Some of our favorite rappers dropped new music today! Atlanta’s best Young Thug and Gucci Mane both dropped long-awaited albums. Plus, more new tracks from Lil Durk, Mac Miller, Lil Tjay, and more. New Music Friday’s Young Thug has dropped his new album “PUNK”. The album has features from J. Cole and Drake. Recently, Young […]
In keeping with the modern trend in hip-hop, Young Thug’s newly released second(!) album, Punk, is a star-studded affair on which the trap experimentalist is accompanied by a plethora of guests from across the genre. However, unlike his previous release, So Much Fun, he expands the range of artists he taps to help him fill time, including newcomers like ASAP Rocky, Doja Cat, and Mac Miller among his frequent collaborators like Drake, Gunna, and Future. He also reunites with J. Cole, Juice WRLD, and Post Malone after working with them on some of their biggest singles.
Thug, who officially kicked off the promotion for his latest album with his first-ever NPR Tiny Desk Concert alongside rock drummer Travis Barker, rolled out the album in a most unusual way, only releasing one single, “Tick Tock,” and playing new songs at places like Givenchy’s Paris Fashion Week show and in the backseats of Lyft drivers’ cars. And speaking of cars, his release party stunt of trashing a brand-new Rolls-Royce with baseball bats alongside Gunna and Metro Boomin drew both attention and criticism. However, judging from the fact that many fans on Twitter freely admitted to staying up later than usual for the release (midnight Pacific, three hours later than most New Music Friday releases), it would seem that these tactics had an overall positive effect on the album’s reception.
You can check out some of the new songs from Punk above and listen to the full album courtesy of Atlantic and YSL here.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Young Thug’s new album Punk drops in just a few hours after months of hyping the project’s fitting, against-the-grain nature. With Thug teasing the new music pretty much everywhere he’s gone, from Paris Fashion Week to Lyft rides from the studio, it’s been clear that he’s taking a non-traditional approach to promoting the project, just like a real punk should. At the album release party in Hollywood earlier this week, the Atlanta trap mad scientist doubled down by doing something completely unexpected: Smashing up a brand-new car with baseball bats. After all, what could be more punk than that?
Young Thug & Gunna destroy a Rolls Royce to promote new album “P*NK” pic.twitter.com/FIUz2mZjGV
— Plug
(@RappersPlug) October 13, 2021
Video of the celebration hit the internet a day later, catching Young Thug, Gunna, and Metro Boomin swinging baseball bats at the Rolls-Royce’s windows, which were spray-painted with the word “Punk.” Smashing up the luxury car seemed to be their way of embracing punk’s anti-capitalistic philosophy, but some fans didn’t see it that way, with a few pointing out that there would be better uses for the money that went into purchasing the car for the sole purpose of destruction.
The price of that destroyed rolls Royce could’ve fed a whole poor African village or saved someone somewhere. It could’ve been donated to charity. When people say they grew out of poverty and hunger then do shit like that it just makes me sick.
— Odin (@young_odinn) October 14, 2021
God really be giving money to everyone but the ones with sense pic.twitter.com/fOvcUsWUxs
— SOMEONE’S SON
(@BrianGmwangi) October 14, 2021
I just want my student loans paid off
and they destroying a Rolls Royce
— Little Dude From Across The Street (@iamjovan_) October 14, 2021
I’ve been saving since the start of the year and these guys just destroyed a $300k+ car right then and there… wow talk about being told that you’re broke. pic.twitter.com/x8a0lFXLrg
— I S A A C (@Isaac_Kea) October 14, 2021
Be fantastic if these types of people went bankrupt https://t.co/DDdVxNh1uk
— Owen (@Owen18_7_8) October 14, 2021
Why these rappers still think people wanna see them flexing their wealth. Like this is just disrespectful at this point
give scholarships to promote your album, build a damn library in marginalized neighborhood. Gave book to schools https://t.co/6LkdJ3Hu0R
— purin-san (@PurinSanDR) October 14, 2021
why not just put out a single lmao https://t.co/6NbnMiyMYs
— Alphonse (@Al_Peeair) October 14, 2021
However, the video seems to have done its job: Getting people talking about Young Thug and his upcoming album, so… mission accomplished. Wasteful or not, the video’s release ensures that fans know his album’s dropping — which means for Thug, it was well worth the expense.
Punk is out tonight at midnight ET via Atlantic and YSL.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
In the new promo spot for Lyft, Atlanta rapper Young Thug surprises a number of Lyft drivers, playing them songs from his upcoming album, Punk. In the opening of the clip, Thug shows off his sense of humor, reproducing the Twitter favorite meme of Thug in the studio with Lil Durk before heading outside to catch his ride. The various drivers are all shocked and amazed to find that their rider is the world-famous rapper, with one saying, “Some people call you the greatest. I’m starting to see why.”
In the press release for the promo, Thug explains, “In a car, you get to hear sounds you wouldn’t hear if you were in a studio, or in a club, or on stage. When you record a slap, you’re like, we got to go hear this in the car.” Naturally, in addition to promoting both Lyft and Punk, the brand partnership benefits fans, too: Riders will get 10% off Young Thug merch and music from the rapper’s online shop using the promo code “PUNKLYFT.” Also, while using the app, entering the promo code “YOUNGTHUG” in the rewards tab will unlock “SP5DER Mode,” offering Young Thug-themed icons.
Thug’s rollout for Punk, which drops this Friday, October 15 via YSL and Atlantic, has also included the purchase of 100 acres of land for a Slime City theme park, a Tiny Desk Concert with Travis Barker, and the slippery single, “Tick Tock.” He also played a trio of new songs at the Givenchy Paris Fashion Week show.
This Friday marks a bit moment for the music world: the release of a new Young Thug album. The Atlanta rapper is gearing up to share P*NK, which fans have spent the better part of two months waiting for after he announced it during an NPR Tiny Desk performance over the summer. Thug sat down with Complex for an interview, where he spoke about Kanye West and how he ended up on his tenth album, Donda.
“I just hit Kanye like, ‘Bro, if I ain’t on the album, we are not speaking,’” he said to Complex’s Erik Skelton. He explained his take on the legendary superstar. “What n****s don’t know about Kanye West is he’s a real n***a,” Thug said. “He’s a billionaire, and all that sh*t is cool, but in real life, he could survive in the trenches. If he go to the trenches, the jungle, he could survive. He a real n***a.”
So far, Thug has only shared one single from the album, namely “Tick Tock.”
You can read the full interview with Complex here.
Young Thug is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
P*NK is out 10/15 via 300 Entertainment/Atlantic Records.
YSL takes promo to another level. Young Thug and Gunna destroyed a Rolls Royce to promote Thug’s upcoming studio album Punk, which arrives this Friday. YSL Takes Bat To Rolls Royce The video begins with Gunna on top of a white Rolls Royce while he throws a bat to the vehicle’s windshield. He then steps […]
This past summer, Rolling Loud became one of the first major music festivals to hold a showcase after the pandemic all but the industry down. The Miami edition of the festival took place in late July 23-25 at Hard Rock Stadium, boasting headlining performances from ASAP Rocky, Travis Scott, and Post Malone. Elsewhere Lil Baby, 21 Savage, DaBaby (as controversial as his set was), Young Thug, Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti, Roddy Ricch, Rod Wave, Lil Tjay.
For those who were unable to attend the festival, Rolling Loud has an alternative: Organizers recently released an “aftermovie” that captured all the wild and fiery moments of the Miami show. The 10-minute video features many of the aforementioned names, as well as others like The Kid Laroi, City Girls, Lil Yachty, Rod Wave, Morray, and more.
The video arrives less than three weeks before festival organizers bring the showcase to New York for a festival headlined by J. Cole, Travis Scott, and 50 Cent. Other performers for the New York show include Lil Uzi Vert, Gunna, Lil Baby, Roddy Ricch, Lil Durk, Jack Harlow, Rick Ross, Gucci Mane, Polo G, Moneybagg Yo, Joey Badass, Playboi Carti, Wale, Young Dolph, and Griselda Records.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
English singer, songwriter, pianist, and composer Elton John recently declared Young Thug “a better freestyle rapper than Eminem” — a controversial statement that has re-ignited conversation about Elton John’s past “beef” with Eminem over homophobic lyrics on The Marshall Mathers LP. Elton John A Big Fan Of Young Thug Elton John spoke of his “amazement” […]
