To clear the air: Lil Yachty has always been a polarizing figure in Hip Hop. Branded early as a “mumble rapper,” his singsong melodies and playful delivery made him a lightning rod for purists who equated technical skill with rapid-fire bars. But to stop there is to miss the full picture. From his breakout Lil Boat tape to experimental detours like Michigan Boy Boat and his psychedelic pivot on Let’s Start Here., Yachty has consistently proven that his pen is sharper (or at least more interesting) than people give him credit for.
What makes Yachty intriguing is his different approach to rap. He’ll sneak complex rhyme schemes into melodic pockets, flip surreal images into quotables, and slide seamlessly from goofy flexes to vulnerable reflections. Yachty has shown he’s far more versatile than the “mumble” tag suggests. These 13 tracks highlight some moments where Lil Boat not only held his own but redefined what rapping could sound like on his terms.
1. Up Next 3: “22 diamonds, they shine like a brand-new dime that you flip for a bet”
Love it or hate it, but these are the kinds of bars that showcase Yachty’s playful imagination. Instead of a standard flex, he used a childlike metaphor to describe luxury, proving his bars are both vivid and unconventional.
2. Mase in ‘97: “I'm all 'bout my 'fetti, like Migos, we ready, she suck like spaghetti, Armani, Gianni, stuff it all in Stefani, b**ch, I'm so original, just like Fani”
When Yachty raps about being “all ’bout his ’fetti,” he connected himself to Atlanta lineage, then flipped into playful food and fashion imagery. The mix of cultural nods and eccentric humor captured why his bars feel both offbeat and inventive.
3. Royal Rumble: “Lou pulled up on me, so we poured up a Kobe Bryant, stacked up all my empty Wock' pints, it's taller than a giant”
Yachty kicks off this massive Detroit posse cut with a bar linking Kobe’s jersey number to pouring up lean, stacking empties like trophies. It’s a vivid entry into the city’s raw rap style, proving he could adapt seamlessly.
4. Split/Whole Time: “Youngins gon’ open ‘em up like some Mucinex”
Yachty turned a cold-blooded threat into a clever punchline by likening violence to cough medicine. It’s darkly funny, unsettling, and memorable — a glimpse into how he folds everyday references into street imagery without compromising his unique style.
5. Broccoli: “Fifty Shades of Grey, beat that p**sy like Hulk Hogan”
On his breakout hit with DRAM, Yachty slipped a wild metaphor that fused pop culture and wrestling bravado. That brash-yet-funny bar was the kind of outlandish line that made critics wince and fans quote him endlessly.
6. Mixtape: “After ‘1 Night,’ them folks thought I was finished, I pinned my name to the game like a seamstress”
Yachty pushed back against doubters and reminded listeners that his viral hit wasn’t the end but the beginning. Comparing his career to careful stitching, he reframed himself as a builder, someone intent on creating lasting impact rather than a fleeting trend.
7. Van Gogh: “New Chanel, tote that s**t, sit like a daffodil, bankroll thick, the same size as a movie reel”
Yachty flexed luxury, comparing a Chanel tote to a daffodil and his bankroll to a movie reel. The imagery was vivid and unconventional, making his lyrical style feel more surrealist than expected. Plus, this was all next to some of JID’s hardest bars.
8. The Secret Recipe: “I don't go 'round on n**gas, we go over n**gas”
On a track with J. Cole, Yachty drew a sharp line between himself and peers, flipping the cliché of “going around” obstacles into a power move of rising above them. It’s confident, dismissive, and emblematic of his refusal to play by industry rules.
9. Sista Wives: “One bullet, sent him to a dream, feel like Jermaine Cole, my b**ch stand in front of poles, but she ain't never voted”
Yachty sharpened his wordplay by flipping J. Cole’s name into a deadly punchline, then swerved into a sly pole-voting double entendre. The back-to-back bars highlight his ability to layer humor and menace in the same breath.
10. A Cold Sunday: “I made M’s off a TV like I work for Viacom”
With one of his sharpest flexes, Yachty bragged about turning television appearances into millions, comparing himself to Viacom execs. It’s a reminder that his cultural presence (not just his music) fuels his wealth and longevity.
11. Hate Me: “My Chrome unfindable like I did me a hit and I threw it away”
Following ian’s verse, Yachty opened his own by flipping the word “chrome” into a double entendre. In a simple-yet-effective line, he evoked a hidden gun and exclusive Chrome Hearts pieces he claims can’t be found.
12. Plastic: “If I die, I'll be on CNN like Michael Jackson, not ‘cause I died, but who I brought with me”
Yachty likened his hypothetical death to Michael Jackson’s, saying CNN would cover it not just for him but for those he’s put on. At the same time, one can’t help but wonder if the bar carried a darker edge by suggesting the headline might also hinge on who he took with him.
13. XXL Freshman cypher: “That boy not gang, no, that boy not my friend, I hang with my gang, the same gang that felt all of my pain, when I was strugglin’ through the rain, when I had no guap with no ice, wasn’t no food but rice”
In a star-studded XXL cypher, Yachty kept things personal, rapping about loyalty to his crew and surviving lean times. The verse silenced doubters by showing his dedication to the grind and grounding his playful image in hardship and resilience.