“XO Tour Llif3” by Lil Uzi Vert

We can say that “XO Tour Llif3” features three major themes. First and foremost, as detailed by the chorus, is a troubled romance Lil Uzi Vert had with his significant other at the time, a lady by the name of Brittany Byrd.  This is someone whom he dated for a couple of years beginning in 2014. And whereas it is clear he truly loves her and vice versa, it is also quite evident that they had some very-serious issues. And the way the terse storyline detailed in the chorus reads, she deceived him in a way that really hurt his feelings.

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Lil Uzi Vert's XO Tour Llif3 at Lyrics.org.

It should be noted that Lil Uzi himself had confirmed that said deception was not based on her cheating. But either way, as a result of being hurt so, he likewise caused her significant emotional pain. And honestly, the way the lyrics read is as if she is actually threatening to take her own life as a result. So the popular hypothesis is that Uzi was on the verge of dumping her. And in response she let him know that if he actually did so, she would commit suicide.

Lil Uzi Vert cheated on Brittany

The above is not to imply that Lil Uzi was the good guy in the relationship. In fact at the beginning of the first verse a brief story is told where “Brittany got mad” and almost dumped him. And apparently this was due to Uzi Vert being sensually intimate with some random chick.

Song’s Chorus

Now also in the chorus, the rapper states that ‘all his friends are dead’. This statement actually lends to the other two themes of this track, which are Uzi’s wealth and his depression. You see this term is meant to be more metaphorical than literal. For instance, it has been put forth that said “dead friends” is actually a reference to dead presidents. Such is a popular colloquial term for dollars, which tend to feature the images of deceased American presidents on the monetary notes. Or looked at through a different lens, money has taken on the role of friends in Uzi Vert’s life. And indeed throughout the song he makes numerous references to his wealth, perhaps even more so than the aforementioned relationship with Brittany.

Uzi Vert is Depressed

And as for the final theme, that would be his depression. So going back to the statement that all his friends are dead, it is literal in the sense that many of homeys have in fact been fatal victims of street violence. But it is also his way of saying that he is not looking for any new homeys neither. Rather, as stated earlier, he is cool with his wealth serving the role of a faithful companion.

But said wealth does not mean he doesn’t suffer from his fair share of mental issues. Indeed at the end of the first verse he admits to being a user of a very dangerous drug which many abusers utilize as a form of stress relief. And that is the same manner in which the rapper is using it, to “help the pain” and “make it go away”. However, he also contends that he is not an addict.  Instead it just serves the purpose of helping to alleviate his depression.

In Conclusion

So comprehensively, we can say that this is a song which is reflective of prominent factors in Lil Uzi Vert’s life at the time he wrote. He was in a serious yet troubled romance with a certain lady, whom he respects and loves enough to actually namedrop. He was also dealing with an affliction akin to general depression and related issues. Additionally, we all know Uzi Vert is quite paid.

Now as for the title of this track, XO is in fact a popular term associated with romance. However, that is not the purpose it serves in this case. Rather it is a roundabout shoutout to The Weeknd, who founded a label in 2012 called XO Records. And the reason Uzi Vert was compelled to give a shoutout to the Canadian crooner in such a fashion is that he actually served as one of Abel’s opening acts during his Starboy: Legend of the Fall Tour in 2017. In other words, he and The Weeknd are serious homeys. Moreover, we see that the word “tour” also made it into the title. But as for the “Llif3”, that obviously reads like some type of alternate spelling of the word “life”.

Lyrics of "XO Tour Llif3"

Music Videos

There are three different music videos to this song, so to speak. The first was issued by Uzi Vert via his YouTube channel. It is an animated affair by an artist named Andrew William Ralph. The second, a lyric video, had Jered Harrison as its director. And the official music video was actually directed by Virgil Abloh, a prominent fashion designer who is especially popular in hip-hop circles. And it features The Weeknd as well as a Canadian rapper named Nav. The latter also participated in the aforementioned tour.

Facts about “XO Tour Llif3”

This track was officially released on 26 February 2017 as part of Uzi Vert’s second EP, “Luv Is Rage 1.5”. Also it was later issued as part of Uzi Vert’s first full-length studio album, which is “Luv Is Rage 2”. And “XO Tour Llif3” served as the lead single from both of those projects.

This track is the most-popular song of the early part of Uzi’s career. For instance, it was the first time that he, as a solo artist, broke the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 – where it peaked at number 7. It also made an appearance on the UK Singles Chart and charted in almost 20 countries overall. And it has been certified multi-Platinum in four countries, inducing Poland and Italy.  Moreover for the record, as of early 2020 “XO Tour Llif3” has actually been certified septuple-Platinum in the rapper’s home country of the United States.

“XO Tour Llif3” also blew up on social media. And its popularity spawned the Lil Uzi Vert Challenge, where participants were tasked with mimicking a dance move that the artist created.

Moreover the tune proved to be so popular that Uzi Vert even released a sequel, entitled “P2”, in 2020.

Additionally the reputable crowdsourcing music site Genius actually deemed this track “The Best Song of 2017”.

Production and Writing Credits

“XO Tour Llif3” was the first track TM88, who would go on to become a regular collaborator of Lil Uzi Vert, produced for the rapper. And as the story goes he completed the project using an outdated computer and a Bluetooth speaker called a Beats Pill. This was due to challenges he was facing with his normal laptop.

The other co-producer of the track is an artist by the name of JW Lucas. And “XO Tour Llif3” was written by Uzi in conjunction with TM88 and JW Lucas.

TM88 has acknowledged that he was actually sitting on the beat which ultimately served as the instrumental basis for “XO Tour Llif3” for a while.  He and JW Lucas had been shopping it, “but it didn’t reach”, as in it wasn’t actually purchased by any potential clients. So he reworked it for Uzi Vert.  More specifically, he sped up the tempo so that the track would appeal to club goers.

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