Album Rewind: Playboi Carti’s “Die Lit”

In a new Marist Circle series, we’ll take a look back at some of the most significant albums from the past.

The rap world was introduced to Playboi Carti in 2017 with his Platinum single “Magnolia” and subsequent self-titled mixtape. While this mixtape was a major triumph, it was only scratching the surface of what Carti’s potential could be. 

When Die Lit came out in May 2018, fans had been eagerly awaiting the Atlanta MC’s next full length project for over a year. This extended waiting period created an anxious community that multiplied the hype for his next project tenfold. He didn’t disappoint with Die Lit; it was worth the wait.

Listening to Die Lit for the first time feels like being a little kid on Christmas. Each track is a gift that will offer endless hours of fun we can only imagine in the future. It is that childlike energy that Carti radiates that has created the rabid fanbase he has today. 

The album consists of 19 tracks with 10 features, with all but three tracks being produced by Pi’erre Bourne. Bourne’s production adds so much to the album. He is such a versatile producer who never seems to miss. His spacey beats give room for Carti’s ingenuity to breathe. The duo is one of rap’s most dynamic and exciting going forward. 

We can’t go any further without talking about Carti’s notorious ad-libs. In recent years, ad-libs have become more and more prevalent within the genre. They were popularized by Migos and in recent years, artists like Travis Scott and Young Thug have started to use them more and more frequently and elevated them to a whole new level of relevancy. Playboi Carti’s ad-libs are up there with the best. They are thrown around so generously on the album that they add an entirely new layer to each and every track. They act like a buffer between the beat and the lyrics, which makes each and every track flow excellently.

Another outstanding aspect of Die Lit is the feature selection. With the exception of Travis Scott’s mediocre verse on “Love Hurts” every other feature is superb. Every artist featured on the album, from Nicki Minaj to Chief Keef is able to match Carti’s energy, complimenting him successfully. 

“Long Time” is one of the best intro tracks we’ve heard in a very long time (no pun intended). The energy is subdued compared to the rest of the album. The beat is dizzying and Carti’s ad-libs are completely unhinged, which makes the track an experience.

The creativity and riskiness that Carti displays on Die Lit is matched only by his mentor, Young Thug. It is on Die Lit where his “baby voice” went viral for its outrageous yet satisfying tone. He uses it to perfection on “FlatBed Freestyle.” On this track, he throws all preconceptions of rap as a genre out the window, creating his own lane. He is able to use his voice as an instrument with barely audible lyrics, but somehow makes it work. 

After hearing tracks like this people want to dismiss Playboi Carti as a “mumble rapper,” which he definitely is. However, the term mumble rapper shouldn’t come with such negative connotations especially in the case of someone as unique as Playboi Carti. Carti’s creativity as an artist makes up for his lyrical deficiencies and it’s clear that he can truly produce top tier music.

Playboi Carti is not a great rapper. I said it. However, he makes music that is undeniably fun. He has no reservations and doesn’t care about people’s preconceptions about what rap should be. He completely disrupted the genre with Die Lit, which doesn’t happen too often, but is necessary to keep it moving in the right direction. As I anxiously await Carti’s new album Whole Lotta Red, I’ll gladly keep enjoying Die Lit.