Lil Uzi Vert vs The World is to 2016 what The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is to the '90s, earning it the label of a classic project.
How it works: To even be labeled a classic, a project has to be considered at least a 9 on the 10 point system, so every project that is rated in this series starts at a nine. The remaining point will be calculated by the three categories: impact, replay value and outshining peers.
For example, an album like Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy would get the highest possible score on outshining peers at 0.33, bumping it from a 9 to a 9.33, and that process would repeat for every category.
Impact
Like many others, my introduction to Lil Uzi Vert came in 2016--a now-sacred year referred to like my generation's '90s. Just as much of a staple as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air or that random 90's print was for '90s kids, Lil Uzi Vert vs. The World is the musical glue that holds the magic of 2016 together.
To put in context the impact of Uzi's classic mixtape, allow me to revisit a random lunch at my high school. My advanced studies peers were made up of mainly non-rap fans and was overseen by a faculty so strict they demanded us to sign off on senior pranks, but one day this tightly controlled environment danced in the school's backfield for every minute of every song of a new artist's mixtape while reciting each word like second nature.
It's also worth noting, the music was playing from a handheld speaker.
Throughout my time in high school, no other project matched the impact of Lil Uzi Vert vs. The World. Not Drake's Views. Not Kendrick Lamar's DAMN. Not J.Cole's 2014 Forest Hills Drive.
Only Future's DS2 could compare to the impact a 22-year-old Lil Uzi displayed in 2016.
Score: .28
Replay Value
Let's revisit The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Despite the show releasing its final episode in 1996, I can watch The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air all day. With its heavy '90s cultural significance, some of the references may fall flat, but for the most part, the show is an enjoyable experience that opens the window to a time before my existence.
After four years, it's safe to say Lil Uzi Vert vs. The World and the content that surrounded it(artwork, videos, Uzi's personality) will provide the same insight into the magic of 2016.
Yes, better albums like Rihanna's Anti and Beyonce's Lemonade were better projects from 2016, and they will get their classic rating one week, but Lil Uzi Vert vs. The World perfectly paints the picture of the happy time that consisted of Pokémon Go and the last days of Barack Obama as president.
Similar to how a whiff of Axe's Phoenix scent automatically takes me back to middle school PE, the introductory moans on "Canadian Goose" will forever take me back to the spring and summer of 2016.
All that to say, outside of taking a listener back to 2016, songs from the project don't get revisited or cross minds as much as songs from other classics, causing it to lose major points in terms of replay value.
Score: .05
Outshining Peers
The 1989-90 NBA season featured the toughest MVP battle in league history. Michael Jordan was doing exactly what you expect from prime Jordan, finishing the season with averages of 33.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.3 assists. Then there was Charles Barkley and his averages of 25.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists. And lastly, there was the season's MVP, Magic Johnson who led the Lakers to a league-best 63 wins while averaging 22.3 points, 11.5 assists, and 6.6 rebounds per game.
Lil Uzi had an MVP-caliber season with Lil Uzi Vert vs. The World, but his peers didn't make the race easy.
For context, along with Lil Uzi, the 2016 XXL Freshman list featured: Anderson. Paak, 21 Savage, Kodak Black, Lil Dicky, Dave East, Denzel Curry, Desiigner, G Herbo, and Lil Yachty.
Within a year of the release of Lil Uzi Vert vs. The World, most of those aforementioned names dropped arguably the best project of their respective careers; Anderson. Paak dropped Malibu, Lil Yachty released Lil Boat, 21 Savage broke out with Savage Mode, G Herbo gave us Ballin Like I'm Kobe, and Kodak Black's 2015 release of Institution was still getting a large chunk of any aux time.
Lil Uzi dropped a classic with Lil Uzi Vert vs. The World, but a few of his peers matched or came too close to matching Uzi's MVP performance for him to dominate and easily walk away with the trophy.
Score: 0
Lil Uzi Vert vs. The World is 2016--happy yet edgy enough to be cool and fun with just enough purpose to be taken seriously. A Soundcloud staple, it deserves to be labeled a classic, and its ability to portray the times helps it rank favorably next to other classics.
Classic Score: 9.33
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