EA2: Lil Uzi’s New Album Will Have The “WLR” Effect

Lil Uzi Vert’s newest album “Eternal Atake 2” took the internet by storm. Stark defenders of Uzi’s experimental sound championed it his best work yet, while others were quick to write it off. This highly contentious debate is reminiscent of his rollout for the controversial “Pink Tape’ album of 2023, which faced similar criticism.

With this sharp devide between the hype-men and the nay-sayers, one can only be reminded of another album with the same effect…

On a cold winter night in December, 2020, the course of music changed forever. Jordan Carter, better known by his stage name ‘Playboi Carti,’ dropped what modern rap enthusiasts dub “the greatest rap album of the 2020s. Almost 4 years later Carti’s influence still permeates throughout the rap space today, with weak imitations of his sound popping up from every corner of the internet.

Despite this lasting effect on youth and rap culture, the day of the drop told a different story. Fans took to social media to clown Carti, stating that the 2 year wait from his previous album "Die Lit” was not worth it in the slightest. They lamented at his screechy vocals and punk-influenced production. Despite the initial backlash, the tides turned over the coming years.

Uzi’s newest album has an incredible amount of similarities to Playboi Carti’s “WLR.” Both are experimental albums that pushed what each respective artist stood for sonically. Therefore, it raises the question of whether or not this immediate split-opinion on “Eternal Atake 2” will garner similar acclaim over the next couple of years. But I guess only time will tell.