At one point, Lil Uzi Vert was nigh-on unstoppable. From their 2015 mixtape ‘Luv Is Rage’ onwards, the Philly rapper seemed to bound over barriers, with project after project igniting the internet. Much-mimicked, never surpassed, their work took them from the streets to the upper echelons of the charts, sitting at the forefront of a new rap generations. What goes up must come down, however, and Lil Uzi Vert’s tail-off has been noted by fans – there’s a lack of focus, with often troubling headlines pushing the music to one-side.
‘Eternal Atake 2’ feels like an attempt to reset the dials. A marked reaction to last year’s ‘Pink Tape’, it’s the follow-on from their 2020 album, but the sequel seems to prove the law of diminishing returns, reminding you of what has changed in their work – and, crucially, what hasn’t.
Attempting to move out the shadow of 2020’s ‘Eternal Atake’, the record fails through messy execution. ‘We Good’ bursts out of the traps but feels unfocussed; ‘Meteor Man’ burns brightly but fails to deliver on the inherent velocity – it’s colourful, entertaining, but needs to be finessed.
At times, the record feels rushed. The final mixes often lack bite – ‘Mr Chow’ aims for stadium worthy sonics, but sounds blunts; ‘Not An Option’ is a flood of words, but doesn’t seem to hang together.
There are still sparks of former glories here. In adopting familiar tropes Lil Uzi Vert embarks on a dose of fan service, and there’s a case to be made that they were always more of a playlist artist, as opposed to an album rooted artist, in the first place.
But ultimately, real life intrudes. The lyrics of ‘Conceited’ jar given the accusations around him, and while ‘Eternal Atake 2’ may be content to live in 2020, the rest of the rap world has moved on. Although far from terrible, ‘Eternal Atake 2’ seems to exhibit more signs of the Lil Uzi Vert tail-off – the quality control has dimmed, and the sense of direction exhibited on their early work has waned.
5/10
Words: Robin Murray
