It's obvious at this point that Young Thug is rap's most eccentric character. He sounds like no one else, flows like no one else, and dresses like no one else. But the allure of Thug's weirdness isn't simply that he's different. It's that he's creating a world that's impossible to resist. Every one of his quirks makes up the alien being that is Young Thug. And it's becoming more apparent that every one of his new turns of phrase, or strange outfits, isn't created for the sake of being contrarian; rather, they're an extension of his wild imagination.
And his imagination is most fully displayed through his videos. There are many game-changing young rappers who don't have the same charisma on camera that they do in the booth, continuing to release the same boring videos of themselves turning up in their neighborhoods. Thug is not one of them. His videos always serve as a proper visual counterpart to the singular energy he brings to his music.
Here are his weirdest videos and the quirkiest, most memorable moments from those videos, along with a selection of GIFs to match. Shout out to Be El Be, Thug's go-to video director, who helped create 4 of 5 of these videos, and Cam Kirk, who directed the other.
After going through the list, get ready for Thug's next video, Slime Season's "Power," which drops tonight (Sept. 28) at 5:55 PM. We know that one will feature Thug and London on da Track seated in back to back, ceiling-high thrones, as well as a through-the-legs dunk by #AirThugger. It's gonna be good.
"Danny Glover"
After "Stoner," "Danny Glover" proved that Thug was here to stay and that his imagination will continue to be brought to life as he gains more resources. This Be El Be production is probably Thug's scariest video, taking place in some BDSM club filled with seriously bloodthirsty women. During a few shots in the video, Thug dances around in a bondage chamber with about 20 female arms grabbing at him through holes in the wall. They all want a piece. Birdman seems right at home, too.
"Again"
Though Gucci doesn't appear in "Again" to rap his verse, the entire video is a tribute to GuWop, and it was released on his birthday. The video takes place in a trap house that also functions as a church. Thugger has a little sample of the product to begin the video, and we're then taken into the main kitchen, where women in lingerie and surgical masks whip up kilos. In a recent interview in Paris, Thug confirmed that this place is actually real.
The church section of the house is even stranger, featuring a shrine dedicated to Gucci, as well as live-animated pictures of him on the walls. Somehow, an unassuming young white guy, with a machine gun in hand and dressed in full preacher's regalia, looks like he runs the place.
"Stoner"
This was the video that skyrocketed Thug's career. Whatever your opinion on him at the time, it was obvious that he was a risk-taker unlike anyone else in the game. The video provides a wonderful juxtaposition between three regular stoner kids sitting on their couch and the stoner world of Young Thug, much more strange, terrifying, and brilliant. The kids are taken for a wild trip once they catch a transmission of Thug through the TV.
Thug raps inside of a blacklit garage with flickering lights. Like a little shop of horrors, floating women's heads appear in the windows. Whatever loud Thug has in his system, it probably rivals Trouble's "LSD space weed." Think Willie Nelson would be proud?
"With That"
"With That" is a Barter 6 track that began picking up steam months after the mixtape's release. It's since become a hit, perhaps thanks to its incredible video. Remember the days when Photo Booth was the best thing Mac had ever created? Well, Be El Be brought back all tof hose special effects and used them marvelously on a a spastic Thugger.
There's also a Hitchcock-esque moment when birds, a favorite metaphor of Thugger's, fill the sky. And we have to mention the moment when he pees on a rack of cash.
"Best Friend
Thugger shared the "Best Friend" video right before he dropped Slime Season, upping the hype for Thug's second release of the year. The Ricky Racks-produced track is a standout off the mixtape, and it absolutely knocks in the club. The song is spooky and strange, despite being an ode to Thugger's "best friend."
We don't know who exactly that friend is. Could it be the "big ol' booty bitch missus from Texas"? Or maybe it's himself? Well, the video seems to suggest that it's both, as Thugger opens a door to a room in his house, and we then see...Thugger...on the bed getting head from...Thugger, whose face soon transforms into that of a beautiful woman...The first Thugger stands in the doorway shaking his head.
Thug and his slimes shoot much of the rest of the video in the middle of the woods. Their synchronized forest dance is something special.
The next weirdest moment after the opening scene is late into the video when Thug's head appears out of a fruit bowl on the dining room table.