On new album “Pink Tape,” rapper Lil Uzi Vert “died and came back” with a vengeance, providing a new authentic perspective to fans and haters alike.

The extensive tracklist of 26 songs provides refreshing new sounds, emotions, and meaning to Uzi’s previous discography. The album hosts a variety of artists featured on the tracks, over six artists all varying in genre including Nicki Minaj, Bring Me The Horizon, and Japanese “kawaii metal band” BABYMETAL. 

The album centers around the concept of identity in an unapologetic way, straying far from most of Uzi’s prior albums. This is first seen in the track “Suicide Doors” when a clip of a man is played calling Uzi’s appearance “sissified,” and going on to say he looks like he wears dresses and paints his nails. Strategically, on behalf of Uzi, this is immediately followed up with a sample of the artist Arca saying “Thank you, Lil Uzi Vert!” Arca is a highly regarded and respected figure in her craft. She has stood out as a trans icon in the production of experimental music and hip-hop and has producer and writer credits on the “Suicide Doors” track. 

The juxtaposition between the direct backlash of Uzi’s femininity and the usage of a producer that symbolizes so much for women, trans people, and the Queer community sets up the rest of the record. It is made clear that this is a record where Uzi is unapologetic and ready to speak to the haters directly. 

Uzi confirms this newfound sense of self later in the track, repeating “I feel like b**** I’m the crow,” referencing the film in which a man who has been murdered comes back to life. This is confirmed more deeply by the track “died and came back” where Uzi claps back at haters once again while proclaiming his resurrection. 

Later in the record, two songs repeat the phrase “witness me”: “Amped” and “Werewolf (feat. Bring Me The Horizon). The phrase rings clearly as a mantra of Uzi’s independence from assimilating with what is expected of him as a rapper. The song Werewolf calls upon Uzi’s love for punk rock in its production, and Uzi proves he is not one to be confined by haters nor by genre. 

Along with this, Uzi supports the love for Japanese music often seen on his social media with the concluding song featuring BABYMETAL. BABYMETAL is incredibly popular for their metal rock sound and their track with Uzi provides a high-energy ending singing about love being all we need. 

Uzi finishes the record with a message about identity, and his hope for all his fans (and perhaps to his biggest critics too)  “I’m not from this Earth, I’m from outer space, I landed here just to drop the Pink Tape. You feel blue? Have a pink day”