Compton, Chicago, Baton Rouge, Pompano Beach - in 2016, there are countless regions, spread far and wide across the country, with revitalized voices in the rap game. But it’s still Atlanta that births new, innovative talent more often than New York City chooses to champion those of the past. The same city to spawn Outkast and mold Usher now has equal claim to relentless curators of culture like Future, Migos and Young Thug. Georgia’s capital is a creative hub where harsh realities collide with futuristic escapism; it’s a city that has built enough resolve to stomach the losses of both Shawty Lo and Bankroll Fresh in one year, and enough compassion to care for and protect Bankroll’s six-year-old nephew, Bankroll PJ. Even as the audience’s attention shifts around the map, searching for new voices, eyes are always lingering on this singular city. Because, let’s admit it, most places are just aping the Zone 6 roster anyways. And for good reason.
From the relatively unknown to those iconoclasts on the verge of becoming household names, here are the 21 best projects to come out of Atlanta this year:
Young Nudy
- Young Nudy - Slime Ball
Slime Ball has a 24% user rating on our site and I can kind of understand why: Young Nudy, an affiliate of 21 Savage, is an obscure rapper, Slime Ball is an obscure project. It’s kind of like a high-quality homemade film - the beats are great, providing a spooky backdrop for Nudy’s menacing flow, sometimes verging on being downright fantastic (“Real Right” is a trip), but you can see that the edges are frayed. It’s got the same lo-fi feel to it that 21’s own work had just a year ago. To me, that only adds to the aesthetic - the experimentation feels genuine, and Nudy can really rap. If anything, he should be awarded extra points from some of his more creative turns on here. But it’s easy to understand why 14 tracks of sporadic song structures and fluctuating mixes could be off-putting to some.
Duke
- Duke - Uber
With Young Thug finally getting his own official record label, YSL Records, things are probably going to heat up in a major way in 2017 for Duke. As for 2016, Duke continued to work on his craft through the release of two solo mixtapes, Uber and Blue Devils. The former, a reference to the career-sparking feature on Thug’s Barter 6 single, “With That,” proved to be more visceral: it was a lean project focused on exposing you to the nuances of Duke’s style that separate him, most immediately, from Thugger’s sphere of influence. With a nasally croon not dissimilar to the one Lil Yachty (who’s actually featured on “Know Ima Get It”) is currently running away with, both these tapes show Duke as a capable songwriter, even if his narrative feels unformed. His forthcoming EP, Life In The Hills, could be a chance for Duke to build on a few of the personal threads we’ve seen exposed here and there. Regardless, he continues to steadily make his own lane as artist.
Shad da God
- Shad da God - Free the Goat
Despite having been on T.I.’s Grand Hustle roster for a handful of years now, and despite actually being Tip’s cousin, Shad Da God (formerly known as Rich Kid Shawty) has kept a relatively low profile until 2016. A central part of Bankroll Mafia, he used the announcement of the group’s eponymously titled debut in April as a springboard for the release of his own mixtape in June. Free the Goat is a codeine soaked ode to the incarcerated PeeWee Roscoe, a Hustle Gang and YSL affiliate who’s currently serving up to 20 years in prison for allegedly shooting up Lil Wayne's tour bus. Shad da God is a more than capable lyricist, but on this tape he often chooses to exaggerate his eccentricity and drape everything in a murky, hazy ambience. It makes for a wavy listen, even if the style becomes overbearing at times.
Young Dro
- Young Dro - Phoenix
After last year’s Da Reality Show, featuring high-adrenaline cuts like “Ugh,” produced by Atlanta staple Zaytoven, Dro started 2016 with a collab project with Zay, Boot Me Up. Unfortunately, Dro’s geeked up crooning over a batch of mainly Zay’s throwaways didn’t connect nearly as well as last year’s single. However, not one to take his foot off the gas, he proceeded to drop another consolidated EP of sorts, Phoenix, just a couple weeks later which offered a worthy sequel to “Ugh” in the form of “Yahhh,” as well as a few surprisingly engaging collabs like “4 Tre” with Duke. It’s fortunate Dro was able to get this material out when he did because later that summer he was arrested at Georgia Southern University for possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, amongst other charges, bringing his 2016 momentum to a halt. Since then, Dro has returned to the scene seeming rejuvenated and ready work.
- Gunna - Drip Season
One of Young Thug’s newest recruits, Gunna didn’t even have a Twitter account a few months ago. He likes to keep a low profile, a trait that seeps into his music. Drip Season is fun, and Gunna is more than a capable rapper (especially when you consider his standout performance on Jeffery’s “Floyd Mayweather,” alongside Thug and Gucci Mane) but it only teases at Gunna’s actual story. He’s an elusive MC and his point of view is still largely unformed - but that might be for the best. This way, he has room to sharpen his skills before being presented to a larger audience. It gives him a chance to develop and connect with new fans on his own terms over his next few projects. Regardless, Drip Season is one of the strongest YSL debuts to date, littered with catchy hooks and dope verses.
Brodinski, Drug Money USA, Bromance Records
- Brodinski, Drug Money USA, Bromance Records - Young Slime Season
This compilation tape is one of the weirdest releases I’ve come across this year; I had to hit up DJ Drug Money directly to get the rundown on whats going on here. According to him, French producer Brodinski enlisted other French composers such Myth Syzer and Mister Tweeks, as well as Canadian DJ Ryan Hemsworth, while Drug Money curated the rappers. These MCs mainly hail from Cleveland Ave and Jonesboro Rd, the same neck of the woods as their evident inspiration, Young Thug. While they aren't directly signed to Thug's new YSL label, they all claim the same YSL clique and many have known Jeffery since before his rapping days. Together, Brodinski and Drug Money wanted to introduce the current voice of Cleveland Ave: from those basically making their debut, such as Zack Slime Fr, Slimeball Kelly, Lil Patt and Slimelife Shawty, to old heads who have been around for a minute (Bukk Bukk was on Thug's debut, I Came From Nothing). Another standout, and recent YSL affiliate, is Twice - who appeared alongside Thug on “No Wendy's,” an unofficial remix of Drake’s “Controlla,” earlier this year. The cadences, vocal tics and other nuances therein might feel familiar, but it shows just how much Thug has impacted his city (and vice versa). There’s an exciting flare of creativity that carries the entire project and the lively, electronic production itself is worth the price of entry. It’s an enjoyable and carefully crafted introduction to a handful of new MCs from Atlanta.
Lil Yachty
- Lil Yachty - Lil Boat
For those uninitiated with the likes of, say, Makonnen outside of the singles, or early Streetz Calling-era Future, or, like, any Chief Keef, Lil Yachty is something way out of left field. He’s the antithesis of “real” hip-hop, a bastardization of melodic rap, the devil himself with red beads in his hair. The visceral reaction to Yachty, the kind that has self-proclaimed old heads like Ebro or DJ Funkmaster Flex shrieking about his lack of “bars” (he has a few, for sure), “content” (his whole brand is centered on spreading positivity to the youth), or “skill” (you try being Grammy-nominated the same year you blew up), stems from ignorance. It stems from a fear of your favorite trend, and that’s all every generational style of rapping is - a trend - being wiped out and replaced by another. It’s a pointless fear to indulge because short of all the tapes, CDs, vinyls, mp3s and, I don’t know, computers or whatever, all exploding at once, nothing stops one from appreciating styles that have come and gone. (Sidenote: join me in a moment of silence for all the music that's about to be lost once Apple Music, Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin take over the world). Art and culture aren’t static, they’re alive and they feed on the youth. And youth isn’t defined by age - it’s defined by your mentality. But it helps with the ratings to have 40 year old men yell at 19 year olds trying to better their situation, so here we are. I’m not even an avid Yachty fan - I think he’s still figuring out how to properly use his voice while imitating his favorite artists. But Lil Boat is more than a solid debut mixtape - it's a well constructed concept album meant to introduce the world to its newest oddball. It's filled with enough charisma and personality to make up for any shortcomings as a lyricist and, even then, the tape does tell a story - Yachty does care enough about hip-hop to carry on the tradition of creating engaging alter egos and perspectives to accent some of his more stale content. (The follow up, Summer Songs 2 was more freeform and consequently less gripping, but still features an amazing Offset verse on “Dipset” so, I guess it’s a wash). What I’m saying is, before you type a seven part tweet on how one single teenager is ruining a genre that survived Eminem literally rapping about shoving gerbils up his ass, do something more productive with your time. P.S. “Intro (Just Keep Swimming)” is still so fire.
Lotto Savage
- Lotto Savage - Don Slaughter/Lotto Krueger
Despite being fresh in the game, Lotto Savage might be a better rapper than his fellow Slaughter Gang leader, 21 Savage - and I don’t think 21 would even be mad at me for suggesting as much. Where 21 has developed a patient, slow burning style, over the past two years, Lotto’s flows are a whirlwind; they’re a lot more hectic (read: entertaining) and his writing more colorful. His street single “Trapped It Out” was potent enough to earn a Gucci Mane remix, and worthwhile successors to that anthem can be found on both his debut tape, Don Slaughter, and the more polished follow up, Lotto Kreuger. The latter features a track produced by Zaytoven, a necessary co-sign in the Atlanta rap world, and although he hasn’t worked with many other prominent producers, Lotto has proven to have a great ear for beats that compliment his hypnotic songwriting. If he can manage to go the same route as the Slaughter King and secure a project executive produced by a notable figure like Metro Boomin, critics will be forced to pay him equal attention in 2017.
Future
- Future - Purple Reign
Future has either had a muted year or one of his most productive to date depending on how you look at it. “Low Life” became his highest charting hit, he became the fastest artist to chart three #1 albums on the Billboard 200 (2015’s DS2 and What A Time To Be Alive followed by this past February's EVOL) since the freakin’ Glee soundtracks in 2010, he co-headlined one of the biggest tour of the year with Drake and he supposedly caused Scottie Pippen to file for divorce by sleeping with his wife, Larsa (YIKES). He’s also been featured on Chance the Rapper’s Coloring Book and The Weeknd’s Starboy - both of which are two of the most highly acclaimed releases of the year. But as far as his own music goes, 2016 marked a stark shift from the staggering output of 2015. He started off the year strong with the Purple Reign mixtape building up hype for a Beats 1 release of EVOL, but both were met with lukewarm receptions. He built on the resurgence of his popularity last year and became more of a household name this year but he didn’t feed his core fans in the same, dedicated manner. Which, honestly, is fine. Knowing Future, he’s probably stockpiling a whole arsenal of flows to unleash right at the top of the new year. And it’s not like Purple Reign and EVOL were actually duds - people just have short attention spans. Whereas I personally think the latter was too over-the-top, too rambunctious in its momentum, it still offers us “Lil Haiti Baby” and “Lie To Me.” The former, however, proved to be the biggest grower: Purple Reign, initially thought to be underwhelming, is often delicate and gets better with every listen. “Inside the Mattress” is a worthy follow up to the cult favorite “March Madness” while “Perky’s Calling” and “Purple Reign” are simply two of his most moving songs in recent memory. And out of the dozen or so songs titled “Drippin’” this year, Future’s is definitely top two.
Dae Dae and London On Da Track
- Dae Dae and London On Da Track - The DefAnition
Young Thug’s debut tape with 300 was supposed to be Slime Season, not as we know it now (an effort to salvage the dozens of demos leaked in early 2015), but a collaboration solely between Thug and his day one producer, London On Da Track. It never happened and, to this day, still hasn’t. But with Dae Dae, one of 300’s newest artists, no one wanted history to repeat itself. Following the success of “Wut U Mean (Family To Feed),” London was tapped to help mold Dae Dae’s sound much like Metro Boomin and Alex Tumay did for 21 Savage. One-offs with producers are highly underrated - they allow both the producer and the rapper space to develop chemistry and invest in an engaging soundscape. Dae Dae already had a commanding voice and versatile delivery but, with London, he was not only able to perfect street bangers by way of “Woke Up,” he was able to craft moving political anthems such as “Black Lives Matter.” Together, they built on the lively introduction provided by Dae Dae’s debut mixtape, 4 Reasons, and made a solid case for him being of the best new rappers in the game.
Peewee Longway
- Peewee Longway - Longway Sinatra
Peewee Longway is probably the most underrated rapper in Atlanta. The fact that his projects are often overlong and haphazardly mixed doesn’t help his case, but his off the wall, ADHD flows, sharp writing and vicious deliver should speak for itself. His collab tape with Zaytoven prodigy, Cassius Jay, is his cleanest and most concise effort yet; the streamlined presentation goes a long way (I swear, no pun intended) towards providing listeners with some of his most infectious material. “Way Too Much” proves Longway wouldn’t sound out of place following a Ty Dolla $ign hit on the radio, “Back To Cali” sees him going toe to toe with California legend E-40, and “On The Gram” with Offset is two of Atlanta’s best wordsmiths putting on a goddamn clinic in verbal dexterity. It’s not like Peewee cares if you give him his props or not but please, for the sake of my sanity, stop sleeping on Longway Sinatra.
T.I.
- T.I. - Us or Else EP
T.I. is a perfect example of a man who knows how to balance work and play. Since as early as 2003’s Trap Muzik, morality plays have always found themselves alongside his more rambunctious singles. It’s only fitting that in 2016, amidst a cancerous election cycle and increased transparency of a long-existing police brutality epidemic, he delivers a super focused, politically charged EP meant to raise awareness as well as embolden and inspire. His most impassioned passages in recent years can be found on tracks like “We Will Not,” “Warzone” and “I Swear.” On “Black Man” he taps younger leaders like Quavo and Meek Mill for a brooding anthem that presents multiple points of view, while “40 Acres” sees him exchanging rebellious bars with fellow Atlanta rapper-cum-political activist, Killer Mike. Rara, Big K.R.I.T. and B Rossi round out the rest of the features on this concise and effective call to action. (Since writing this, he’s gone ahead and repurposed some of the best tracks on here, such as “Warzone” and “I Swear,” for a full-length version of the project that I, unfortunately, haven’t had enough time to sit with).
Gucci Mane
What more can be said about Gucci Mane’s triumphant return to the rap game this year? Prior to his incarceration in 2014, he was picking beefs with the people closest to him, addicted to a medicine cabinet of drugs and, according to the man himself, was close to seriously hurting someone simply because he felt “frustrated” at everyone and everything. For Gucci, his sentence was a wake up call; it wasn’t any old Club Fed, it was maximum security prison in Terre Haute, Indiana. Gucci has made “first day out” songs before but “1st Day Out Tha Feds” was different - it was a stark retelling of the claustrophobic nightmare inmates faced during every waking moment of their time inside. However, ever the resourceful opportunist, Gucci made the absolute best out of a grim situation: he worked out relentlessly, started writing notebooks worth of songs, renewed his affinity for reading, and oh yeah, had his now fiancee Keyshia Ka’oir manage his music and assets which led to him releasing dozens of projects and making over $1.3 million while still inside. Still, nothing could’ve prepared us for the beaming bright East Atlanta Santa that greeted us after an early release in late May. Since then, Gucci has been on a tear, not intent on just bettering his lifestyle. His projects are tighter, his rapping is more lucid, and his presence in the game is larger than ever. (In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find a rapper - besides T.I. - on this very list that wouldn’t openly admit to having Gucci Mane as a primary influence). At first, he felt kind of stiff on Everybody Looking - understandably so. But as he was let off house arrest and started doing one stellar feature after another, it became apparent that any kinks that needed to be ironed out would soon vanish entirely. His last two releases of the year, Woptober and The Return of the East Atlanta Santa, are some of the most entertaining rap albums of 2016.
21 Savage and Metro Boomin
- 21 Savage and Metro Boomin - Savage Mode
21 Savage is really good at social media for someone who, on wax, appears to be way too encumbered by his own demons to even rap louder than an audible whisper. He prefers to sit back and read (“like Cat in the Hat”), but I guess we’d all take a few harmless jabs at Tyga if given the opportunity. Savage Mode, executive produced by Atlanta’s forefront composer, Metro Boomin, and mixed by the man who helped mold the sound of Young Thug, Alex Tumay, serves as a formal introduction to 21. The beats are as meditative as the rapping, the brooding soundscape home to numerous subtle idiosyncrasies that make what might feel like an underwhelming first listen worth revisiting until you can recite every slurred word and nonchalant scoff of “No Heart.” Thanks to this collaboration, a highly publicized tour with Thug, a song with Drake, and his aforementioned knack for social media, 21 is now on the cusp of true stardom. Hopefully his forthcoming music maintains the surreal, almost nightmarish form it’s taken and doesn’t sacrifice his mystique for accessibility.
Zuse and Nard & B
7. Zuse and Nard & B - Trench Zuse/Bullet 2: Banana Clip
Zuse has an understated influence on the Atlanta rap scene; it’s a shame he hasn’t blown all the way up yet, despite consistently putting out quality projects since 2014. Hailing from Kingston, Jamaica, Zuse brings a special sauce to a city already flooded with more personalities than any one area has a right to claim. With a deep, soothing voice, a gentle croon and exotic melodies, Zuse brings his own flavor (and patois) to Atlanta’s trademark trap scene. This summer’s Bullet 2: Banana Clip, a sequel to 2014’s debut mixtape, Bullet, secured features from the likes of Kevin Gates and Lil Durk, as well as production from MikeWiLLMadeIt, and was an expansive showcase of all that makes Zuse unique. There’s a sadness to his evocation, like when he pleads for President Obama to fight injustice on “No Love.” His past weighs heavily on him and his content reflects this range of emotions. The follow up in October, Trench Zuse, was a collaboration with Future’s most underrated producer duo, Nard & B and is even better. Simultaneously more focused as well as more carefree than B2: BC, TZ is filled with dynamic beats and even more fluid rapping. The rhythms are consistently sharp, the melodies instantaneously infectious. Zuse is a poignant writer, a nimble rapper an affecting vocalist full of untapped potential. Hopefully he’s poised to keep going up in 2017.
Trouble
- Trouble - Skoobzilla
Following his appearance on Young Thug’s Slime Season 2 last year, Trouble enlisted the likes of Thug and Young Dolph to remix his biggest track from the Zaytoven collaboration #ZayDidIt. However, the marginal success therein would’ve been wasted had he not been able to capitalize with a worthwhile project. Skoobzilla may not have churned out a a track as big as “Ready (Remix)” but it made the very most out of a few strategic moves and proved Trouble to be one of the most capable MCs in the region. He not only carried standouts like “Ahh Man” on his own, he stacked the tape with top tier rappers such as Thug and Quavo just to prove he couldn’t be outshined. He tried to go for a Fetty Wap assisted hit that fell flat probably because it was more morose than a Fetty single ever dares to be - but bringing light to grave situations is what Trouble does best, and he does it relentlessly (“Lil Homie Died,” featuring Bloody Jay, is another moving highlight). While he may not have fully separated himself from his peers yet, one thing is increasingly clear: Trouble is a student of the game. And it’s this dedication to his craft that’ll see him making some big moves in 2017.
Gucci Mane and Future
- Gucci Mane & Future - Free Bricks 2: Zone 6 Edition
Gucci and Future already have spots on this list for their respective solo work but it’s this surprise tape they made in 24 hours that features both their best rapping this year. Maybe it’s how quickly they made it, avoiding any time to second guess themselves, or maybe it’s the fact that a relatively dormant Super Future finally woke up when placed in the presence of a fellow legend. Either way, they both proved to be good for each other - a match made in codeine. Future’s drugged out aura proved to be infectious, effectively placing Gucci back in a creative space that’s been eluding the now sober Trap God, while Gucci’s renewed focus had Hendrix thinking on his feet at every turn. Their chemistry alone would've been enough to carry the project. Fortunately, Free Bricks 2... brings with it more than just the novelty of the reunited duo. Laced with Zaytoven, Metro Boomin and Southside bangers, electric hooks from Future and layered and reflective passages from Gucci, FB2: Z6E is an endlessly replayable gift from two of Atlanta’s Kings.
Bankroll Mafia
- Bankroll Mafia - Bankroll Mafia
The debut project for what’s probably T.I.’s best supergroup to date is just a damn good time through and through. With both T.I. and Young Thug bringing their own respective posses to the forefront, Bankroll Mafia serves as a gift for fans of the aforementioned superstars as well a nice introduction to their lesser known, and often overlooked, compadres. Shad da God actually threatens to run away with the tape multiple times, the currently incarcerated PeeWee Roscoe has multiple guest verses scattered throughout and the other features range from a playful Lil Yachty on the soaring intro, “Hyenas,” a still savage 21 Savage, pre-Kylie Jenner love triangle, on “I Want Her,” a sublime Offset (“Up One”), a hilarious Young Dro (“Cash”) to everyone in between. It’s an underrated exhibition of all that Atlanta has to offer to the rap game, a celebration of its ever growing talent pool.
Migos
- Migos - 3 Way EP
Y’all sleep on the Migos when they’re music is undeniable and wake up only when they birth the next trend. Which is a shame because the Migos are human - three supreme humans with an almost mythological level of talent, but still human - and aren’t immune to then spending the next six months only rapping about how they birthed X trend which led to Y reaction causing Z to happen. And during this vicious cycle initiated by the fans ill-timed narcoleptic tendencies, we usually see a dip in the quality of their output. All that to say following the dab craze of 2015, we shouldn’t have expected much from YRN 2. Quavo was preoccupied with building his brand elsewhere, Takeoff was still half asleep on a majority of tracks, and Offset had just got of jail and was finding his footing once again. It was a dud for the most part. But, as the cycle dictates, the dab was dying out and the Migos creativity was slowly but surely building back up to it’s pre-dab heights. And then we got the 3 Way EP - and boy was it magical. From the playful intro to the menacing closer, each member fights for the spotlight without ever sacrificing their trademark chemistry. Quavo finesses his auto tuned crooning like he’s the End Boss of melodic rapping, Offset overwhelms with charisma (no really, at one point he’s literally bullying Law students and it’s amazing) and Takeoff...well Takeoff might actually have the best rapping on the entire tape. I wonder if we would’ve gotten CULTURE sooner had the Ricky Racks produced “Can’t Go Out Sad” become the hit it was poised to be. (I'll gladly take "Bad and Boujee's" wild rise up the charts though). Even though nothing off of this EP made a lasting impact on the charts, it’s still one of the best projects to come out of Atlanta this year.
2 Chainz
- 2 Chainz - Hibachi for lunch/Daniel Son; Necklace Don/Felt Like Cappin
Every single thing 2 Chainz has touched in 2016 has been absolute fire and you can’t tell me otherwise. His approach - multiple short EPs spread across the year - feels like he’s searching for The Hit that kicks off the rollout for his next album, but he also doesn’t seem to be in a hurry regardless. And why would he be? This method effectively has everyone eating out the palm of his hand, salivating for the next snack-sized project, while simultaneously singing his praises and deeming him the hardest working and most underrated rapper in the game. Depending on who you ask, each of his solo projects could be considered his best of the year - or maybe you’re still stuck on the ColleGrove collaboration with Lil Wayne. Felt Like Cappin spawned the Mike WiLL Made It & Zaytoven (best duo of the year?) produced “MF’N Right;” Daniel Son; Necklace Don had “Big Amount” with Drake; Hibachi for Lunch is currently riding the high of the Quavo and Gucci Mane assisted “Good Drank.” Not to mention he renegaded every feature he touched. It seems like a pretty good place to be. 2017 is Tity Boi’s for the taking.
Young Thug
- Young Thug - Jeffery/I’m Up
At this point in Young Thug’s career he’s probably still not established enough for 300 to finally sanction a debut (Jeffery sold a modest 18K copies first week - only 1K more than last year’s Barter 6), but he is an undeniable entity that can be found modeling Calvin Klein billboards in Manhattan, in Usher music videos and on Erykah Badu’s timeline. He’s one of the most influential artists in the game; a mainstream that once ridiculed his progressive style can now be seen recklessly aping his old tricks, all while he continues to confuse them with new ones. (Sidenote: you can read a great summary of his career thus far here under the “Pick Up the Phone” write up). When Young Thug yelps, growls or croaks, it feels genuine - and authenticity isn’t easily mimicked. His first release of 2016, I’m Up, was overlooked upon arrival because fans were expecting Slime Season 3 and instead were hit with a feature heavy EP of sorts. Stigma aside, I’m Up is a subtle, understated project that has the best one-two punch out of any of his 2016 releases - “For My People” and “King Troup.” The latter, an anti-gang violence PSA and one of Thug’s most moving ballads to date, features some of his best writing ever. Comparatively, the lauded Slime Season 3 is honestly a cohesive but watered down compilation of old material. However, there’s a reason his worst project out of the last half a dozen or so he's released just since 2014, brought in so many new fans and ended up being his most commercially successful release to date: people are playing catch up. They missed out on the magic of Rich Gang: Tha Tour pt. 1 because they were too busy clowning on “Lifestyle”; Barter 6’s “OD” or “Numbers” came and went while they laughed at the tape’s first week sales. In fact, the same people unanimously praising 2016 material as his best probably haven’t even heard leaks like “The Promise,” “Makaveli;” or “Myself” yet! For the uninitiated, the Kanye West co-signed “With Them” is his “hardest” song (“did you see when he played it at MSG?” they’ll ask you, doey eyed with nothing but good intentions) and the transition from Thugger to (No, My Name Is…) Jeffrey is him “finally” taking music seriously. Which is, obviously, all a lie - but no harm, no foul, right? The reality is that 2015 was a magical year for the Atlanta rebel, a kind of year few rappers not named Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. ever experience. And compared to last year’s whirlwind of defiant mixtapes and stunning leaks, 2016 doesn’t even began scratch the surface of what makes Jeffery Lamar Williams a singular talent. But that doesn’t mean he’s stopped honing his craft - as you can tell, it’s quite the opposite. His latest offering, Jeffery, sees him attacking the senses with precision in a way that his unpredictable material of the past just wasn’t capable of doing on a consistent basis. Thug is a better songwriter now than ever before, a true romantic and a poet in the purest sense, with increasing control over his elastic voice - just look at the phenomenal second verses of “Harambe” and “Webbie,” or the transcendent hooks for “RiRi” and “Kanye West.” Although he’s reined in his eccentric persona (Alaska Airlines incident aside) and cleaned up his image, he still refuses to starve his urge to experiment. All this to say that y’all messed up big time by not embracing him originally the way you now do his children, the Lil Yachtys and Lil Uzi Verts. Because where he was once detached and in his own world, ambivalent towards our premature judgement, he’s now firmly landed on ours and seems to be gunning for the throne.