Rapper/singer/songwriter Lil Yachty has been on an experimental run, experimenting with his vocals on everything from Detroit-style jazz beats to the psychedelic rock-inspired instrumentals like those on his most recent full-length album Let’s Start Here. It seems like the title of his last project indicated that he would be taking a new direction, which his collaboration with James Blake represents emphatically.
James Blake is no stranger to the rap world, producing for and singing alongside acts like Young Thug, JID, Travis Scott, Metro Boomin, André 3000 and many more. His haunting vocals lend a unique quality to hip-hop tracks, creating another level of atmosphere over his hallucinogenic production. Musical overlap between Blake and Yachty’s respective styles over their solo careers has been minimal at best, which gave fans a lot to imagine when they announced their collaborative effort Bad Cameo.
Clocking in at 10 songs, this concise project brings both artists into a middle ground, playing up Yachty’s sentimentality to match Blake’s hypnotic production. As is to be expected, the collaboration is unlike anything else out now, straying further from Boat’s earlier works.
Vocally, the duo plays into their undeniable chemistry, going from rapping together on “Woo” to singing pop-inspired vocals on “Midnight.” Standout track “Missing Man” sees Yachty reviving his iconic warbling effect, going back and forth with Blake as they wail over a progressive instrumental that slowly evolves over four minutes.
Both artists are aware of their limits as well on this project, leaving space for both Yachty’s wordplay and James’s crooning on songs like “Save the Savior” where Yachty opens with quirky, descriptive verse before James elevates the track with his transcendent singing.
As new as this project feels conceptually, it pays homage to older RnB and psychedelic rock in it’s melodies and instrumentation, giving a nostalgic feeling to a brand-new sound. Blake joined Yachty’s A Safe Place podcast to discuss the project days before it’s release, saying “When you hear [Bad Cameo] it feels really natural, and also I think it’s genuinely boundary-pushing.”
Clearly, the sky’s the limit for both Lil Yachty and James Blake as they explore new avenues in their careers. Yachty has been busy uplifting not only his own career but his label Concrete Boys, while James continues to remain mysterious between releases, popping out to add his unique flavor to modern hip-hop. One thing is for sure, this project has us ready for whatever these two decide to do next.