Tyla Yaweh
Heart Full of Rage 2
Album · Pop · 2023
For Tyla Yaweh, “rage” doesn’t mean what it does to the average civilian. The Florida-born rapper, who escaped years of street violence and teenage eviction, channels this pain into a new definition of the word. In Yaweh’s world, “R.A.G.E.” is an acronym standing for “Release All Good Energy”. Heart Full of Rage 2 follows its 2019 predecessor and fully illuminates the mindset Yaweh occupies and the space he wishes to create for himself and his fans.
With features from Ty Dolla $ign, DeJ Loaf and Toosii, Rage 2 is a decidedly rap-heavy affair, but Yaweh infuses his tracks with a pop-punk energy equal parts infectious and radio-ready. Lead single “SUMMER VIBES” is heavy on guitars and the good vibes of a beer commercial in which the only worry is getting to happy hour on time. It puts the “good energy” in R.A.G.E. and shows off Yaweh’s rock-star tendencies.
Elsewhere, though, he dives into more emotionally fraught territory, like on “Stuck”, where he laments the fleeting nature of life’s best moments. It’s this juxtaposition that makes Yaweh one of rap’s—and pop’s, more generally—most intriguing figures. He can flip the switch from pure ecstasy to pained contemplation with ease, and on Heart Full of Rage 2, he sketches the joys and perils of the pursuit of happiness in equal doses.