Review Summary: Hy!£UN35 when?
Young Thug as a figure, persona happens to be one of the most exciting and original artists in rap at the moment. Yet, even with so many unique qualities that obviously set him apart from the other artist in the rap game today for some reason he can't create a definitive project that is interesting enough to warrant a full listen along with the tremendous amount of hype he receives. Much like his idol and the person he borrows most from Lil Wayne, he is weird in that he can inflect and change his voice to create a kind of sing-rap aesthetic that so many just can't currently. Unlike him though, Young Thug lyrically is about as dull as they come. It's the same subject matter, which is fine but he doesn't find an interesting way to say it other than the way he uses his voices to express these words. But, that voice.... That voice is what sets this project aside from just being a complete dud to something at the least you can listen to with interest and with a slither of hope that maybe he'll find something interesting to say or an interesting way to say it.
Thug seems to miss his chances for these opportunities, you know not to be preachy but to say something with meaning. A perfect example of this complete disregard for any sort of meaning behind his songs would be "F*ck Cancer." Here you have a song where you can make a statement, make a claim to rap/sing about something and make it interesting but withing the first 10 seconds of it, he just goes right back to the same subject manner that has little to do with the actual song. "Aye *** cancer, shout out to Boosie, I *** your main bitch, I gave her cooties," he says in such an intriguing manner to grab your attention only to let you down at the end with the immature and completely unneeded lyrics about pussy, sex, and drugs. It's funny because before this release when the project was still named "Slime Season 3" Thug went at Future, who by the way does rap about drugs but his is used as an outlet from a deep hellish, anger and depression that Young Thug at this point can't muster to relate, and when he goes at Thug he talks about running out of steam with the constant release of new material. Yet, it seems Thug himself is the one running low on steam and backing when it comes to the music he is putting out.
There was "Barter 6" which was more of a woozy, syrupy fun time and showcase of Thug's newest producer at the time Wheezy, which he is still working with and is providing still excellent production that is presented even on this EP. Where Barter 6 was supposed to be the start of the abilities and work Thug was willing to put into this whole thing, it feels like Thug can't seem to match that vibe and feeling he was able to provide on that project. All of his recent works have been low on the hit potential side, aside from the song in which he adopted a vine and made his own "Best Friend." Other than that what we're seeing stagnancy creativity and effort-wise from Young Thug. The attention to detail is gone, which shows throughout the whole tape as you can hear just how bad the actual mixing is besides the one song "Hercules" that his previous engineer Alex Tumay mixed. As a whole, the project sounds muddled, confused, and disjointed like there was no central purpose to the album. As if Thug took 9 random songs put them together and decided to call it an EP. Work like this doesn't give an organized and complete feel, but a confused and disappointed reaction.
Young Thug still is very weird and interesting and will continue to receive eyes on him for those reasons, but until he is capable of putting together complete projects with a completed central sound much like Barter 6 there will always be doubts about his actual abilities to create music. He has a very good team in that Wheezy and London On Da Track are some of the best in the game right now, he just has to hone them in and work on one sound, for one project and not different things to throw together and call a project. Maybe on the actual Slime Season 3 we'll see this focus and attention to detail.
