Honestly, if you've spent any time on Rap Twitter or refreshing leaked SoundCloud links over the last decade, you've felt the phantom pain of the 16*29 project. It is the great "what if" of the modern era. Two kids who basically reshaped how a generation of teenagers dress and speak, yet they can't seem to stay in the same room—or at least the same zip code—long enough to hit "upload" on a finished album.
We are deep into 2026 now, and the legend of Playboi Carti and Lil Uzi Vert has evolved from a simple bromance into something much more complex. It's a mix of brotherly love, professional jealousy, and the kind of high-level trolling that only two eccentric multi-millionaires can pull off.
The Myth of 16*29 and the 100-Song Vault
The math was always supposed to be simple. You take the 1600 block of North Philly (Uzi) and the 2900 block of Atlanta (Carti), and you get 16*29. When they first linked up for "Left, Right" back in 2016, the chemistry was undeniable. It wasn't just that they sounded good together; they shared a frequency. They were the punk-rock rebels of the SoundCloud era, trading rapid-fire "yeahs" and "whats" over Pi'erre Bourne beats like they were finishing each other’s thoughts.
By the time 2017 rolled around, the hype was at a fever pitch. Carti even took to Snapchat to officially tease the tape. Then came the tour announcement. Then came the tour cancellation. Uzi claimed he needed to "focus," which in rapper-speak usually means "I’m over this" or "my label is making this difficult."
Carti once told a radio host at Real 92.3 that they have over 100 unreleased songs together. Think about that. Somewhere on a hard drive—or perhaps lost in the London sessions where Uzi claimed 40 tracks were accidentally deleted—is a version of hip-hop history that we never got to hear. We've seen crumbs. "Big Bank" leaked. "Break the Bank" leaked. "Shoota" was originally a duet before it became a solo Carti hit with an Uzi feature. But the full meal? It’s still in the kitchen.
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Are They Actually Beefing?
This is the question that keeps fans up at night. The relationship between Playboi Carti and Lil Uzi Vert has been a literal rollercoaster. In November 2019, Uzi broke hearts by answering a fan’s question about whether they were still cool with a blunt "No." He said he took a "different route."
Predictably, the internet melted down. Was it because Carti didn't clear a verse? Was it about a girl? Or was it just two competitive artists trying to out-weird each other?
The reality is usually less dramatic. Uzi eventually clarified, "We not beefing dude," and even admitted they've physically fought to settle their differences. It’s that chaotic, brotherly energy. Even as recently as late 2025, during his Antagonist 2.0 Tour stop in Philadelphia, Carti stood on stage and shouted, "I wish my brother Uzi was here... 16*29 forever."
You don't say that if there's real blood in the water.
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Why the Music Takes So Long
- Creative Evolution: Carti went full vampire/metal-head with Whole Lotta Red and his 2025 album MUSIC. Uzi went experimental with Pink Tape. Their sounds aren't as "plug-and-play" as they were in 2016.
- Sample Clearances: Carti himself admitted in 2025 that his latest work faced massive delays because of clearing samples. Imagine the legal nightmare of clearing a joint project between two different major labels.
- The "Hype" Trap: Both artists know that the idea of 16*29 is sometimes more powerful than the reality. If they drop it and it's not a 10/10, the mystique is gone.
What’s Happening Right Now (2026 Update)
If you're looking for the most recent signs of life, look at the tracklist for Carti’s MUSIC (the 2025 release). He finally threw us a bone. Tracks like "Jumpin" and "Twin Trim" featured Uzi, proving that despite the "different routes," they still record together.
The industry has changed a lot, though. While Rolling Loud 2026 in Orlando famously snubbed Uzi while headlining Carti, the "rage" movement they started is now being carried by kids like Nettspend and Molly Santana. It puts Uzi and Carti in a weird spot—they are the "OGs" now, even though they still feel like the new kids.
Honestly, the most realistic outlook for Playboi Carti and Lil Uzi Vert isn't a surprise 16*29 drop on a random Tuesday. It's more likely we’ll keep getting these "Twin Trim" style collaborations. They are both too focused on their individual legacies—Carti with his Opium label and Uzi with his own shifting personas—to fully merge their brands again.
How to Track the Next Move
If you want to stay ahead of the next leak or official drop, you have to be a bit of a digital detective. These two don't do traditional press releases.
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First, watch the "finsta" accounts and the Opium-affiliated pages. That's where the real snippets live. Second, keep an eye on producer credits. If you see F1lthy or Cardo working with both in the same month, something is usually cooking.
The most actionable thing you can do is stop waiting for the "album" and start building your own 16*29 playlist from the various leaks and officially released features. Between "SRT!", "Cartier", and "Left, Right", there's already enough material to fill a project.
The 16*29 era might never officially arrive in the way we dreamed of in 2017, but the influence of Playboi Carti and Lil Uzi Vert is already permanent. They didn't just make songs; they created a blueprint for how a whole generation experiences music—fragmented, loud, and always just out of reach.
Go back and listen to the "Shoota" original version today. It reminds you that when they do click, nobody else in the industry can touch that energy. Whether they ever give us the full tape or not, the 16*29 legend is already written.