How to Mix Rap Vocals Like Lil Uzi Vert

Leslie Brathwaite is the mix engineer behind most of Lil Uzi Vert's commercial catalog, as well as platinum records for Pharrell Williams, Cardi B, Missy Elliott, and TLC. His Lil Uzi Vert vocal chain is unusual: it combines gentle multi-stage compression with two aggressive EQ moves most engineers would never attempt on their own — a -15 dB cut at 120 Hz and an +8 dB boost at 27 kHz — and layers three de-essers across the signal path to keep sibilance in check the whole way.

This article walks through all ten stages with the exact plugin settings, explains the reasoning behind each move, and shows you which settings you can copy verbatim versus which ones need to be adjusted to your own vocal. If you apply this chain to a clean, well-recorded rap vocal, it will sound close to a modern commercial hip-hop mix. If your source needs repair work first, read our guide on how to fix muddy vocals before you start.

Stage 1: Waves De-Esser — First Sibilance Pass

Load an instance of the Waves De-Esser and set the frequency range around 4 kHz, aiming for roughly 2 dB of gain reduction. This is the exact value Leslie Brathwaite used on the Lil Uzi Vert vocal, but it needs to be adjusted to your own recording. Not every vocal has sibilance at 4 kHz, and setting a de-esser wrong is worse than not using one at all.

Two fast ways to identify the correct frequency. The first is to load FabFilter Pro-Q 3 or any spectrum analyzer on the vocal, play a section with obvious sibilance, and watch the analyzer for high-frequency build-up. If you see a clear hump around 5.5 kHz or 7 kHz, that is your target. Set the de-esser to that frequency and leave the sidechain in High-Pass mode, which triggers the band on all high-frequency content above the threshold. This behaves like a general top-end tamer rather than a narrow sibilance catcher, which is what you want on a rap vocal where consonants hit hard and often.

The second option, if you are new to the process, is to screenshot the analyzer and paste it into the MixingGPT plugin with a prompt like: “This is the spectrum of my rap vocal. Based on the attached image, what frequency range should I set on the Waves De-Esser?” A typical response identifies the sibilant peak (“SH/CH” harshness at 5–7 kHz or “SS/T” hiss at 8–10 kHz) and recommends an exact band. The de-esser is one of the easiest plugins to set by ear once you know the target frequency.

Stage 2: Waves R-Compressor — Gentle First-Stage Compression

Load Waves R-Compressor with a ratio of 1.7, attack of 17 ms, and release of 178 ms, aiming for a maximum of 3 dB of gain reduction. R-Compressor has become a modern rap-vocal standard because of its musical auto-release (ARC) and smooth compression curve. Fast-paced performances stay even and punchy without the pumping artifacts that a harder compressor would introduce, and the plugin dials in quickly during fast sessions.

The goal at this stage is not to control the vocal. It is to pre-flatten the performance so that the downstream EQs, de-essers, saturation, and heavier compression can work predictably. Keeping compression light here means the next stages are not being handed a wildly dynamic signal. If you push R-Compressor too hard at this stage, the subsequent UAD Fairchild 670 will have nothing left to grab onto and the chain will feel crushed rather than breathing. Three decibels of gain reduction on the loudest words is the ceiling.

Stage 3: Waves SSL Channel — The Aggressive EQ Move

Load the Waves SSL Channel, using only the EQ section. The SSL Channel has been one of the most used plugins in commercial music for two decades because its EQ and dynamics feel musical and decisive — especially on rock, pop, and hip-hop vocals and drums.

Set the high-pass filter at approximately 60 Hz. This is a safe starting point for male vocals, though it should always be adjusted to the singer's actual lowest note on the song. Boost 8 kHz by 3 dB to add presence and definition. Reduce 3 kHz by 3 dB with a wide Q to tame forwardness, and reduce 2.5 kHz by a few decibels, also with a wide Q, to de-nasalize the tone. For a fuller breakdown of why sweep-with-a-boost beats sweep-with-a-cut for identifying problem frequencies, see our guide on common mix engineer mistakes to avoid.

Now the controversial move: reduce 120 Hz by 15 dB. This is aggressive, it strips most of the chest-voice body out of the vocal, and it is not a move most engineers would make on their own. Leslie Brathwaite's own framing of the decision was simply that it worked in the context of that mix. Removing the 120 Hz fundamental opens room for the 808 and kick to occupy the low end without competing with the vocal. The body the cut removes is partially restored by the UAD Fairchild 670 in the next stage, and the perceived presence is restored by the 8 kHz boost above. On your own vocal, the same decision might call for -3 to -6 dB rather than -15 dB. Use Brathwaite's setting as a reference, not a rule.

Stage 4: UAD Fairchild 670 — Recovering Body and Presence

Load the UAD Fairchild 670, which now runs natively on modern Macs and offers a free trial. If you do not have access to the UAD version, the Waves PuigChild 670 is a near-identical alternative with the same interface and behavior. Set the Time Constant to position 3.

The Time Constant on a Fairchild is a stepped switch, not a continuous control, and it selects the attack/release program. The attack is extremely fast on all positions — the unit is famous for near-instantaneous peak control — so the real difference between positions lives in the release curve. Positions 1 through 4 move from slowest to fastest releases, with faster positions feeling tighter and more grabby. Position 3 keeps the vocal pinned without over-averaging the dynamics, which is why it suits aggressive rap performances.

After this stage, the body the SSL EQ took out at 120 Hz comes forward again, but through the Fairchild's harmonic character rather than the original fundamental. The vocal feels more present and more “up in your face,” which is the tone Brathwaite is known for on Lil Uzi Vert records.

Stage 5: UAD Precision EQ — The 27 kHz Air Boost

Load the UAD Precision EQ and boost 27 kHz by 8 dB. Unlike the UAD Fairchild, this plugin still requires an Apollo interface or a UAD Accelerator. If you do not have UAD hardware, the Native Instruments Passive EQ also provides a band up to 27 kHz and is an excellent native substitute.

Boosting 27 kHz does not add an audible tone. Human hearing cuts off around 20 kHz, and most playback systems roll off before that. The point of the move is that EQ bands have gentle slopes. A boost centered at 27 kHz with a typical bell shape lifts and reshapes the audible 10–18 kHz region without placing the peak of the boost inside it. The result is added air, openness, and clarity without the harshness that appears when you boost directly at 10 kHz or 12 kHz on an already-bright rap vocal. This technique is a key piece of the “hi-fi” top end you hear on modern commercial hip-hop records and is closely related to the presence and air moves covered in our guide on how to fix muddy vocals.

Stage 6: Waves De-Esser — Second Pass

Load another instance of the Waves De-Esser and set the frequency range around 4.3 kHz — again, adjusted to your own vocal. The goal is to control the newly introduced high-frequency energy from the SSL presence boost and the 27 kHz Precision EQ move. A few decibels of gain reduction is enough.

Use the same settings structure as the first de-esser. Leave the sidechain in High-Pass mode and set the mode to Split, which lets the de-esser act only on the sibilant band rather than ducking the whole signal. The first de-esser cleaned up the raw sibilance so downstream plugins could work smoothly. This second pass is a balance tool: now that the vocal has less low end and more high end than it started with, a small amount of additional sibilance control keeps it from tipping into harshness.

Stage 7: Surgical EQ — Taming a Ringing Frequency

Open any parametric EQ and reduce 3 kHz by up to 18 dB with a very narrow Q. This setting was vocal-specific. The original Lil Uzi Vert performance had a resonant ringing frequency right around 3 kHz, and without this cut the vocal could not be pushed to commercial loudness without sounding painful.

On your own vocal, the frequency will almost certainly be different, and the amount of reduction will usually be much smaller. The key move is identifying the ringing frequency using the sweep-with-a-boost technique: narrow Q around 6 to 8, +6 dB of gain, sweep slowly through the 2–6 kHz range, and stop when the vocal sounds actively painful. Flip the gain to a cut between -3 and -10 dB depending on severity. Taming this resonance is what allows the vocal to be pushed louder in the mix while staying smooth and pleasant.

Stage 8: Waves SSL Channel — Final Polish EQ

Load a second instance of the Waves SSL Channel. At this stage the vocal is already shaped, compressed, and sibilance-controlled. The goal is a light final polish: add a touch more clarity and trim any low-end build-up that has crept back in through the chain.

Boost 8 kHz by about 2 dB and reduce 60 Hz by about 1 dB. These values are deliberately small. On a chain as long as this one, every plugin has already made its own contribution, and the final EQ is a finishing move rather than a corrective one. Exact numbers will vary by vocal, so use these as a starting point and adjust by ear.

Stage 9: Waves L2 — Level Gain, Not Limiting

Load the Waves L2 on the vocal channel and use it to add level, not to limit. At this stage the signal is controlled enough that you should be able to push L2 for gain without triggering significant gain reduction. The goal is to raise the vocal so it sits confidently in the mix, not to add another stage of compression.

Watch the output meter rather than the gain-reduction meter. If L2 starts pulling more than 1 dB of reduction consistently, back off the threshold — your upstream chain has already done enough work, and the L2 at this position is an ego-boost tool, not a loudness tool. Mastering-stage limiting belongs on the 2-bus, not on the vocal channel.

Stage 10: Waves De-Esser — Final Sibilance Safety Pass

Load one final instance of the Waves De-Esser for about 2 dB of gain reduction. After the L2 has added level, any remaining sibilance that was sitting just below the threshold of the earlier de-essers will now be pushed up with it. This last pass is a safety net.

Be careful not to overdo the final de-esser. Too much gain reduction at this stage will make the vocal sit back in the mix or feel buried, which defeats the purpose of the entire chain. Two decibels is the ceiling. If you find yourself reaching for more, revisit the second de-esser at stage 6 instead — the problem lives there, not here.

Why This Chain Works on Lil Uzi Vert's Voice

Three principles make Brathwaite's chain effective on this specific voice. First, the chain treats compression as a multi-stage conversation rather than a single heavy grab. The R-Compressor at stage 2 does gentle peak control, the Fairchild at stage 4 adds character and body, and the L2 at stage 9 adds level without pumping. No single plugin is doing more than 3 dB of work, which is why the result feels alive rather than flattened.

Second, the extreme EQ moves at stage 3 and stage 5 are paired. The -15 dB cut at 120 Hz removes body that the +8 dB boost at 27 kHz replaces with perceived clarity. Either move in isolation would sound wrong. Together they reshape the voice from a thick, low-mid-forward rap vocal into a bright, modern, 808-friendly lead that does not fight the low end of the beat.

Third, the three de-essers distribute the sibilance workload so no single stage is doing heavy lifting. This is the opposite of the amateur mistake of slamming one de-esser with 6–8 dB of reduction, which robs the vocal of intelligibility. For a broader look at how top engineers distribute work across a chain rather than relying on a single hero plugin, see our breakdown of 5 Jaycen Joshua mixing techniques and Chris Lord-Alge's 19 mixing tricks.

How to Adapt This Chain to Your Own Vocal

Settings that are directly copyable: the R-Compressor at stage 2 (ratio 1.7, attack 17 ms, release 178 ms, 3 dB maximum reduction), the Fairchild Time Constant at position 3, the Precision EQ boost at 27 kHz by around 8 dB, and the de-esser structure (High-Pass mode, Split output, ~2 dB of reduction each).

Settings that require adjustment: every de-esser frequency, the high-pass on the SSL Channel (depends on the singer's lowest note), the 120 Hz cut (start at -3 dB and only go deeper if the beat is fighting the vocal), the 3 kHz surgical cut at stage 7 (identify your own ringing frequency with a narrow sweep), and the final SSL polish values.

If you want a chain tailored to a different artist or voice type, we also have full breakdowns of the Post Malone vocal chain, how to mix vocals like Young Thug, and how to mix vocals like Ariana Grande. Each uses a different chain philosophy, and comparing them is the fastest way to understand what to copy and what to adjust for your own voice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who mixes Lil Uzi Vert?

Leslie Brathwaite is the primary mix engineer behind most of Lil Uzi Vert's commercial releases. He is a multi-platinum engineer whose credits also include Pharrell Williams, Cardi B, Missy Elliott, and TLC. His Lil Uzi Vert vocal chain is built around Waves plugins, the SSL Channel EQ, and a UAD Fairchild 670, and is notable for aggressive low-mid subtraction and a high-frequency boost at 27 kHz.

Why does Leslie Brathwaite cut 120 Hz by 15 dB on Lil Uzi Vert?

It is an aggressive context-specific move, not a general rule. Brathwaite has said it simply worked in the context of that mix. Cutting 120 Hz by 15 dB strips most of the chest-voice body out of the vocal, which on its own would sound thin, but the UAD Fairchild 670 and the SSL EQ boost at 8 kHz restore perceived body and presence. The cut also opens space for the 808 and kick to occupy the low end without fighting the vocal. On your own vocal, the same decision might call for -3 to -6 dB rather than -15 dB.

Why boost 27 kHz when humans cannot hear above 20 kHz?

Because EQ bands have gentle slopes that extend below the center frequency. A shelf or bell boost centered at 27 kHz does not add an inaudible tone. It lifts and reshapes the audible 10–18 kHz region without placing the peak of the boost in that zone. The result is added air and openness without the harshness that often appears when boosting directly at 10 or 12 kHz. UAD Precision EQ and Native Instruments Passive EQ both allow bands up to 27 kHz for exactly this purpose.

Can I mix rap vocals like Lil Uzi Vert without UAD plugins?

Yes. Waves PuigChild 670 replaces the UAD Fairchild 670 with near-identical behavior, and the Native Instruments Passive EQ covers the same 27 kHz air-band move as the UAD Precision EQ. The Waves De-Esser, R-Compressor, SSL Channel, and L2 are already native. A full native version of Brathwaite's chain is achievable entirely with Waves plus one Native Instruments EQ.

How many de-essers should a rap vocal chain have?

Brathwaite's Lil Uzi Vert chain uses three de-essers at different points: one early to tame sibilance before downstream plugins exaggerate it, one in the middle to control new high-frequency build-up from bright EQ moves, and one final pass after the limiter. Aim for around 2 dB of gain reduction on each instance so no single de-esser is doing heavy lifting and the vocal does not end up dull.