The Daily Gamecock

Review: Lil Uzi Vert's 'RED & WHITE' provides a mixed bag of fun moments, substanceless lyrics

Lil Uzi Vert performs during The Summer Smash Festival at Douglass Park in Chicago on June 17, 2022. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/TNS)
Lil Uzi Vert performs during The Summer Smash Festival at Douglass Park in Chicago on June 17, 2022. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/TNS)

Album: "RED & WHITE" by Lil Uzi Vert

Release Date: July 22, 2022

Run Time: 28 minutes

Rating C+

Lil Uzi Vert's "RED & WHITE" has finally arrived. While it's not their best work, the project contained enough of the quirky lyricism and versatility Uzi is known for to get listeners excited for their upcoming album "THE P!NK TAPE." 

The introduction song of the album displays a clash of great production accompanied by substanceless lyrics. 

"I'm at the tippity top of my pinnacle / I'm underwater like I'm Squidward Tentacles," they rap on "SPACE CADET."

Yes, it's meaningless, but it still manages to be enjoyable. Uzi's ability to rap seamlessly over an instrumental is better than their ability to write lyrics has ever been. 

Different parts of Uzi's skills as an artist are evident throughout the next three songs. "I KNOW" showcases Uzi's melodic talent with a catchy hook and variety of flows. Each riff is simple and fun to sing along to. 

Their pure rapping ability is shown on "HITTIN MY SHOULDER" as Uzi mimics the stop-start flow seen on "Silly Watch," from their 2020 album "Eternal Atake." 

This track also sees Uzi at their most condescending — and it's hilarious.  One particular hook — in which they rap about being offended when someone mistakes his Lamborghini for another, similar luxury sports car — is particularly unforgettable. 

“This a Lamb’, how dare you say Lotus,” they rap. 

Unfortunately, the second half of the EP dips in quality. The song "CIGARETTE" is plodding. Its lyrics are cringey at best and concerning at worst. Here Uzi's raps — bragging about expensive watches and disclosing his preference towards unprotected sex — provide the listener with little more than shock value.

The next song "ISSA HIT" has a lot of repetition. The first 16 times Uzi repeats the hook is fun but demanding. They follow the hook with more repetition, frustratingly. The repetitiveness of the song makes it feel far longer than it is. 

The final two songs however, save this second half from an unrecoverable decline.

"GLOCK IN MY PURSE" sees Uzi hilariously arguing in an attempt to protect masculinity. Uzi wittily questions the categorization of purses and handbags, highlighting the irony of societal gender norms.

The most humorous example of this comes when Uzi argues that because his bag contains ammunition, it can't possibly be a purse. 

"If it had two straps / You would call it backpack / But it got one strap / And it's holdin' the mags," they rap.

The last song titled "F.F" sees a video game reference that stands out as one of the funniest lyrics on the EP. Uzi says "Final Fantasy, this a trilogy" despite the series being 5 trilogies in total.

Though it's not their best work, this album was never meant to be — "RED & WHITE" is meant to serve as an appetizer for Uzi's next album. 

Despite the subpar lyricism, Uzi's peculiar sense of humor and versatile skillset were displayed just well enough for their fans to be optimistic about the yet to come "THE P!NK TAPE."


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