Yung Lean: Satirical Success

With a name like Yung Lean, being taken seriously as a musician is a struggle from step one. This is now mistake however; the young (no pun intended) Lean is a Swedish alternative hip-hop artist who uses satire of mainstream music to augment his outlandish yet beautifully crafted works of auditory art. The name itself is a reference to an opiate, codeine cough syrup, that has been recently glorified by hip-hop music. Although he may initially come off as a joke, Yung Lean's methodology has utilized satire to launch an incredibly lucrative career as a mere teenager.

Most heavily used in his creations is the satirical strategy of exaggeration. Almost parody-ing hip-hop as well, Lean's exaggerated antics paint a vivid picture that, although not in line with his real life, intrigues the listener and offers a new palette to even the most seasoned ears. In one instance, Lean declares, "Poppin' pills like zits/ While someone vomits on your mosquito t*ts." Grotesque? Yes. Exaggerated? Certainly, Yung Lean was a 16 year old at the time, crafting ridiculous inflations of the most eccentric situations he could imagine. Effective? Yes. While the aforementioned quote might make you a bit queasy, it demonstrates how Lean used satire to garner the audience he needed to launch his successful career. Hyperbole proves to be an effective technique with Lean; one cannot simply listen to his music and not be drawn in but the unearthly descriptions of such prophetic or absurd descriptions.

His use of exaggeration goes hand in hand with his parody usage. Much of the time, his overly inflated preachings mock the lavish and materialistic life styles that have been glorified by famous people for so long. Parody is probably the most commonly perceived satirical strategy Lean uses; other artists (shout out Lil B the BasedGod) have been known to employ similar strategies. In a recent video, rather than pay thousands for an expensive professional shoot, Lean released a song with a rather home-brew accompanying visual; for the entirety of the three minute banger, the only visual provided was a single clip of Yung Lean smoking what appears to be a blunt in slow motion. Satirizing and parodying the effusive drug use and reference in pop culture, Lean once again creates a humorous and effective product that goes over most peoples heads.

Through satire, Lean has created music that you can't help but light heartedly enjoy. Although his work remains at the highest caliber, there is a certain humor to some of it that cannot be pinpointed. That humor is provided through satire, and this unplaceable spark has led to greatness for Lean.

Listen to and watch one of Yung Lean's pieces, "Kyoto," below: