Wednesday 4/28: Lil Yachty—"G.I. Joe" (Feat. Louie Ray)
Today, we share our thoughts on a track from the new Lil Yachty mixtape Michigan Boat Boy.
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Today, we share our thoughts on a track from the new Lil Yachty mixtape Michigan Boat Boy.
Lil Yachty—"G.I. Joe" (Feat. Louie Ray)
Michael Brooks:
After a year spent working on a plethora of collaborations with some of the most talented artists in both Detroit and Flint, Lil Yachty has gone all in on the region on his latest project Michigan Boy Boat. While it’s completely fair to be skeptical of Yachty and this new sonic makeover, his interest in the music and people of the budding Michigan rap scene seems genuine, and it’s also resulted in some of the best music he’s made in a very long time, which become painstakingly obvious on the handful of moments on the record where he leans closer to the Atlanta sound.
This is the case for “G.I. Joe,” his team up with Louie Ray and also one of the best songs of the bunch. Surrounded by a crop of sinister beats from guys like like ENRGY Beats and Helluva, the Buddha Bless production on “G.I. Joe” is a welcome change of pace and much needed shot of energy on the album. Yachty, who talks about how many Benzes he’s bought and how big his guns are definitely holds his own on the track, but it’s Louie Ray and his almost Chief Keef-esque delivery that steals the show. If there’s one thing to knock Michigan Boy Boat for, it's how often Yachty’s collaborators overshadow his own input considering that he’s got some really nice bars on here, but you at least gotta give him credit for being the one who put this whole thing together in the first place.
Eli Enis:
I don’t think anybody could’ve been as excited for this tape as Michael was, given his vested interest in the Michigan rap scene. However, I was pretty stoked too after hearing the incredible “Royal Rumble” posse cut Yachty uploaded to YouTube earlier this year, which featured many of the names who ended up appearing on this tape. Overall, I was a little underwhelmed by how the whole thing came together. I felt like the moments where Michigan weirdos like Rio Da Yung OG, Babyface Ray, and YN Jay shined were as awesome you’d expect, but I don’t really think Yachty himself is really built for the Michigan style.
Maybe his humor and cartoonish personality outside of the booth is, but his voice doesn’t really feel suited for an entire tape of dutch-angle Michigan beats that reward snippy one-liners and quick, constantly molding flows. I don’t think he’s really that dexterous of a rapper, nor is he capable of the jittery talk-rap approach that people like BFB Da Packman (who sadly doesn’t make an appearance on here) and YN Jay have mastered. "G.I. Joe” is a pretty solid Atlanta trap song that seems fit for cruising around when the weed is starting to wear off, the laughter is dying down, and everyone’s taking a few minutes to just stare out the window and ponder silently. That said, it doesn’t really feel necessary in the context of a Michigan-focused tape—and unfortunately, neither does Yachty.