Partly due to his songs’ often indecipherable lyrics and partly because of their consistent lack of replay value, Young Thug’s music often won’t be played on the radio.
But look past the slurred, almost lazy articulation and one finds an artist who is undeniably changing the game. In his newly released mixtape, Slime Season, Young Thug doesn’t have the best flow, the most intricate lyrics or the most bangin’ instrumentals, but he does have one thing — eccentricity.
This unique style shines through most brightly in “Freaky,” a slow, dragging instrumental Wondagurl produced. The bass line sounds typical for a rap song, but the melody is reminiscent of a tune somebody might hear at a renaissance fair.
But, this doesn’t push Young Thug to treat the beat as such. Shortly into his second verse he explodes, half shouting, “Now I’m bleedin’, need a Band-Aid, on a rampage with ‘em AKs.” His intensity somehow beautifully contrasts with the laid back beat to create an aesthetic never heard before.
Normally, rappers have instrumentals tuned down or bass boosted during certain sections for emphasis. With Young Thug, the beauty lies in the fact that the only emphasis is the one he creates through his rapping. Rather than relying on instrumentals to set the mood of a song, he sets it himself.
This doesn’t automatically mean Young Thug uses generic instrumentals. The light-sounding “Calling Your Name” includes a sample from Ellie Goulding. Contrasting this is the much darker “Overdosin,” which could feature in a horror movie.
Lyrically, there isn’t anything groundbreaking here. Young Thug raps about money, bitches and weed. But once understood, it’s easier to appreciate his many creative punchlines and original rhyme schemes.
Even so, Young Thug’s genius lies in his individuality. One could compare him to Tyler the Creator — the similarities between Slime Season and Tyler’s latest Cherry Bomb are striking.
Both albums feature a wide array of instrumentals and are refreshing changes from typical rap projects. Both rappers make music they enjoy without worrying whether it will make it to the mainstream, leading them both to have garnered cult following.
Despite Slime Season at times feeling unwelcome and misinterpreted, Young Thug scraps rap clichés in favor of innovation. He puts everything he has into his music and, as long as he enjoys it, deems it successful. Young Thug doesn’t act differently just to be different; that’s just who he is.
