Misc. Day – Shattered Idols

In the spirit of celebrating some of the better artists this side of the century, Young Thug has definitely not spent enough time in the writing section of the site. And frankly, I apologize that it took this long for me to really focus on how immaculate JEFFERY really is.

One of the first records by Young Thug that stood out for the controversy of wearing the Alessandrro Trincone dress, JEFFERY takes what makes modern rap interesting and then capitalizes on those key factors. The production, the shine, and the unique lyricism, Young Thug has all of those elements and controls them like a master of the components.

Opening with “Wyclef Jean,” each track seems to be named after each of Young Thug’s influences, and while Wyclef Jean doesn’t appear till the mixtape’s near-final track, Young Thug carries over this bosa-nova soul like a prince of sound.

He opens up the track by illustrating, “Okay, my money way longer than a NASCAR race, I told her keep going on the gas, fuck the brakes. Only here for one night, let me put it on your face.” As the production spins like the wheels on a big body, Young Thug opens to explain, “All my children spoiled, yeah, they got it all. Daughter sexy and my son got the broads, spent racks on my son and his squad. Daddy boy, never play with his toys.”

As the method continues, the track “RiRi” features one of the best beats on JEFFERY, produced by Wheezy and Billboard Hitmakers. Taking Young Thug at first can be difficult as his inflection is definitely eccentric, especially on the hook here where he explains, “Do the work baby, do the work. Tonight, baby, do the work do the work,” where he squeaks out through the lines. But as “RiRi” continues to repeat in the head, Thug’s inflection actually becomes distinctive in a positive way through something that stands out and is entertaining behind what could be a simple delivery.

This individuality adds to the best parts of JEFFERY and continues through the mixtape to the track, “Kanye West” where the writing here is hard to follow through his speech structure but flows on the production from Wheezy and Cassius Jay. It takes time for Young Thug to grow on the ears, at least it seems like it did for me personally, but when it finally makes sense and reaches, JEFFERY becomes a record to revisit for its sonic excellence and expression.

With 10 tracks and over 40 minutes of performances from Young Thug, JEFFERY is a great way to jump into the pool of his discography. The stance, the style, the approach, it’s all a guise of making steps into becoming the icon he is today.

Listen To JEFFERY Here!!! – Spotify/Amazon/iTunes