A light year for Young Thug implies at least one full length album and over three dozen guest spots. If that sounds insane, it's because it is - not everyone is built like these ATL cats. Graduating from the School of Guwop, Thug is no stranger to hardwork and has a tunnel vision when it comes to his craft. It's a sure fire way to keep your fans fed & happy, but it's also double edged sword, in that often times your best work can become an afterthought.
You know his big name appearances this year, whether it's on the The Fast and The Furious soundtrack, or alongside acts such as Drake, Calvin Harris, Chris Brown or Camila Cabello, but have you heard his verse on that Tyga mixtape? Or alongside up & comer Strick? What about his first collab with B.o.B? (side note: did you even know B.o.B. dropped a project this year?) When you have over a hundreds verses to your name in a given calendar year, many on songs and features that are released unceremoniously, how can you blame someone for treating verses #44 and #72 like they are interchangable and/or disposable? You really can't.
Thankfully, we're here to make sense of the prolificacy to the best of our abilities. Discover all these, and more, as we highlight some of Young Thug's most overlooked features of 2017.
Strick - "100 Degrees (ft. Young Thug)"
Thug hands out verses like they're pieces of candy. According to Strick himself, Thug simply happened to be in the same studio as the young up & comer, heard the unfinished song, and just asked "Where do I go in at?" Thug knows what he likes and has no qualms with putting himself out there. In his brief verse, Thug comes in with a vicious flow and spits these salacious bars: "I fucked that bitch in her bathing suit/I'm gettin' fucked by Erykah Badu in a jacuzzi."
Tyga - "Run It Back (ft. Young Thug)"
For those who think "Hookah" was a once in a lifetime spark between these two, look no further. "Run It Back" is a catchy take on the current dancehall vibe and sees Thug morph his vocals into the electronic, auto tuned weapon of mass enjoyment we've seen him do from time to time. His verse is actually quite touching and sees him crooning:
"Put it in her chest and make that hoe hit high notes
Shawty pussy wet, are you gonna take off your clothes?
Take a ride with me, I'll help you succeed with your goals
Anything happens here, anything goes"
B.o.B - "Xantastic (ft. Young Thug)"
On their first collaboration together, B.o.B gets the best kind of Young Thug: foreign, alien-like melodies that became inescapable earworms in absolutely no time. Over this ambient composition, Thug is snorting cocaine while he's yawning, shooting dice until the morning and is willing to "spark a World War" over his girl's "kitty."
Gunna - "Don't Play With It (ft. Young Thug)"
No one benefits from Thug's generosity more than his own signees. Whether it be Lil Duke, Yak Gotti or his newest and most promising protegee, Gunna, Thug is always right by their side to help them hone their talents and craft worthwhile records. And while Gunna has clearly already picked up a thing or two from his mentor, Thug pulls through on "Don't Play With It" to seemingly expose the young talent to facets of his artistry he probably hasn't even explored yet. Thug is able to craft new yet immediately warm and familiar tunes almost on command, and his appearance on this song is one of the best examples of his ability to craft infectious top line melodies this year (and that to, just by humming!).
Meek Mill - "Backboard (ft. Young Thug)"
Although "We Ball" is clearly leagues above this throwaway collab, "Backboard" is another example of the genuine chemistry Thug and Meek possess. It was teased for a while before Meek finally let it loose and boy did it live up to expectations. Only Thug pull off a bars like, "Your bitches call me Mr. Biggs/My house a year old like a kid" or, "I'm high as the Lord/I'm lit like July the Fourth."
The Game - "Oh I (ft. Jeremih, Sevyn & Young Thug)"
From beefing to crafting disarmingly catchy pop-hits, the relationship between Game and Thug is the weirdest thing ever. Thankfully, this hasn't prevented either of them from realizing when there's good music to be made, and we're all better off for their maturity.
Trae Tha Truth - "Thuggin (ft. Young Thug & Skippa Da Flippa)"
Trae & Thugger have collabed for years now. And each time they link up, the fans get something menacing and undeniably hard-hitting. "Thuggin'" is not only no expectation, it might be one of their best collaborations to date. When it's his turn, Thug comes in like a bolt of lightening and completely steals the show. While Trae and Skippa both show out, Thug's measured hook, as well his verse there in the middle of the song, anchor the entire track.
Skippa Da Flippa - "Fashion Forward (ft. Young Thug)"
Skippa and Thugger have underrated chemistry and "Fashion Forward" is their best collaboration to date. After Skippa sets the expensive scene, Thug swoops in with his own ode to high-end fashion. "Skippa, he started that dabbin'/Lock 'em for kidnappin' they jackin'," he declares, before picking up the flow a bit. But it's his last four bars, and his inimitable way of emoting, that truly make this a standout performance (seriously, just listen to how he playfully delivers "I got a tec', I got an uzi/My gun black like Obama, and it's a bazooka" and come back to us).
Bryson Tiller - "Get Mine (ft. Young Thug)"
There are probably a slew of reasons why this song didn't make Bryson's sophomore album, but we're gonna go ahead and assume it's because Thug absolutely bodied his verse. His imagery, comedic timing, and just pure technical ability is beyond impressive. It's one thing to brag about your indoor pool, it's another to spit, "The inside of my spot carry water/They should change the street name to cactus." It's one thing to say you're paranoid about cops tracking your every move, it's another to claim they got secret cameras in the inside of your pool because they're just that nasty. His wordplay can be dense if you break it down, but the genius of Thug is that his verses still hit on a visceral level regardless of how much you really want to engage with the content. For this writer though, there hasn't been a more badass passage this year than this:
"I think they put a camera in my pool
But it's on the inside, goddamn, 12 nasty (they did)
I used to be like Jay Z and ride factories
'Til I found out that you gotta put on Davis (shoes)
They scopin' out my house from a cabin (woo!)
I pissed out the window and start laughin' (ha!)
The inside of my spot carry water (ha!)
They should change the street name it cactus (damn!)"
Shad Da God - "Them Boyz (ft. Young Thug)"
Thug and Shad make an interesting pairing because both play with their vocals much more than their counterparts. So, when you put them in the same booth, it's hard to predict what we'll receive. In the case of "Them Boyz," there's an equal passing of the baton when it comes to playing around not only with delivery, but flow as well. It may sound a bit unfinished compared to their past efforts, but sometimes it takes an experiment like this to conjure up a bigger record in the future.
Young Scooter - "Cook Up (ft. Young Thug)"
Both ATL legends in their own right, "Cook Up" is a fantastic collab between Young Scooter and Thugger. Over a Metro & Zaytoven beat, they play off each other's flows to create a jam that, although it came out in February, took us right through the summer.
Kodak Black - "Top Off Benz (ft. Young Thug)"
In case you forgot, Thug was on Kodak's Painting Pictures earlier this year. "Top Off Benz" marks their first official collaboration, and it wasn't received all too well by casual fans. However, if you've ever followed Kodak on any social media platforms, it's clear how much a Thug stan the young rapper is. So, it only makes sense that he would pick to hop on a track with one of Thug's most out-there vocal performances of the year. It's the type of strained, purposefully off-key delivery that may be off putting at first, but becomes increasingly enjoyable the more familiar you get with it.
Chance The Rapper - "Big B's (ft. Young Thug)"
What was initially supposed to be a MigosThuggin joint, "Big B's" somehow ended up in Chance's hands. Therefore, it only makes sense that Thug absolutely demolishes the beat and gets the best of The Rapper. His verses, especially the second, display a level of technical proficiency only shown by the top 1%. Just listen to how he comes in like an auctioneer off an eight ball on that second verse, but still manages to paint a vivid rags-to-riches tale:
"I'm a street nigga, I'ma eat me some soup, I'ma let my bitch eat pasta
Told y'all niggas ain't stopping, Black card in my wallet, I'ma feed my partner
I was at one of my shows feeling like Cam'ron with the pink Margielas
We was tryna beat a murder capital, riding around the town with the pink Beretta
When I got in touch with the money, me and shawty fucked around and filled my schedule
Momma just sent me a picture got Indian in my family through my God damn nana
Young nigga fucked 'round, dropped out school, learned it all through the ID channel
Young nigga fucked around and ran out of bullets in the .40, got to get a banana"
It's a lot to take in at once, and it's no wonder Thug's verses in this vein often get slept on.
That's it for this list, but if you're a Thug fan looking for more verses you may have missed, go ahead and check out the releases this year from French Montana, Skooly, Lil Durk, Zoey Dollaz, Lil Baby, Bricc Baby, and more!