Young Thug - Punk

“Punk” is Young Thug’s most ambitious album, and is also easily one of his best

By: Griffin Jacobs

Young Thug’s “Punk” is his best project besides 2019’s “So Much Fun.” Unlike that album, “Punk” is melodic and highlights Thug’s singing over his rapping on songs like “Stupid/Asking,” “Living it Up,” and “Love You More,” where his unique and beautiful vocals take center stage. However, “Punk” is also an eclectic album, meaning fans of his trap bangers won’t be disappointed as Thug brings the heat on tracks with J.Cole and T-Shyne, Drake and Travis Scott, and the late Juice WRLD.

Strangely enough, Juice WRLD isn’t the only deceased artist on this record. Mac Miller headlines the outro “Day Before,” named because it was recorded the day before Miller passed. It highlights Thug’s weirdness as he decides to play something that feels sacred over whale noises and ukulele, a strange choice that has only grown on me with repeated listens. That oddness carries over from the intro, where Thug tells the story of his mother’s life struggles before transitioning to “I always knew I wasn’t gon’ be gay.”

That moment speaks to what makes Thug a revolutionary rapper. He uses his voice primarily as another instrument instead of a storytelling device. That’s why he gets the best out of artists like Gunna and Future, who have a similar schtick; his production doesn’t require them to control a track, just have their voices fit into its composition.

“Punk” is ambitious in that Thug is no longer trying to fit into traditional hip-hop, just being himself to the highest degree.