Atlanta's
Young Thug rose to iconic levels of rap prestige with a nonstop flow of quality mixtapes, each one shining a different light on his eccentricities, one-of-a-kind charisma, and raw skill. By the time of his official studio debut, 2019's
So Much Fun,
Young Thug had already released over a dozen mixtapes that influenced a new wave of rappers and trap producers. His wild, sometimes garbled flows, playful spirit, and appealing weirdness had all been well established as calling cards of his style by the time of
So Much Fun, but they take new forms throughout the massive, guest-heavy album.
J. Cole acts as executive producer and shows up on lead single "The London." Elsewhere,
Young Thug is joined by what can feel like almost every big name in the 2019 rap landscape, with features from friends and protégés like
Lil Baby and
Gunna as well as rap superstars
Quavo,
Future,
Travis Scott, and many others.
Young Thug's versatility is on full display with pop-friendly songs like the
Juice WRLD-aided "Mannequin Challenge," dark-and-heavy bangers like "Jumped Out the Window," and melodic trap productions like "Hot," a song built around an inventive horn-heavy beat by Wheezy. Strange and exciting as ever,
So Much Fun touches on the various elements of
Young Thug's unconventional appeal and also turns in some of his best material to date. ~ Fred Thomas