Lil Yachty, X Men | Track Review 🎵

“X Men,” the fourth single from Teenage Emotions marks an improvement from newbie Lil Yachty, but still falls short of the glory.  

Lil Yachty drops his debut album, Teenage Emotions on Friday, May 26, 2016. Ahead of Teenage Emotions, the 19-year old rapper dropped several singles, including “Peek a Boo” featuring Migos, “Harley,” and “Bring it Back”. Both “Peek a Boo” and “Bring it Back” were disappointing.  “Harley” has its moments, as does fourth single, “X Men,” featuring Evander Griiim.  Still, “X Men” doesn’t do enough to curb the perception that Teenage Emotions is going to be an epic fail.

“X Men” is an improvement compared to “Peek a Boo” and “Bring It Back.”  The sound itself helps Yachty.  Backed by devilish production, it provides fuel for the rapper’s fire.  Yachty doesn’t deliver a masterful set of rhymes, but his energy and intensity are appreciated.  Furthermore, the pacing of his rhymes is pro as well.  Definitely, this sounds much more traditional than “Bring It Back,” which is plum odd.  Evander Griim also helps the cause for “X Men,” delivering a respectable hook:

“Lot of foreign
Fuck I just started?
Wishin’ to Henny
Diamonds on flex
Tuck it, I’m blessed
Drippin’, I’m wet
Fuck her, she wet...”

Still, there are some issues.  While the hook works, 2017 has still seen better.  Furthermore, while Yachty approaches normalcy on his rhymes, he also sounds slightly off beat at times.  This same thing occurred on “Bring it Back,” but to a more pronounced degree.  Perhaps it’s intentional, but it’s also irking.  Finally, to reference one more aforementioned observation, the rhymes are so-so.  What does Yachty say of note? Nothing.

Final Thoughts

So, does “X Men” give Teenage Emotions some semblance of hope? Yes, but don’t call it a gem.  “X Men” still feels underwhelming.  While there’s more here contextually speaking, “X Men” still doesn’t feel sufficient.  Ultimately, this is a forgettable track that doesn’t/won’t last long as far as memorability is concerned.

Lil Yachty • Teenage Emotions • Capitol / Motown • Release: 5.26.17

Photo Credit: Capitol / Motown