2021 was a big year for Yeat as he dropped four projects and received massive industry cosigns from rappers like Drake. Continuing the trajectory with 2 Alivë, the Portland native flexes his eccentric melodies over rage beats. The newfound recognition has helped his feature game as Young Thug and Gunna appear alongside Yung Kayo, Ken Car$on, and SeptembersRich. Yeat branches off a little in the album as his vocal inflections and flows take on more variety throughout. As always, it’s his ability to contort his voice alongside the production that separates him from other Plugg rappers. The production is also more interesting than Up 2 Më though it remains the most predictable variable in Yeat’s music. The distinctive rage synths on “Still Countin” and “Doublë” are perfect fits for Yeat’s melodies.
2 Alivë sticks to the classic Yeat formula as he raps about Tonka trucks, his twizzys, and drugs. Sure, the concept has worn itself thin but Yeat still manages to keep things interesting with his vocal tricks. With a little more confidence in his delivery this time, the spacey melodies feel the most refined they’ve ever been. Yeat’s ad-libs and flows feel a lot more consistent on 2 Alivë in how they fill in the empty spaces. A natural at bringing sheer energy to his songs, Yeat’s explosive performances are filled with warbled vocals, addictive choruses, and shifting registers.
For all its improvements though, 2 Alivë doesn’t really have big highlights the same way that 4L and Up 2 Më did. With such a long tracklist, the songs converge into a continuous stream that can get tiring quickly. No matter how much Yeat plays with the vocals, the lyrics never really matter and are largely forgettable. The features are usually lackluster and even Young Thug plays it safe on his verse. 2 Alivë never seems to find its footing in the same way that Yeat’s previous albums did. The tracks blending together are a result of the repetitive song structures that we’ve heard plenty of before. While his albums are best enjoyed as a long loop of noise, Yeat could easily cut out a lot of the filler without losing much. He always bursts out of the gate with energy but the songs quickly fuse together halfway. 2 Alivë still manages to be a fun ride but Yeat can’t rely on the same gimmick forever.
Must Listens: Still Countin, Jump, Poppin
