Yeat, the enigmatic artist who became one of the world's most-streamed rappers while maintaining an aura of mystery, graces the cover of Complex this week in a revealing feature that shows a dramatically transformed artist. The 25-year-old, born Noah Olivier Smith, has emerged from the underground "rage" movement to become a legitimate mainstream star with six top 10 albums in just three years—all while refusing to play the typical games of celebrity.
In the cover story written by Eric Skelton with the artist opening up like never before, Yeat discusses his physical and mental transformation, his ambitious creative vision that extends far beyond music, and why 2025 marks a major turning point in his career. Read the full cover story on Complex, or check out the key revelations from his candid conversation below.
1. He Quit Percs and Got in the Best Shape of His Life
Yeat reveals a dramatic lifestyle change over the past year. "I work out every day. I swim every day. I don't do percs anymore. I'm focusing on health and getting my mind straight," he explains. The transformation has affected everything from his energy levels to his stage presence. "The shows have gotten better. I don't get tired at all. I have more energy," he says, adding that getting off percs really changed his mindset and how he lives day to day. He now speaks with a clarity that wasn't present in previous interviews.
2. He's Made Over 40,000 Songs
The sheer volume of Yeat's creative output is staggering. "I've made like 40,000 songs," he reveals, explaining that his biggest problem has always been making too much music. "The newest thing that I make is always my favorite song, so I've been dialing it back, because I don't want to over flood it," Yeat says. "I make so many good records, and I don't want to lose track of crazy hit songs by making a bunch of others that could be better. I forget about great songs all the time because I record at such a rapid pace."
3. He's Changing His Creative Process for the First Time
For the first time in his career, Yeat is taking extra time to perfect songs instead of just one-taking them. "Until Dangerous Summer, I'd never gone back and opened up a session again," he reveals. "Like, once I made a song and it was bounced and in my phone, that session would never get opened again. I thought going back in on it was weird." Now he's taking a different approach: "The records could be at 90%, but I'm trying to get it to a hundred percent. Like, going back in on it, changing this lyric, fixing this part. Add some post-production here, add some synths here, add a crazy outro here, add a bridge here."
4. ‘ADL’ Is On the Way
Yeat is working on his long-awaited album A Dangerous Lyfe, and he gave some hints about it during the interview. “It's new,” he says of the project’s sound. “I'm always pushing boundaries and always setting the wave. I'm never scared to go out of any comfort zone and try different sounds.” He added, “The newer sh*t's more evolved, more polished, and more clean. Stylistically, he hinted, “I've been singing more and figuring out new ways to use my voice. I always want to come with the weirdest melody on the beat. Something you would never expect.” And according to him, he’s been focusing on this project, even while releasing things like this year’s Dangerous Summer EP. As he explained, “Dangerous Summer, to me, was just like, ‘It's been a while, here are 10 random songs that I have right now just to show you where I'm at conceptually.’ But ADL, that's what I've been working on this whole time.”
5. He Discovered Avant-Garde Ambient Music in a Tokyo Luxury Store
Yeat's musical influences have become increasingly eclectic. He first heard experimental composer Jon Hassel's 1977 recording "Hex" in a Tokyo clothing store, describing the eerie trumpet music enthusiastically: "This shit sounds scary, doesn't it? This is insane." He rarely listens to popular new music, preferring to discover strange sounds in unexpected places. The Hassel album inspired him so deeply that he wrote an entire movie script to it. "I came back and I was out of it. I couldn't sleep, and I wrote a whole movie to that album."
6. He Has Serious Filmmaking Ambitions
Beyond music, Yeat is working on directing, scoring, and creating full movies. "I've been working on movies and directing. I have a lot of crazy ideas," he says. His aspirations are specific: "I would definitely score a horror movie for A24 or something like that. I'll play you some of the scores I've made. I've made some crazy, unsettling, scary-ass scores." He's planning to handle everything himself: "So I would score it, direct it, and do everything myself. I want to wait until I get the right actors and production behind it, though, before I ever pull a green switch on that."
7. Drake’s Co-Sign Changed Everything
Meeting Drake in 2021 and taking that famous photo together marked a major turning point. "It definitely changed things, because it showed that I wasn't just this small underground thing anymore. I was getting recognition from one of the biggest artists in the world, if not the biggest," Yeat reflects. Years later, they've released multiple collaborations, and Yeat praises Drake's work ethic: "He's just really good at making really good music. He has unlimited hits. He can really just sit there and do it over and over again. Being around him, it makes sense why he's in the position he is." The experience taught him valuable lessons: "I've learned how to operate at a higher level, just from being around him and peeping the way he moves."
8. He and Donald Glover Made Music While Discussing Opposite Visions of the Future
The unlikely collaboration between Yeat and Donald Glover happened organically when they linked up at a LA studio. "We just linked up at the studio one day in LA. We were just talking for hours. I love him. He's a great, great person," Yeat says. Their creative chemistry was immediate: "I played him a bunch of songs. He played me a bunch of songs, and then we just caught a vibe. We were telling each other our visions of the future, and they were both kind of opposites, so it was crazy." They've made multiple unreleased tracks together, including one special session in Paris: "I found a sample and made a beat from scratch while he was singing. I engineered him, too. He's almost like me with melodies. We'll be in the middle of a conversation and he'll start humming a melody and then start singing something. It's inspiring. We made the craziest song. It's got to come out someday."
9. He Met FKA Twigs at a Festival and Created a Natural Collaboration
Yeat's collaboration with FKA Twigs came together organically at a festival in Belgium. "I went to see her perform. We were doing the same festival in Belgium, so I went side stage and watched her whole show," he recalls. Afterward, he made his move: "After the show, I hit her and I was like, 'Yo, come to my green room.' We just chopped it up, I played her some shit, and we talked about collaborating." The creative vision was clear from the start: "I thought her voice was great, and I really wanted to work with a female artist, so it just lined up perfectly. We made the song and it was so natural. I wanted it to be a call-and-response type thing where she kind of responded back to my verse. It was great."
10. His Relationship With Justin Bieber Goes Beyond Music
Yeat has developed a genuine friendship with Justin Bieber that extends beyond the studio. "It's good. We'll link sometimes and make some music. We're cool. We'll work on shit and hang out. Sometimes I'll go to his crib, have dinner and shit," he shares. Their bond was on display at Coachella this year, where Bieber watched from the front row and they threw the festival's first-ever after-party together. "The first one in history. Me and Bieber. It was a great night. We were really turnt," Yeat recalls. Beyond the parties, he values Bieber's creative input: "He's good people. I like talking to him about music, too, and getting feedback."