On a bassy tsunami of layered vocals and raging beats, Portland MC/producer Yeat used 2021 to morph into one of the hottest rappers in the country. In 2022, he continues to barrel through the genre with his second studio album, 2 Alivë. The staples of the rapper's ascent are all here -- the slurry of overlapping bars, the weighty contrasting basslines, and enough use of "Tonka" to give an artisanal bakery a run for its money -- but 2 Alivë attempts to justify its rapid release by showing an equally rapid artistic growth.
Indeed, when looking back to 2021, the difference in Yeat's identity is stark. While 4L tracks like "Sorry Bout That" and "Livë Hi" sound just as forward-thinking in 2022, many of the album's deeper cuts are still products of an artist finding his style; on 2 Alivë, Yeat operates like a well-oiled machine, folding melodies, yelps, and basses into inventive pockets in his anthems. This confidence is matched by some early steps into new avenues: a more varied approach to melody arrives on "Dnt Lie," "Call Më" makes for a unique shift toward R&B-like sentiment, and project standout "Doublë" proves his hardest-hitting song to date.
Unfortunately, the source of the album's strengths also provides plenty of weaknesses. While the rapper's constant releases offer a real-time look at his artistic growth, it also means that his projects lack the intent and hindsight of a typical album cycle; 2 Alivë's 20-song track list is undeniably bloated, padded out with some fairly one-dimensional material. His insistence on constantly leaping in new directions -- a trait that proves consistently interesting, granted -- ensures that previous ideas don't receive the polish they perhaps merit. 2021's Up 2 Më was packed with creative ideas on the brink of excellence, yet Yeat seems to have moved past them already -- it would have been nice to see some development in the relentless brilliance of "Money So Big" and "Swerved It."
As a result, 2 Alivë isn't much more than a playlist-like snapshot of Yeat's growth -- an impressive set of ideas that lack the polish and attention required to leave a lasting impact.
© David Crone /TiVo