Let’s Start Here by Lil Yachty shocked many listeners expecting to hear the Georgian tap back into his Trap-Pop roots. Instead, Yachty unveiled a more Psychedelic Rock sound for his latest body of work.

Lil Yachty teased that Let’s Start Here would be a “non-rap album” back in January 2022. The 25-year-old Quality Control recording artist later explained why he decided to move away from his traditional approach for the new studio LP.

“I think I created it because I wanted to be taken seriously as an artist,” said Yachty at a listening event in January. “Not just some SoundCloud rapper, not some mumble rapper, not some guy that just made one hit.”

Lil Boat continued, “I wanted to be taken seriously because music is everything to me, and I respect all walks of music. Not just rap and Hip Hop, but everything. I wanted to make something that showed the world just how great it was to me.”

Lil Yachty Says He’s Past Trying To Prove He’s A Rapper

Some Hip Hop fans took exception to Lil Yachty’s comments by suggesting the “Broccoli” hitmaker disrespected the genre that made him rich and famous. Yachty addressed that criticism during an interview with the Rap Radar podcast.

“I wanna talk about that for a second because there was this conversation on the internet after I said that. And people took it as me trying to say like, ‘Oh, I hate when rappers say I wanna be taken seriously as an artist.’ As if I was saying that you’re not serious if you’re a rapper. That’s not what I meant,” explained Yachty.

He continued, “I mean, specifically, I do more than rap. For a long time in my career, I wanted to be taken seriously as a rapper. And I said that. And I would go and try and do radio interviews, freestyles, or whatever. Just because I wanted that. I did Michigan Boy Boat, I did things. That’s when I was trying to prove I’m a rapper. But I’m past that. Now, I’m proving I’m an artist.”

Let’s Start Here debuted at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 all-genre chart by earning 36,000 first-week units. The 14-track effort also peaked at No. 1 on the Top Rock Albums, Top Rock & Alternative Albums, and Top Alternative Albums charts.