That’s where the Wayne comparisons begin and end, as Young Thug inhabits territory millions of miles away from Wayne’s world. Tapped mental resources have also plagued Lil’ Wayne, a figure Young Thug simultaneously pays lip service to and trolls. Unfortunately, there’s plenty of the Young Thug from 1017 Thug 2 throughout, as whatever brilliance there is to be found rests strongly in his delivery than his imagination. He describes himself as many things on Barter 6, a crack addict and a bumblebee chief among them. The discernable ad-libs and verses continue the warped sense of humor on either the part of Young Thug or the listener.

Instead, Thugger throttles this album with an army of flows rapped and sung, complementing beats as he pleases. It fails to balance out Young Thug the way that Rich Homie Quan did on Rich Gang’s excellent Tha Tour Pt. The production is sparse, which is better executed by Wheezy than London on da Track. Like a fair share of major label debut albums, there’s enough of what makes Young Thug compelling to redeem it, but those qualities are crammed into a box of crummy features and album cuts that hit as often as the average Young Thug mixtape. Still, you can buy it from Atlantic on iTunes, which makes it one. The story continues with his major label debut album, Barter 6, which is not what they’re calling it. But for all of Young Thug’s garish outfits, absurd lines, and nervous energy, his rise is a familiar one: Atlanta rapper taken under the wing of Gucci Mane takes off. The poster in question now features the 22-year-old Williams nude in a red spotlight. That isn’t a bad thing, nor has it kept Young Thug from assuming the poster child of the so-called Weird Atlanta. But there’s no dense thesis to Young Thug’s music, which is more influenced by blanguage and fashion than post-modernism. Perhaps hip-hop’s most polarizing Jeffrey since Ja Rule, the artist currently known as Young Thug is considered out of this world for his attire and motor-mouthed melodicism. It’s a term that has surely been applied to Jeffrey Williams behind closed doors. In fact, it is the title of their second album, ATLiens that has become shorthand for Atlanta rap non-traditionalists. It’s a cultural topic that deserves endless examination and an aesthetic that informed some of OutKast’s most revered works. From Sun Ra to SBTRKT, the musical component of Afrofuturism is a gift that keeps giving.

Album de young thug barter 6