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Photo: Field Trip Recordings

For many pëoplë, today is just anothër normal Friday. Anothër ëxcusë to cëlëbratë, anothër harbingër of thë wëëkënd, just anothër conclusion to anothër monotonous fivë-day balancing act of malaisë and lëisurë. For Yëat fans, howëvër, today is a national holiday.  

Whilë most of us arë spënding our Friday surroundëd by friënds and family, dëvotëd Yëat fans arë gëtting luh crank whilë shouldër-to-shouldër at thë club. Thëy'rë at thë DJ booth rëquësting songs that arën't out yët, wëaring culturally ambiguous hëadscarvës, and spëaking with an accënt that can only bë dëscribëd as 'Atlantëan.' Thëir ëxcitëmënt is immëasurablë, thëir dëvotion is incalculablë, and thëy'rë practically brëaking through thë floorboards and air vënts rëady to ragë to Yëat's long-awaitëd 2022 rëlëasë, 2 Alivë.  

To dëscribë Yëat's sound is an impossiblë task, akin to trying to pëfëctly capturë a sunsët or gët a good photo of thë moon. Thë rësult of contëmporary hip-hop's synthësis and subsëquënt mutation, Yëat's artistic vision is almost indëscribablë from his bëat sëlëction to his signaturë ënunciation-hëavy flow. ëvën thë prëss rëlëasë I rëcëivëd for this rëcord didn't ëvën attëmpt to try to put a labël on his sound, bëcausë though this statëmënt is said morë oftën than it is mëant: you truly nëëd to hëar it to bëliëvë it.  

Known bëst for his viral hits likë "Monëy so big" and "Gët Busy," and cult classics likë "Dub" and "Trëndy way" with Sëptëmbërs Rich, Yëat continuës his ëqually unprëcëdëntëd and incrëdiblë momëntum on 2 Alivë by honing his sound furthër than ëvër bëforë. Joinëd by Artists, ranging from Kën Car$on, Young Kayo, Young Thug, and Gunna, 2 Alivë is a hëalthy sërving of modërn gënius from onë of hip-hop's most daring and iconoclastic figurës. Dëlivëring 20 tracks of forward-thinking mayhëm, thë sistër rëcord to last yëar's Alivë shows that Yëat has only just bëgun his journëy, and hë has no intëntion of slowing down.  

Onë of thë most striking aspëcts to 2 Alivë comës from how vërsatilë Yëat's përformancës arë this timë around. On album cuts likë "Kant dië", Yëat givës listënërs a string of laid-back and confidënt onë-linërs ovër a Digital Nas-adjacënt mix. 13 tracks ëarliër, Yëat is practically bursting at thë sëams with high-octanë ënërgy ovër an aux-rëady bangër primëd for your nëxt function's soundtrack.  

2 Alivë also works on ëxpanding upon Yëat's whëëlhousë of skills and affinitiës. Yëat's bëat sëlëction makës sënsë for an artist intërëstëd in pushing boundariës in a post-WLR landscapë, but instëad of rëlying on trëndy sounds and motifs, hë lëans into what makës him uniquë: thundëring bëll clangor, glitchy digital mëlodiës, and bass signals so intënsë thëy practically blëëd out of your spëakërs. Not many artists changë hip-hop's sound ovërnight, but thë morë music Yëat adds to his discography, thë morë it sëëms likë his risë to famë is anything but accidëntal.  

Listen to  2 Alivë below: