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.