Jeffrey Lamar Williams, better known as Young Thug, is an American rapper. It has reserved a spot on the US music charts since 2011.
Collaborating with artists such as Gucci Mane, Birdman, Waka Flocka Flame and Richie Homi, he has become one of the most popular rappers today. In 2013, he released a mix tape that received positive reviews, making his music popular in nightclubs and parties.
Raised among ten siblings, he worked hard to earn recognition - first in Atlanta and then in the US. He set many trends in his early career as a style icon. His flashy accessories and long hair have become a fashion statement for aspiring rappers.
During his teenage years, he discovered that he had a better understanding of women's fashion and began to sport new styles that combine men's and women's outfits, which he continues to showcase at various events.
This could generate a lot of controversy, but not as much as his declaration of homosexuality, even if he is engaged to Jerrika Carl. Without hiding his unconventional lifestyle, he became a star thanks to his impeccable rhythm. He is outspoken, rude, and careless, which helps him avoid negative criticism.
Childhood and youth
Young Thug was born Jeffrey Lamar Williams in Atlanta, Georgia on August 16, 1991. His mother had eleven children, of whom he is the second youngest. Together, their family lived in the ruined homes of Jonesboro South.
His siblings have different biological fathers. He and his sister, who is the youngest of all siblings, share the same father. It was hard for his mother to provide for so many children. He grew up with crime. His older brother was shot dead in front of him, and one of his brothers is still serving a sentence on murder charges.
He attended elementary school until the sixth grade, but was expelled from school after he broke his teacher's hand. He was later imprisoned for juveniles for four years. After this incident, as a teenager, he developed bad habits and began to gamble like his brothers. He liked the feeling of risk. He soon fell into drug addiction and violence.
By the time he was seventeen, he had become a father. Around this time, he began to recognize his talent for music and rap. It was then that he knew that he could no longer live in poverty.
Working with Gucci Mane
Rapper Gucci Mane was very impressed with Young Thug's first mixtape called "I Came from Nothing". Considering his work unique and recognizable, he quickly signed it to his label.
In 2013, he released another mixtape titled "1017 Thug" under the banner of Gucci. His songs turned out to be a hit and he was included in the "Albums of the Year" list and received a good review from "Complex". His song 'Picacho' was voted the best track on his mixtape and was included in the 2013 'Rolling Stone' and Spin's list of best songs' list.
He released his first single "Stoner" later that year, followed by "Danny Glover". Both songs were hits and have been remixed by many famous rappers and DJs. Unfortunately, he did not approve remixes of his song.
Strengthening his position in the music industry, he soon began collaborating with big names such as Alex Toomai, Danny Brown, Trick Duddy and even Travis Scott.
Wealth and Glory
2014 has been one of Thug's most rewarding years. After some speculation about signing a record $1,5 million deal with Cash Money Records, Birdman announced that he had just signed a management deal with the label.
He recorded several songs under "1017 Brick Squad" with Kane West, Rich Homie and Chief Keef, making it the cover of "The Fader".
In March 2014, he announced that his debut album would be hitting the market soon and would be titled "Carter 6", indicating Thug's admiration for Lil Wayne's hit album "Tha Carter".
Leaked Mixtape & Extended Play (EP)
He quickly began recording new songs due to his freestyle. Unfortunately, a data glitch caused the songs from his album to be leaked. It went viral, and to fix the problem, he had to immediately release two mixtapes, Slime Season and Slime Season 2, to make up for the loss.
To add to his unhappiness, Lil Wayne wasn't too happy with Thug's announcement that he wanted to dedicate his first album to him, a matter that was later settled in court. After that, Thug released a mixtape instead of an album and called it "Barter 6", later changing it to "HiTunes" under the Atlantic label.
After the release, he had a meeting with Kane, during which Kane was very impressed with the unique style and even compared him to Bob Marley. In 2015, they announced that they would be releasing an album together, but have yet to confirm any dates.
In 2016, Thug released his first EP "I Up", hitting the American music charts again. He then released another mix tape, "Slime Season 3", which ended the tape leak fiasco. In the middle of the year, he organized a tour with "Rich the Kid", "TM88" and "Dae Dae" for his mixtape "Hitunes" in the United States. He became a fashion icon during the tour and was featured in the Calvin Klein Fall 2016 Collection.
Thoughts on own label
With record label offers piling up, he is working on a mixtape called "Jeffrey" and plans to start his own label called "YSL Records" soon.
While fans were waiting for Young Thug's next project, a new song "Best Thing of All Time" was leaked towards the end of March 2017; however, the track turned out to be missing from Thug's next album. Also in 2017, Thug released a couple of collaborations, first with Guatemalan-American producer Carnage on the Young Martha EP, which was released this fall, and then with Future on the Super Slimey mixtape.
The single "Ride on Me" featuring A-Trak appeared in early 2018 ahead of the Hear No Evil EP, which was released in late April.
A few months later, he released the Young Stoner Life Records compilation, featuring Lil Duke, Gunna, Lil Uzi Vert, and more. The following month, Thug released his third EP, on Rvn. Debuting in the top 20 of both the Billboard 200 and the R&B/hip-hop charts, the short set featured guests 6LACK, Jaden Smith and Elton John, who gave the rapper their "Rocket Man" seal of approval for sampling High.
So, the first release of FunThug in 2019 took the form of a collaboration with J. Cole and Travis Scott called "London". The single will be featured on So Much Fun's own debut album.
Main works of Young Thug
All of his mixtapes have been hits, but one of them has been exceptionally successful. Barter 6 peaked at number 22 on the US Billboard 200. Some critics have argued that the album did well due to Young's dispute with Lil Wayne, while others argued that it was successful due to his unconventional rapping style.
His most famous single "Picacho", which was not originally a single, hit the top 100 tracks of Rolling Stone and Pitchfork, and hit the top 50 songs of Spin.
His song "Stoner" became popular again in 2014 after Wale created an unauthorized remix. The remix garnered so much attention that Young's original track was back on the music charts.
Young Thug Awards and Achievements
In 2013, he was named one of the "25 new rappers to watch out for" in the bi-monthly Fashion magazine.
Young Thug was nominated for the BET Hip Hop Awards in 2014. The artist was present in the categories "Who Blew Up", "Best Hip-Hop Style" and "Best Club Banger-for Stoner". The following year, he was nominated for a BET Coca-Cola Viewers' Choice Award for his song "Throw Sum Mo" along with Nicki Minaj and Ray Sremmurd.
Young Thug Artist Personal Life and Legacy
At twenty-five, he already had six children with four women. He is currently engaged to Jerrika Carla. She is the manager of a swimwear line.
Although the rapper is now a celebrity, he couldn't resist the world of crime. In 2015, he was arrested on charges of "terrorist threats" when he threatened to kill a security guard at an Atlanta mall.
