June 27, 2023
courtesy of Generation Now/Atlantic Records
The artwork for Lil Uzi Vert's "Pink Tape" album
Lil Uzi Vert is preparing to drop "Pink Tape," the Philly rapper's long-awaited third studio album, on all streaming platforms this Friday.
The follow-up to 2020's "Eternal Atake," "Pink Tape" will feature 26 songs, including the hit song "Just Wanna Rock," which provided the soundtrack to the Philadelphia Eagles' Super Bowl run earlier this year.
As is the case with their other releases, Uzi teased the album with an action-packed trailer uploaded to the rapper's YouTube channel on Monday. In the four-minute video, Uzi sword-fights, races through the streets on a pink motorcycle and fights demons in an attempt to retrieve the pink diamond the rapper had installed on their forehead in 2021. The trailer ends with Uzi placing the diamond back on their forehead before causing a pink-tinted explosion to erupt into space.
"Pink Tape" has been in the works since at least 2021, with the rapper giving periodic updates about the project while appearing as a featured artist on dozens of tracks. Earlier this year, Lil Uzi Vert spoke with TMZ about putting the finishing touches on the album while enjoying the creative benefits of sobriety after a seven-month stint in rehab.
"The first month and a half were hard, but after that, it was easy, because the people there (rehab) became my family," the rapper said in an interview with 032c earlier this month. "They showed me so many different outlets and ways to cope with life. We did a lot of group talks, a lot of writing on whiteboards. I was so sure that it wasn't going to work, but surprisingly it's pretty effective."
Uzi has been open about using Xanax in the past, tweeting about using the drug after the death of friend and fellow rapper Lil Peep in 2017. The anti-anxiety medication is often used recreationally and can be highly addictive. At the time, Complex reported that the rapper had decided to take a break from drugs.
Lil Uzi Vert, whose real name is Symere Bysil Woods, grew up in the Francisville neighborhood in North Philly. Uzi began rapping in high school as a member of a group called Steaktown. As a teenager, Uzi was heavily influenced by skate culture and fashion, honing a distinctive emo rap style that has since grown into a fusion genre in hip-hop.
Last year, Uzi announced they would be using "they/them" pronouns, claiming it was about self-discovery and that they did not fear repercussions from doing so.
Though the rapper hasn't released original music since "Just Wanna Rock" earlier this year, Uzi recently appeared on Metro Boomin's soundtrack for "Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse" alongside Don Toliver. The soundtrack was released earlier this month to coincide with the film's theatrical release.
In May, Lil Uzi Vert was the subject of an episode of "Hip-Hop DNA," an Apple Music podcast series hosted by Ebro Darden that focuses on highlighting hip-hop, its 50-year history and its contemporary artists. During the episode, Darden described Uzi as one of modern music's most beloved rock stars.
"Pink Tape" is available to pre-order and pre-save on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and Tidal before its release on Friday. Check out the album's official trailer below, directed by Gibson Hazard.
