July 12, 2022, Woods announced an EP titled , which was meant to be released prior to . The EP was released ten days later, with them releasing a number of highly anticipated tracks exclusively on SoundCloud in the lead-up to its release. In October 2022, they released their single " Just Wanna Rock", which had gone viral on the video-sharing app TikTok. "Just Wanna Rock", a Jersey Club-inspired song with production from Synthetic and rising Jersey Club producer McVertt, peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, their highest-charting single since the release of Eternal Atake.

On June 30, 2023, Woods released their third solo studio album Pink Tape, containing 26 songs, including 3 bonus tracks. The album featured guest appearances from Travis Scott, Nicki Minaj, Bring Me the Horizon, Don Toliver and Babymetal. Pink Tape debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, making Woods just the third hip-hop artist of the 21st century, along with Drake and J. Cole, to have their first three studio albums reach the top spot on the chart.

After the release of Pink Tape, Uzi teased their upcoming fifth mixtape Barter 16 after Uzi had promised that if the project went number 1 on the Billboard 200, this would be released next. On August 16, 2023, Uzi teased the artwork cover for the mixtape on Instagram, which appears similar to the artwork of Young Thug's debut commercial mixtape, (2015). On August 19, 2023, multiple songs from Barter 16 were leaked on the internet, leading to it eventually being scrapped and Uzi's focus going towards Luv Is Rage 3.

Musical style

Woods has been consistently been considered to be avant-garde by critics and journalists. called Woods "one of those names to pay attention to in 2016", and wrote "the 22-year-old has solidified [their] spot as one to watch" with their "signature rapid delivery." called them "articularly charismatic", a "natural entertainer" who is "for better or for worse, yanking people into the future." Time's Andrew Chow and Cady Lang called them an "unlikely superstar", highlighting that Woods "has rejected convention at every step of [their] young career."

Lil Uzi Vert's style of rap has been compared to rock music, as well as being labeled with the terms emo rap and punk rap. They have also been described as a lo-fi rapper and compared to rapper Lil Wayne. Wood has called themself a "big Marilyn Manson fan" and called the band's 1998 album Mechanical Animals their favorite.

Lil Uzi Vert has been repeatedly characterized by their facial tattoos, facial piercings, eccentric hairstyles and androgynous fashion, imagery built on a melodic approach to trap.

Influences

Lil Uzi Vert calls Marilyn Manson their "greatest inspiration". They are also a fan of the band Paramore, specifically citing frontwoman Hayley Williams as an influence. In an interview with Complex, Lil Uzi Vert cited ASAP Rocky, Pharrell Williams (with whom they collaborated on " Neon Guts"), Kanye West, Simple Plan, Young Thug, Wiz Khalifa, Lil Wayne, and the Ying Yang Twins as influences.

Personal life

Woods was in a relationship with fashion designer Brittany Byrd from 2014 to 2017. Byrd moved from California to attend the Parsons School of Design, where she was studying when she met Woods. Woods first referenced Byrd in their song "Nuyork Nights at 21" from Luv Is Rage and later made multiple other songs about her. A popular figure among Woods' fans, she also appeared in the music video for Woods' breakout single "Money Longer". On June 26, 2017, Woods and Byrd broke up, which Woods announced with a song titled "Stole Your Luv". Since 2019, Woods has been in a relationship with JT of the hip hop duo City Girls.

Following the death of rapper Lil Peep from an accidental fentanyl overdose, Woods announced they were quitting drugs and attempting sobriety. Also, after the 2018 murder of fellow musician XXXTentacion, Woods asked for help on social media from other rappers to build a foundation against gun violence, which would also provide for XXXTentacion's family and his future child.

In July 2022, Woods announced on Instagram that they use they/them pronouns, which was later confirmed by their spokesperson in a statement to . In 2023, Woods confirmed that they identify as gender-nonconforming.

In February 2021, Woods revealed that they had a 10-carat pink diamond implanted in their forehead, which they had planned to do since 2017. They acquired the diamond, whose value was reported as $24 million, from jeweler Elliot Eliantte. Woods stated that the decision was influenced by the animated series Steven Universe, of which they are openly a fan, and by fellow rapper Lil B, who has a similar implant. Woods said that they "could die" if their diamond is not removed "the right way". In June of the same year, they had the diamond removed from their forehead. They had it reimplanted for their performance at Rolling Loud the following month and revealed in September that fans ripped it out while Woods was crowd surfing at that event. They did not suffer serious damage and said that they still have the diamond. They have since replaced it with a barbell piercing.

Controversies

Satanic allegations

Woods has been accused of being a Satanist, originally by battle rapper Daylyt who claimed that Woods worshipped Satan. It has also been noted that quickly saying "Lil Uzi Vert" sounds similar to "Lucifer". In July 2018, Woods told a crowd of fans that they were "going to hell" with them.

In August 2017, Woods created controversy by adding satanic imagery to their social media accounts and saying phrases often associated with Satanism such as " 666". Woods at one point had promoted Satanism on their social media, which resulted in their Instagram access being taken from them by their record label.

In March 2023, Woods stated that references to Satan they make are figurative and not literal, and that they do not believe Satan exists.

Woods has had a long-standing stand-still with Generation Now imprint owners Don Cannon and DJ Drama over their music. Woods has insulted Don Cannon and DJ Drama over the delays to their Luv Is Rage 2 album, advised people against signing with Generation Now and referred to DJ Drama as an "old person".

On April 29, 2016, Atlanta rapper OG Maco went on a rant on social media and claimed that he "paved the way" for Woods, whom he stated was "stealing [his] sauce". Maco implied there was no issue between the two, though Woods took offense to Maco mentioning fellow Atlanta rapper Reese LaFlare, with whom Woods was feuding. In August, Woods attempted to assault LaFlare at Day N Night Fest after seeing him through a security barrier, though they were stopped by security. In September, Maco and Woods resolved their feud. In January 2018, Woods punched LaFlare in the face and bragged about it on Twitter, though they later deleted the tweet.

In early 2018, Woods tweeted that they were unhappy at DJ Drama's label, Generation Now. Fellow rapper Rich the Kid replied to say that if Woods had signed to their label, Rich Forever Music, they would have never had that problem. Woods responded by stating that they would not sign to Rich's label for $20,000, implying this was the amount offered and that it was not enough. Rich then replied that it would have been worth accepting the offer either way. Things escalated with disses on social media between the two. In March 2018, Rich the Kid released a diss track on Woods titled "Dead Friends", a play on words of Woods' catchphrase in their hit single "XO Tour Llif3". This was to be followed by Woods' track "Rich Forever", which would never see an official release. An incident occurred between the two at a Starbucks in June 2018, when Woods attempted to attack Rich but was stopped by security.

Legal issues

2016-2020 arrests

On December 8, 2016, Woods was arrested in Atlanta for recklessly driving a dirtbike. Woods and a friend were driving a dirtbike without lights and helmets before being noticed by police. While being chased by the police, Woods fell off their dirtbike and attempted to run away on foot before being caught and held on $6,500 bond. In November 2017, the charge was resolved with Woods receiving a community service sentence. In October 2020, Woods and several others were arrested in the streets of Philadelphia after being involved in a paintball gun fight. They were caught after sharing a video of the dispute on Instagram.

2021 assault charges

On July 2, 2021, Woods and Saint Jhn got into a confrontation after Saint Jhn was spotted by Woods with their ex-girlfriend Brittany Byrd. The confrontation led to a physical altercation between the two which resulted in Woods flashing a gun at the two, then holding the gun to their ex-girlfriend's stomach. It was reported that no one was harmed and everybody left the scene.

On July 6, 2021, XXL reported that Woods allegedly hospitalized Byrd by punching her in the face multiple times and put a gun to her stomach. Woods and their team did not respond to the claims made by Byrd.

On February 2, 2022, TMZ reported Woods pleaded no contest in court to one count each of felony assault with a firearm and misdemeanor injury. They later accepted a plea deal for a sentence of three years of formal probation, one year of treatment for mental health and substance abuse, 52 weeks of domestic violence counseling, restitution and a 10-year criminal protective order.

Discography

Studio albums

Collaborative albums

Awards and nominations

References

External links

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Symere Bysil Woods ( sy-MEER ; born July 31, 1995), known professionally as Lil Uzi Vert, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Philadelphia, they gained initial recognition following the release of the commercial mixtape (2015), which led to a recording contract with Atlantic Records, to whom they signed under DJ Drama's Generation Now imprint.