вЂ“Sheldon PearceДЄfter years of leaks and label issues, Lil Uzi Vert had to meet otherworldly expectations when he finally released Eternal Atake. вЂњFree UziвЂќ felt like the tide shifting in his long struggle to release his album, and a precursor to the uninhibited rapping heвЂ™d do once he was freed. вЂњI can't trust none of these niggas, might turn on me/IвЂ™m still a millionaire, this shit not hurtinвЂ™ me/But itвЂ™s hurtinвЂ™ you/And I know the truth,вЂќ he barks. He hadnвЂ™t rhymed like this since well before 2015вЂ™s Luv Is Rage and the mixtapes that put him on the map. (Uzi uploaded it independently through DistroKid.) His pitched-up, rapid-fire bars felt like an opening salvo in his crusade against management his drill-indebted cadences could puncture steel, marking a return to the automatic rapping that inspired his name. вЂњFree UziвЂќ is an act of rebellion, rapped over DJ LвЂ™s blistering 2012 beat for G HerboвЂ™s вЂњGangwayвЂќ and released without permission. UziвЂ™s second album, Eternal Atake, was preceded by the most tumultuous period in his career, and he distilled all of his frustration with the industry into one of his most exhilarating songs. For a moment, the artist becomes the listener-and vice versa. Later in the track, when Oh Wonder singer Josephine Vander GuchtвЂ™s original vocals enter the mix, we step into UziвЂ™s shoes, and the solace she brought him. вЂњThe Way Life GoesвЂќ stands apart in UziвЂ™s discography because itвЂ™s a rare intimate ballad from an artist who can sometimes feel like heвЂ™s rapping at armвЂ™s distance. Great songs often take on new lives as samples and covers, but rarely are they folded into a fanвЂ™s work so literally. вЂњI was listening to this song,вЂќ Uzi says before the first chorus, which he lifts directly from the London duo Oh WonderвЂ™s original, вЂњLandslide.вЂќ He adds, вЂњIt go like: I know it hurts sometimes, but youвЂ™ll get over it.вЂќ But when you hear the actual song, another meta-narrative reveals itself: Uzi is still listening to the track as he records his version.

On the surface, вЂњThe Way Life GoesвЂќ has a familiar story behind it: An avid music fan samples a little-known indie-pop track and flips it into a hit. Those dated criticisms of Uzi held no weight after вЂњXO Tour Llif3.вЂќ ItвЂ™s more than a song, more than a hit: ItвЂ™s a pivotal moment in popular music. The combination was head-scratching at first then, suddenly, everyone was wailing along to вЂњPush me to the edge/All my friends are dead.вЂќ Uzi yelped his pain away on the chorus and dug into his verses with the passion and intensity of the student of rap he is. But UziвЂ™s persona elevates everything around him: He raps about wanting to die, like so many rappers before, but does it with a shoulder-shimmying bounce. Produced by JW Lucas and TM88, a member of the influential Atlanta production crew 808 Mafia, it has a classic drum pattern and a sinister melody. вЂњXO Tour Llif3вЂќ could have sounded like a typical ATL record. But a dive beyond the surface of UziвЂ™s catalog reveals that heвЂ™s always been more traditional than naysayers claimed he just added a new type of flair to the street-rapper molds of the past. Whether it was his bright sing-rap vocals or his colorful fashion choices, Uzi was viewed as a step away from tradition. вЂ“Alphonse PierreД«efore вЂњXO Tour Llif3,вЂќ rap purists insisted Uzi and his SoundCloud peers were outsiders in hip-hop. Here, we trace his career so far with a chronological rundown of our 20 favorite Lil Uzi Vert songs and features. He has cemented himself as a uniquely personal artist with the power to capture the complexities of his young fansвЂ™ lives. Every release of a Lil Uzi mixtape or album-from Luv Is Rage to this yearвЂ™s immense Eternal Atake-stops the always-spinning hip-hop world in its tracks. Not like they had a choice: His impact is undeniable. ItвЂ™s taken some time, but by now, the hip-hop world has fully come around to Uzi. But Uzi always remained unbothered by the noise around him. Demeaning umbrella terms like вЂњSoundCloud rapвЂќ and вЂњmumble rapвЂќ were used by fans and press to knock him down a peg. But his increasing fame made him a target for criticism from rap fans who had a difficult time adjusting to UziвЂ™s nontraditional take on the genre they loved. Through it all, he put forth the whimsical persona of a guy who was interested only in fast cars and flashy clothes, unless he was completely heartbroken (which was often). From there, his profile continued to rise: He collaborated with Playboi Carti, Young Thug, and Future, and released impactful tapes, albums, loosies, and more.

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