With a daunting cascade of releases spewing from the likes of DatPiff, LiveMixtapes, Bandcamp, and SoundCloud, it can be difficult to keep up with the overbearing yet increasingly vital mixtape game. In this column, we aim to immerse ourselves in this hyper-prolific world and share our favorite releases each month. The focus will primarily be on rap mixtapes — loosely defined here as free (or sometimes free-to-stream) digital releases — but we’ll keep things loose enough to branch out if/when we feel it necessary. (Check out last month’s installment here.)
Lil Yachty - Summer Songs 2
Right in the middle of the Republican and Democratic national conventions, in which the two parties spent the days throwing pessimism and doomsday scenarios at each other, Lil Yachty dropped another mega ray of light to a chorus of auto-tuned cheers and boat adlibs. The second mixtape from the recently donned XXL Freshman, Summer Songs 2 is for the kids trying to muffle the powers that be wrapped up by the now-proclaimed “King of the Teens,” beginning the whole mixtape with a “we are the yooouth” glider. The cherry-headed 19 year old is a goofy, mall glasses-wearing dude (shout out mall glasses-wearing dudes) who happens to write ultra-positive music. “Why,” “Life Goes On,” and “Such Ease” are all uplifting open-ended journal entries from Yachty. They’re fresh air in a stiff room, and damn if this world doesn’t need more of it.