Honestly, nobody expected a song about a messy breakup and suicidal thoughts to become the definitive party anthem of 2017. But that’s exactly what happened. When Lil Uzi Vert dropped XO TOUR Llif3, it wasn’t just a hit; it was a cultural shift that basically invited everyone to scream about their problems in the middle of a mosh pit.
The track is dark. It’s manic. It’s surprisingly pretty.
And it almost didn’t exist in the form we know today. Most people don’t realize the song was birthed from a literal airport shooting and a lost laptop charger. If producer TM88 hadn't been stuck at the Fort Lauderdale airport during that tragic 2017 shooting, his flight wouldn't have been delayed, he wouldn't have lost his charger, and he wouldn't have been forced to make the beat on a crappy old computer using a Beats Pill speaker.
Sometimes, the best art comes from total chaos.
The Story Behind the Music
Uzi was on tour with The Weeknd—hence the "XO" in the title—when they recorded the track. They were dealing with the fallout of a long-term relationship with Brittany Byrd. If you listen to the lyrics, it’s not just "rap" in the traditional sense. It’s a diary entry set to a 155 BPM trap beat.
The line "all my friends are dead" became an instant meme, but Uzi later clarified it was actually a reference to the dead presidents on stacks of $100 bills. It’s a double entendre that captures the isolation of fame. You have all this money, but you feel like you’ve lost everyone who actually knew the "real" you.
How a "Throwaway" Became a Diamond Record
- SoundCloud Beginnings: It originally dropped as part of the Luv Is Rage 1.5 EP on SoundCloud just to test the waters.
- Viral Power: The "Lil Uzi Vert Challenge" took over social media, forcing the label to give it a commercial release.
- The Virgil Abloh Touch: The music video, directed by the late Virgil Abloh, used grainy film and Arabic subtitles to create a visual that felt like a DIY horror movie.
- Diamond Status: As of late 2024, the song is officially RIAA Diamond-certified, moving over 14 million units.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Lyrics
There’s a lot of debate about whether the song glorifies drug use or warns against it. Uzi mentions Xanax as a way to "make the pain go away," which is a grim reality of the "emo rap" era. Critics often labeled it as shallow, but for a whole generation, it was the first time they heard a rapper be that vulnerable about mental health without the typical "tough guy" filter.
It’s an emo song at its core. If you stripped away the 808s and replaced them with a telecaster, it would sound like something from a mid-2000s Fueled by Ramen band. This cross-genre appeal is why you saw everyone from indie kids to hardcore hip-hop fans bumping it.
The Money Problem
You’d think a song with over 2 billion Spotify streams would make the artist a billionaire. Not quite. Back in 2017, reports surfaced that XO TOUR Llif3 generated roughly $4.5 million in revenue from 1.3 billion streams at the time. Out of that, Uzi reportedly only saw about $900,000.
Labels take a massive cut. Producers often get the short end of the stick, too. TM88 famously tweeted in 2018 that he hadn’t been paid for the track, sparking a huge conversation about how "mixtape" loopholes are used by labels like Atlantic Records to avoid paying creators their fair share. It’s a reminder that even when you have the biggest song in the world, the business side is often pretty ugly.
Production Secrets
TM88 didn't just make a new beat from scratch. He actually sampled himself, reworking an older beat he did with JW Lucas. He used the FL Studio plugin Gross Beat to chop the timing and volume, giving it that signature "underwater" and "manic" feeling.
The tempo is fast, but the melody is somber. That contrast is the secret sauce. It makes you want to jump around, but the minor key keeps the mood heavy.
Why It Still Matters Today
We are years removed from the peak of the SoundCloud rap era. Many of the genre’s pioneers are gone or have faded away. Yet, XO TOUR Llif3 remains a staple in DJ sets and gym playlists.
It proved that "sadness" was a viable brand in hip-hop. Before this, being "emo" in rap was a niche thing. After Uzi, it became the blueprint for artists like Juice WRLD and The Kid LAROI.
If you’re trying to understand why modern music sounds the way it does, you have to look at this track. It broke the rules of what a "rap" song should be about.
Next Steps to Understand the Legacy:
- Watch the "Deconstructed" video: Check out TM88’s breakdown of the beat on Genius to see how a $100 speaker made a multi-platinum hit.
- Listen to Luv Is Rage 2: This album is the natural evolution of the "XO" sound and shows Uzi’s range beyond just one hit.
- Compare the live versions: Watch Uzi’s 2017 festival performances compared to their 2025 sets; the energy hasn't dipped, which is rare for a "viral" hit.