Hip-hop and music is something that I have always liked and respected all my life. If you look at the list of songs I have downloaded on my phone and iPad over the years, you will see that I listen to a wide range of music. Whether it's the classic hits of Michael Jackson or Bobby Brown. The hardcore and poetic flow of Tupac Shakur and Common. Even bumping today's music that includes Drake, Future, Young Thug, Chance the Rapper and countless others. I have never been known to become a fan of just one particular artist because I listen to everyone. But this summer I've become a fan of Lil Uzi Vert. An artist that is one of the most popular young artist out today. A guy that is one of the leading catalyst of this new wave of hip hip that has the young generation in a frenzy. He seems very different to any casual hip-hop fan with his style and delivery but that is what admire most about him.

What rapper do you know has Marilyn Manson as a source of inspiration? Lil Uzi Vert does not want to portray himself just as a " rapper" but a self-proclaimed rockstar. From his signature "Um, Yeah" ad-libs to his outgoing relationship with his girlfriend Brittany, young listeners are starting to join the Lil Uzi Vert fan club. Uzi's music could have you emotional with his songs about heartbreak and love one moment and then have you wanting to party all night with your friends. But parties are nothing compared to his live performances: an energetic mix of adrenaline, crowd surfing, dance moves and fans screaming every word of his lyrics. His genre maybe hip-hop but his performances are rockstar quality.

I started listening to Lil Uzi Vert a year ago by accident. When I listened to Young Thug's mixtape " Slime Season 2", he had a song that Uzi featured in called "Big Racks". At the time I had no idea who Lil Uzi Vert was, but after listening to that song I had to hear more from him. His flow was different (in a good way), his style was unique and every time he would spit a verse or chorus I would naturally rock my head. In 2015, he released a mixtape called "Luv is Rage" and I immediately became a fan. When I could listen to his whole mixtape from start to finish without skipping a single song I knew that his type of music gravitated to me. This year he released two mixtapes called "Lil Uzi Vert Vs. The World" and his newest project "The Perfect LUV Tape," which still has me listening to it from start to finish.

Lil Uzi Vert is the equivalent of a young kid who had too much sugar; he has a lot of energy and raw emotion. To be a fan or even like his music I believe it requires an "acquired taste" because he style along with other young hip-hop artist ( Lil Yachty, Kodak Black, Designer) today are not the norm. Rap traditionalist seem to have a hard a time understanding his disregard for fitting the description of what a "rapper" should be but he has become a poster boy for what the youth and this current generation like in regards to modern hip-hop.

Trust me, he is not winning any lyrical debates. He isn't like Drake, Kendrick Lamar, J.Cole and Wale when it comes to being a lyricist. But that's the thing; Lil Uzi Vert doesn't want to be compared to them and I respect him for that. It's nothing wrong with him staying true to himself and putting out music that he and his young fans will enjoy and turn up too. You never know, maybe down the road his music will make the older generation turn up with us.