Young Thug, inspired by his once-mentor, has officially taken flight. The cover to his new mixtape, I'm Up, shows a winged Thugger flying above the world, which is melting into an appropriately slimy substance in a pair of giant cupped hands, which presumably also, somehow, belong to Thug.
There are only 9 songs on I'm Up, including the previously released tracks "F Cancer" and "Hercules." The rest of the tape goes quickly, but it provides an invigorating listen, with production from Mike Will Made-It, 808 Mafia, and four beats from Wheezy, who, at this point, might be the best at inducing the particularly elevated, blissful sound that Thug chases for much of I'm Up.
Upon first listen, it's obvious that Thug is riding a rare (mostly natural) high. Part of the reason he feels so high, though, is that he's come from so low. All of Thug's inspiration comes from the bottom, and as he reaches new heights, he's making sure to levitate his friends and family -- some of whom guest on I'm Up -- along with him. That motivation, to raise up those closest to him, is distinct throughout his new mixtape, even when he's delving into his usual absurdities.
Thus, I'm Up includes some of the most inspirational material Thug has put out in his career. Here are the 5 most uplifting tracks on I'm Up.
F Cancer (Prod. by Mike Will Made-It)
"F Cancer," which dropped a week ago, is the opener on I'm Up. It's also Thug's latest single, looking to embark on a similar path to Slime Season's "Best Friend." It's easily got the most stacked lineup of any track on I'm Up, featuring Quavo and produced by Mike Will, and it includes one of the most remarkable stream-of-consciousness-style hooks in Thug history.
It's really too easy how each line -- each one idiosyncratic Thugger -- connects to the next. His delivery is perfectly timed, though his voice retains a sense of unpredictably. Accordingly, one would think his whole focus would be on his delivery, which is much more important than content when it comes to a Thug song. Even so, while on the fly, the words that happen to arrive at the tip of his tongue are immediately evocative.
Of course, none of this has to do with the title of the song -- "Fuck Cancer" -- which was prefaced as a tribute to Boosie, who was diagnosed with the disease in November and prevailed through a successful cancer-removing kidney surgery the next month. The opening line, "Fuck Cancer, shout out to Boosie," is the only instance when Thug mentions either the disease or the Baton Rouge rapper.
Even so, he raps as though he has what it takes to defeat the illness, and the flows he proceeds to concoct during his maniacal tear showcase the type of inspiration needed to find an actual cure. Though Boosie's raps are wildly different than those of Thug, he exhibits a similarly impassioned drive when he gets on the mic. And Boosie, who will appear in the upcoming "F Cancer" video, recognizes this, and has likely accepted the tribute. Sometimes it's takes a real banger to drive home a simple message.
For My Boys (Feat. Ralo, Trouble & Lil Durk) (Prod. by Wheezy)
The usual Atlanta clique anthem is intense and aggressive. Thug's "For My Boys" is just the opposite -- soft and serene, large in part due to Wheezy's airy instrumental, laden with barely audible vocal cries.
Though Thug adopts a childlike singing voice on "For My Boys," there's an undeniable earnestness to his words. As Thug delicately relays his true feelings toward his crewmates, it's no wonder they're so willing to go to war for him. And violence isn't totally absent from the song -- Thug threatens to "light him up like Christmas, if he play with my boys" -- but what makes his sentiments seem so sincere isn't his readiness to kill. Rather, it's his deep sense of caring, reflected beautifully on the delicate hook, the most memorable part of "For My Boys."
For My People (Feat. Duke) (Prod. by Wheezy)
"For My People," also produced by Wheezy, shows Thug's singing ability in rare form. He's able to maintain a steady flow, exploring octaves both high and low, while injecting increasing amounts of vigor into each subsequent line.
Emotionally, Thug is all over the place, though he's still able to remain in perfect control of the song's tempo. As for the lyrics, they're all over the place, too, but in a different way. What connects them is that they're all quirky reflections on his winning lifestyle -- "gettin' so fly like a seagull," or "Farrakhan me, I'm a leader."
And it hardly matters that Thug uses the bounds of his imagination to express a simple idea, as everything he raps is underscored by the line, "I'm ready to die for my people."
Also, more credit is due to Wheezy for the futuristic samba-sounding production. The inimitability of the beats Thug raps atop have a strong influence over his singular sense of inspiration.
King TROUP (Prod. by Wheezy)
I had mentioned that most everybody in Thug's camp is enjoying the "Up" life right now. Of course, that only goes for those who have been able to survive, and those who have been able to stay out of handcuffs.
"King TROUP" is dedicated to Keith Troup, an Atlanta rapper and industry fixture -- closely affiliated with T.I.'s Bankroll Mafia -- who was killed on December 12.
Thug begins "King TROUP" by singing something of a eulogy to his deceased friend: "I just asked God why he call for Troup / When it's time to ride, if you love him, n*gga prove it / You know all your lil n*ggas gon' shoot shit up for you / I thought I seen a ghost because your son look like you fool."
The rest of the song doesn't reference Troup, though the same energy -- characterized by wonder, at God's mysterious ways, and heartbreak -- remains throughout. He does, however, go on to mention PeeWee Roscoe, who's currently incarcerated for allegedly shooting up Lil Wayne's tour bus.
"Lil Roscoe he sleeps where it nasty / They could've freed him 'cuz he grew up with no daddy / But instead they took advantage and did him badly." He ends the same verse with a simple, and thoughtful, "damn," before moving on to dance and dab all over the hook.
Thug's most exciting turns of phrase are totally spontaneous, though those lyrics are, no doubt, inspired by the moments when he's not rapping. And believe it or not, he likely spends many of those in deep reflection.
Family (Feat. Dora and Dolly) (Prod. by London on da Track)
The first voice to appear on the final track on I'm Up, the aptly titled "Family," is Dora, aka Thug's sister. And damn does she go hard. His other sister, Dolly, follows suit in the next verse. Of course, the effects of both sisters' contributions are magnified as Thugger finishes the track with one final burst, revealing himself to be the entity through which the dreams and desires of his family are expressed.
And finally, there's a beat from London on da Track. Perhaps his sound wasn't suited for the rest of the release, but "Family" is one of his finest productions, allowing generations' worth of blues and gospel to shine through his softly struck keys, while adding a little futuristic bliss using his signature theremin alongside the sounds of faint sirens.
To Thug, there's nothing in life that compares to family. Putting himself next to two family members -- three counting London -- on the final track is a way to drive that idea home. It's a fitting end to a short project, but one that's brimming with real life inspiration.