You’ve probably seen the headlines or the grainy TikTok footage. A silver disc hovering over the New York City skyline, glowing with an eerie purple light that looked a little too high-def to be a weather balloon. People on the street were bugging out. Then, the name Lil Uzi Vert starts trending next to the word UFO, and suddenly the line between a hip-hop album rollout and a genuine Close Encounter of the Third Kind gets real blurry.
Honestly, with Uzi, you never quite know where the performance ends and the reality begins. This is the same person who spent $24 million to get a pink diamond bolted into their forehead. If anyone was going to actually get abducted by aliens—or at least convince us they did—it’s Symere Woods. But behind the flashy stunts and the "Baby Pluto" persona, there’s a weirdly deep obsession with the cosmos that has defined Uzi’s entire career.
The NYC UFO Sighting: Stunt or Signal?
In late 2024, the internet went into a collective meltdown when a UFO appeared to "land" in the middle of New York City. We’re talking full-blown cinematic production. It wasn't just a light in the sky; it was a physical-looking craft that seemed to defy the laws of aviation right above the skyscrapers.
It turned out to be the ultimate hype machine for Eternal Atake 2.
Uzi didn't just drop a trailer on YouTube; they brought the trailer to the physical world. The stunt involved massive holograms and clever projection mapping that made it look like a spacecraft was descending over the Big Apple. It was chaotic. It was loud. It was exactly what you’d expect from an artist who claims they aren't even from this planet.
The lore they built around this wasn't just for show, though. The official trailer for the album basically claimed that back on March 6, 2020, Lil Uzi Vert "mysteriously vanished." The narrative? Uzi was whisked away to a futuristic space station where purple-eyed aliens wiped their memory. When you look at the Lil Uzi Vert UFO connection, it’s rarely just about a single sighting. It’s about this long-running story they've been telling for over half a decade.
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That Time Uzi Tried to Buy a Planet
If you think a holographic UFO is wild, remember when Uzi tried to buy a literal planet? Back in 2021, Grimes—who is basically the high priestess of "weird space stuff"—tweeted out that Uzi was in the process of legally claiming WASP-127b.
For the science nerds out there, WASP-127b is a gas giant exoplanet about 1.4 times the size of Jupiter. It’s sitting roughly 520 light-years away from your couch.
Uzi chimed in on Twitter, saying, "I tried 2 surprise everyone. Still working on it."
Now, here’s the reality check: you can’t actually "own" a planet. Space law experts like Frans Von der Dunk from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln were quick to point out that the 1967 Outer Space Treaty exists. It basically says no nation or individual can claim sovereignty over celestial bodies. So, while Uzi might have some fancy-looking paperwork from a website, they aren't technically the King of WASP-127b. But the fact that they even tried? That tells you everything you need to know about their headspace.
Why the Alien Obsession Matters
Uzi’s connection to extraterrestrials isn't just a gimmick to sell hoodies. It’s baked into the music. If you go back to the original Eternal Atake, the whole album is structured around an abduction story.
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- Baby Pluto (Tracks 1-6): The aggressive, "takeoff" phase.
- Renji (Tracks 7-12): The introspective, mid-flight vulnerability.
- Lil Uzi Vert (Tracks 13-18): The cosmic reflection after the journey.
They even got into hot water with the Heaven’s Gate cult survivors because the original album art was a direct parody of the cult’s logo. For those who don't remember, Heaven’s Gate was the group that believed they needed to "exit" their earthly bodies to board a spacecraft following the Hale-Bopp comet. Uzi leans into that dark, sci-fi aesthetic because it fits the "outsider" vibe they've cultivated.
Basically, the Lil Uzi Vert UFO trope is a metaphor for being misunderstood. In interviews, Uzi has often talked about feeling like they don't fit in with "normal" society. Calling yourself an alien is a lot cooler than just saying you’re lonely or different.
Brain Chips and Neuralink
It’s not just about things flying in the sky. Uzi has also been very vocal about putting technology inside their head. Alongside Grimes, Uzi claimed they were ready to get Neuralink brain chips.
"Let’s aim for chips by 2022," Grimes tweeted. Uzi’s response? "I'm ready."
While we haven't seen any evidence of Uzi actually going under the knife for an Elon Musk brain implant yet, the intent is there. They want to transcend being a regular human. Between the forehead diamond (which was supposedly ripped out by fans at Rolling Loud before being put back and eventually removed for good) and the talk of "knowledge of the Gods," Uzi is basically trying to build a real-life sci-fi character.
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Separating Fact from Hype
So, let's get down to brass tacks. Has Lil Uzi Vert ever seen a real UFO? They claim they have. Do they own a planet? No. Was there a spaceship over New York? Yes, but it was a hologram.
Despite the "fake" nature of the NYC sighting, it served a purpose. It reminded everyone that Uzi operates on a different frequency. While other rappers are out here flexing rented jets and jewelry, Uzi is out here staging planetary invasions. It’s performance art on a massive scale.
The music on Eternal Atake 2 actually doubles down on this. Tracks like "Uzi the Earthling!" play with the idea of a 1950s sitcom where an alien tries to live a "normal" life. It’s self-aware. They know we think they're weird, and they're leaning into it hard.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Creators
If you’re looking at the Lil Uzi Vert UFO phenomenon as a case study in branding or just as a fan, here’s what you can actually take away from it:
- Branding is world-building. Uzi doesn't just release songs; they create a universe with its own rules, language (Baby Pluto), and "history."
- Be skeptical of "ownership" claims. Whether it's a star, a piece of the moon, or an exoplanet, if someone is selling you a deed to something in space, it’s for novelty only. Space law is very clear on this.
- Experience over eyes. The NYC stunt worked because it gave people a "you had to be there" moment. In a world of digital drops, physical spectacles still win.
- Follow the lore. If you want to understand the music, you have to look at the visuals. The skits at the end of the tracks on the first Eternal Atake actually tell the story of Uzi being abducted. Without them, it's just a bunch of trap songs. With them, it's a space opera.
At the end of the day, Lil Uzi Vert’s relationship with the "unexplained" is what keeps them relevant. Whether they’re actually talking to beings from WASP-127b or just really like Star Trek, they’ve managed to turn the sky into a billboard. Keep your eyes up; with Uzi, the next "sighting" is usually just one album cycle away.
To get the full picture of the lore, you should go back and listen to the transition between the tracks "Futsal Shuffle 2020" and "That Way," where the "abduction" audio is most prominent. It sets the stage for everything they’ve done since. Over and out.