The Three Elements That Make Lil Uzi Vert a Superstar
Looking into the three factors that make Lil Uzi Vert stand out in an oversaturated market.
Lil Uzi Vert in 2020.
Symere Woods aka Lil Uzi Vert is a Philly native who has reshaped the landscape of rap music in the past five years.
Since dropping his breakout mixtape ‘Luv is Rage’ in 2015, Uzi has cultivated himself a die-hard fanbase and has stormed charts with hit after hit. Uzi has dropped earworms like ‘XO Tour Lif3’ and ‘Money Longer’ as well as the emotional banger ‘The Way Life Goes’.
These are the key traits Uzi has that separate him from the competition.
Firstly, Uzi’s art direction cannot be overlooked. On album’s like the prophesied ‘Eternal Atake’, Uzi uses retro science fiction to add to his album’s narrative and lore. The album’s artwork perfectly sums up how the record is meant to sound.
On Uzi’s ‘LUV vs. The World’ project from 2016, Uzi cleverly pays homage to the comic book series ‘Scott Pilgrim’. This can be seen with the song ‘Scott and Ramona’ and the album artwork, creating a synergy between the two.
Uzi’s debut album ‘Luv is Rage 2’ showed off Uzi’s adoration for high fashion with high-end brand ‘Off-White’ plastered all over the cover. Uzi’s bold and eclectic mix of nerdy, outer-worldly and sometimes satanic imagery helps him stand out from the crowd.
Also, Uzi’s unique spin on rap music is another key to his success. Uzi wasn’t as influenced or phased by rap history like the emcees and artists that came before him. Uzi resonated with rock, metal and punk artists like; Marylin Manson, Paramore and My Chemical Romance for inspiration.
This trap/punk sound and rockstar persona are not seen often in rap. Better yet, it’s hard to pull off. This is undoubtfully Uzi’s unique selling point. Finally, Uzi’s music is the most fundamental element that makes Uzi a star is his personality.
In an age of social media, we’re able to see and connect with artists now more than ever. Uzi has used his platform to incite dance challenges, communicate and even drop previously leaked songs (e.g. Bean/Kobe Rollie or Myron)
Uzi is loud and flamboyant, more importantly, Uzi uses his platform cleverly to connect with fans. Love him or hate him, it’s hard to deny Uzi’s superstar status.
Listen to Lil Uzi Vert on Spotify and Apple Music here.
