Young Thug has a pretty generic name, but it's easy to see from a cursory browse of his YouTube account that the rapper has a standout presence. (Check out his scene-stealing charisma on Cash Out's "I Got It", or his turn on the Rich Kidz’ euphoric "100 Dollar Autograph.") While Young Thug seems to have emerged within the Rich Kidz' melodic, post-Swag Surfin scene, his rapping is that of a genuine original. Imagine Lil Wayne’s creative peak of weirdness and add a dash of apocalyptic autotune.
While Thug's debut tape had its moments, his new release I Came From Nothing 2 has some truly great ones, particularly when the rapper frees himself from convention, disregarding rhythm with eerie confidence. On "Curtains," producer London On the Track mirrors Thug's unmoored, head-rolling style, with a beat that sounds as if it was once tightly constructed but has since had its screws removed, and now drifts of its own accord.
Download: Young Thug f. Shawty Lo and Skool Boy, "Curtains" (via Sisilafami)
