In the latter days of the pandemic, spring of 2021 to be exact, the song “Money Twërk” by Yeat took TikTok by storm, garnering interest due to an incredibly unique sound that had never been heard before that point. Just three years later, following cosigns from everyone from Drake to the Minions, Yeat and his sound have taken over the mainstream rap community, with many songs that come out bearing some sort of influence from Yeat’s personal style. So, with Yeat at the height of his career, many wondered what he would do next. His most recent album “AftërLyfe” (2023) was a solid effort, but many felt like Yeat was plateauing, still relying on the same rage sound that he had made a career off of, without offering anything of substance. If he wanted to become a mainstay in the industry, Yeat needed to make a change… but in what way?
As the rollout for “2093” began, it became clear that it was going to be unlike anything Yeat had put out before. The main promotional materials for the record consisted of short Instagram videos posted by Yeat’s “Lyfestyle Corporation” account. The videos presented a concept for the album: In the year 2093, Yeat and his corporation, of which he serves as the CEO, are essentially in control of the entire world, offering products and services that ensure that all power is removed from the people and bestowed upon Yeat and company. While definitely an interesting concept and an admirable effort, the jury was still out on whether or not it would translate to a good album, or if it was just another overly-complex marketing scheme. However, just one track into the record, it starts to appear as though the former may be more accurate.
Right off the bat, Yeat stays true to his concept, titling the opening song “Psycho CEO.” The song begins with a very cinematic introduction before Yeat discusses what he feels to be his current status in the world, especially as it relates to his material successes. He does this over an instrumental that undoubtedly has some flashes of Yeat’s former sound but is overall much more experimental and futuristic in a sense. This is a trend that permeates every song on the record. As far as the production aspect of the album, Yeat has credits on nearly every track but also teamed up with producers like Star Boy and Outtatown, who have helped artists like Playboi Carti and Ken Carson perfect their own unique sounds, both of which were pretty revolutionary for the time.
The album’s second track continues to touch on themes of material success, but this time in a much more reflective, solemn tone, before a beat switch that sees Yeat return to that experimental, almost industrial sound — and then yet another beat switch that once again features Yeat singing over open synths, along with an unexpected feature from Childish Gambino. There is a stark contrast between this and the next song, “Breathe,” which so far is the breakout hit off the record. The track features a much more radio-friendly song structure, continuing his braggadocious lyrics over a sample from a “Regular Show” episode.
The next three tracks continue the same theme in a very different way. In “Morë,” Yeat starts to reflect upon the idea of wealth, and the role it has played in his life. He battles his own greed, pondering if he’s “wrong for bein’ selfish,” and for putting himself first on “Bought The Earth,” before ultimately deciding he is going to stay true to his ways, however destructive they may be on the track “Nothing Changë.” This leads right into the staple Drake feature on “As We Speak,” which consists of a rather emotional Yeat reflecting on a past relationship, and his personal issues, particularly his growing sense of selfishness, that he believes led to its demise. Drake follows this with a verse that is clearly bitten off of Yeat’s style, in which he says nothing of substance whatsoever. Moving past that, Yeat continues to address his greed, and the effect it has had on his relationships in the very next song, “U Should Know,” as well as the tracks “Shade” and “ILUV,” the latter of which turned into another standout song due to its very industrial and unique instrumentals, even for an album full of these industrial sounds.
The next ten or so tracks feature Yeat slowly losing himself to the life that he leads. Throughout the album, Yeat tows a fine line between bragging about his successes and reflecting on his current position, and whether or not the material success was worth the personal sacrifices. While his lyrics at the beginning of the album are generally upbeat and confident, as the album goes on, Yeat grows progressively uneasy with his situation, believing that his wealth and status have essentially torn him apart. How does he deal with this? It’s about three-quarters of the way into the album that Yeat starts to play into the idea of the CEO. On the track “Psychocaine,” Yeat says straight up that he’s “a god,” and that he “could sell peace,” as well as “hope, lies,” and many other things he supposedly has access to. At this point, he is fully immersed in the persona of the CEO, an all-powerful being in complete control of the future world. But, this doesn’t solve Yeat’s problems, with the next two songs featuring less-than-inspiring lines like “my body fiending for some dopamine,” and then talking about how he doesn’t feel as though he fits in with the people around him, with him deciding he is better off “livin’ in outer space.”
On the final song, “1093,” Yeat makes his decision to leave Earth once and for all over one of the most beautiful instrumentals off the entire record, if not Yeat’s entire discography. This is Yeat in what seems to be his final form. He feels as though he has adopted a lifestyle so far removed from the average person that he is more similar to a world-controlling alien. Throughout the record, this manifests in the lyrics, with Yeat slowly beginning to camouflage his growing trepidations with this persona of the CEO. It also manifests in the instrumentals, with the futuristic, industrial sounds setting a tone for an album that is far from typical, to put it simply. Although complicated at times, Yeat does a solid job of carrying out a concept from beginning to end. While some tracks may not be entirely necessary to establish the points Yeat is trying to make, there are no tracks that take away from the quality of the album, in both the sonic and conceptual aspects of it. He was able to produce a project that was entirely out of this world, yet at the same time his most personal to date, in yet another piece of evidence that Yeat is here to stay.