Flouting hip-hop conventions while defying gender and sexuality stereotypes, Young Thug has been one of the most distinctive contemporary rap artists since attaining his chart debut with "Stoner" (2014). The eccentric rapper's first of many gold- and platinum-certified recordings arrived amid a barrage of mixtapes that led to the Top Ten entries JEFFERY (2016) and Beautiful Thugger Girls (2017), and eventually his chart-topping debut studio album, So Much Fun (2019). A keen collaborator, Thug has been featured on dozens of tracks, including pop hits such as <a href="spotify:artist:4nDoRrQiYLoBzwC5BhVJzF">Camila Cabello</a>'s "Havana," <a href="spotify:artist:73sIBHcqh3Z3NyqHKZ7FOL">Childish Gambino</a>'s Grammy-winning "This Is America," and <a href="spotify:artist:246dkjvS1zLTtiykXe5h60">Post Malone</a>'s "Goodbyes," and he has hit the upper reaches of the charts with the co-headlining commercial mixtapes Super Slimey (with <a href="spotify:artist:1RyvyyTE3xzB2ZywiAwp0i">Future</a>) and Slime & B (with <a href="spotify:artist:7bXgB6jMjp9ATFy66eO08Z">Chris Brown</a>), as well as the crew compilation Slime Language 2. In 2021, he offered his second chart-topping studio album, Punk, followed in 2023 by Business Is Business. 

An Atlanta native, Young Thug (born Jeffery Lamar Williams) released three volumes of his mixtape series I Came from Nothing before joining <a href="spotify:artist:13y7CgLHjMVRMDqxdx0Xdo">Gucci Mane</a>'s <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%221017+Brick+Squad%22">1017 Brick Squad</a> crew in late 2012. His mixtape 1017 Thug followed in early 2013, featuring the quirky street single "Picacho." Later in the year, his "Stoner" single appeared, but it didn't catch fire until 2014, when an authorized remix featuring <a href="spotify:artist:67nwj3Y5sZQLl72VNUHEYE">Wale</a> opened the floodgates for a series of unauthorized remixes from artists like <a href="spotify:artist:6AMa1VFQ7qCi61tCRtVWXe">Jim Jones</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:2ZavqCJe7uqkRpISes0NFi">Iamsu!</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:7tT5h21rKj9yFfQuqBYLqT">Trick Trick</a>. The original track peaked that April and was eventually certified gold by the RIAA. 

That same year, Thug signed to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22300+Entertainment%22">300 Entertainment</a>, the <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Atlantic%22">Atlantic</a>-distributed imprint co-founded by Lyor Cohen and Kevin Liles, and continued recording mixtapes. His first release for the label, 2015's Barter 6, climbed to number 22 on the Billboard 200 album chart. He began 2016 with I'm Up, the first of many mixtapes that year, which debuted at the same position as Barter. Months later, he dropped the Top Ten hit Slime Season 3. Before his next release, he was awarded a platinum certification for his 2015 track "Best Friend." At the end of the summer, he unexpectedly issued his third tape, originally titled No, My Name Is Jeffery and changed a week later to simply JEFFERY. With its provocative cover art and concept (each track was named after one of Thug's idols), JEFFERY featured reggae/dub flourishes and appearances by <a href="spotify:artist:6oMuImdp5ZcFhWP0ESe6mG">Migos</a>' <a href="spotify:artist:4DdkRBBYG6Yk9Ka8tdJ9BW">Offset</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:0VRj0yCOv2FXJNP47XQnx5">Quavo</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:13y7CgLHjMVRMDqxdx0Xdo">Gucci Mane</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0Y5tJX1MQlPlqiwlOH1tJY">Travis Scott</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:7aBzpmFXB4WWpPl2F7RjBe">Wyclef Jean</a>. 

Veering unexpectedly into new sonic territory, Beautiful Thugger Girls arrived in June 2017. Though it flirted with country and pop, the set retained Thug's trademark weirdness at the fore. In 2017, he issued a pair of collaborations, first with producer <a href="spotify:artist:7CCjtD0hCK005Bvg2WG1a7">Carnage</a> on the Young Martha EP, which saw release that September, and then with <a href="spotify:artist:1RyvyyTE3xzB2ZywiAwp0i">Future</a> on the October mixtape Super Slimey, and he was also featured on <a href="spotify:artist:4nDoRrQiYLoBzwC5BhVJzF">Camila Cabello</a>'s number one pop hit "Havana." The single "Ride on Me," featuring <a href="spotify:artist:3TaUSUXn41GixL7zbvrIDt">A-Trak</a>, arrived in early 2018 ahead of the release of the Hear No Evil EP, which was issued that April. After he appeared on another number one hit, <a href="spotify:artist:73sIBHcqh3Z3NyqHKZ7FOL">Childish Gambino</a>'s "This Is America" (subsequently the Song of the Year winner at the 61st Grammy Awards), he issued the Young Stoner Life Records compilation Slime Language, which featured <a href="spotify:artist:06Qf6vq8AVIpE9XIw8LAsY">Lil Duke</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:2hlmm7s2ICUX0LVIhVFlZQ">Gunna</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:4O15NlyKLIASxsJ0PrXPfz">Lil Uzi Vert</a>. The next month, Thug released his third EP, On the Rvn. Debuting in the Top 20 of both the Billboard 200 and the R&B/hip-hop charts, the set featured guests <a href="spotify:artist:4IVAbR2w4JJNJDDRFP3E83">6LACK</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:3kcnhOTwHGsAViRiyFJ0f9">Jaden Smith</a>, as well as <a href="spotify:artist:3PhoLpVuITZKcymswpck5b">Elton John</a>, who gave Thug his seal of approval on the "Rocket Man"-sampling "High."

Thug's first output in 2019 arrived in the form of a collaboration with <a href="spotify:artist:6l3HvQ5sa6mXTsMTB19rO5">J. Cole</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:0Y5tJX1MQlPlqiwlOH1tJY">Travis Scott</a> titled "The London." The single became his first Top 40 pop hit as a headliner -- it peaked at number 12 on the Hot 100 -- and was featured on his proper debut album, So Much Fun, which followed in August and topped the Billboard 200. Before the album's second single, "Hot," reached number 11 on the Hot 100, Thug was the featured artist on yet another hit, <a href="spotify:artist:246dkjvS1zLTtiykXe5h60">Post Malone</a>'s Top Three "Goodbyes." "The London" was later nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best Rap/Sung Performance. Thug's work throughout 2020 included appearances on charting tracks by <a href="spotify:artist:6oMuImdp5ZcFhWP0ESe6mG">Migos</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:2hlmm7s2ICUX0LVIhVFlZQ">Gunna</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4r63FhuTkUYltbVAg5TQnk">DaBaby</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:7A8S43ryYdbWpJKeHRZRcq">JackBoys</a>, and a commercial mixtape collaboration with <a href="spotify:artist:7bXgB6jMjp9ATFy66eO08Z">Chris Brown</a>, Slime & B. He later reached the number one position for a second time with an appearance on <a href="spotify:artist:0Y5tJX1MQlPlqiwlOH1tJY">Travis Scott</a>'s single "Franchise."

Kicking off 2021, Thug scored his first chart-topper of the year with the <a href="spotify:artist:1xr2G8Hlx4QWmT9HaUbmoO">Young Stoner Life</a> compilation Slime Language 2. The set featured <a href="spotify:artist:0Y5tJX1MQlPlqiwlOH1tJY">Travis Scott</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3TVXtAsR1Inumwj472S9r4">Drake</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4O15NlyKLIASxsJ0PrXPfz">Lil Uzi Vert</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0c173mlxpT3dSFRgMO8XPh">Big Sean</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:2p1fiYHYiXz9qi0JJyxBzN">Skepta</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1RyvyyTE3xzB2ZywiAwp0i">Future</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0fA0VVWsXO9YnASrzqfmYu">Kid Cudi</a>, and over a dozen more famous friends. By the end of the year, Thugger delivered his second studio LP, Punk, a slight return to his more experimental side that featured guest spots from <a href="spotify:artist:5cj0lLjcoR7YOSnhnX0Po5">Doja Cat</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:246dkjvS1zLTtiykXe5h60">Post Malone</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:2hlmm7s2ICUX0LVIhVFlZQ">Gunna</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6l3HvQ5sa6mXTsMTB19rO5">J. Cole</a>, and many others. The album debuted at the number one spot on the Billboard 200 chart. In 2022, Thug was arrested alongside multiple <a href="spotify:artist:1xr2G8Hlx4QWmT9HaUbmoO">Young Stoner Life</a> affiliates for gang activity and racketeering. Released while still in jail, Business Is Business, his third long-player, appeared the following year, with features from <a href="spotify:artist:0Y5tJX1MQlPlqiwlOH1tJY">Travis Scott</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1RyvyyTE3xzB2ZywiAwp0i">Future</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:4O15NlyKLIASxsJ0PrXPfz">Lil Uzi Vert</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1URnnhqYAYcrqrcwql10ft">21 Savage</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:3TVXtAsR1Inumwj472S9r4">Drake</a>. ~ David Jeffries & Andy Kellman, Rovi

Jeffery Lamar Williams (born August 16, 1991), known professionally as Young Thug, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He is considered to be an influential figure of his generation, with his music impacting the modern sound of hip hop and trap music. Known for his eccentric vocal style and fashion, Thug initially released a series of independent mixtapes beginning in 2011 with I Came from Nothing. In early 2013, he signed with Gucci Mane's 1017 Records, and later that year he released his label debut mixtape 1017 Thug to critical praise.Young Thug received mainstream recognition in 2014 with the singles "Stoner" and "Danny Glover" in addition to appearances on several singles, including T.I.'s "About the Money", Tyga's "Hookah", and Rich Gang's "Lifestyle". That year, he also signed to Lyor Cohen's 300 Entertainment and collaborated on the mixtape Rich Gang: Tha Tour Pt. 1. In 2015, he amassed a number of mixtapes, including Barter 6 and two installments of his Slime Season series. Subsequently in 2016, Thug issued commercial mixtapes I'm Up, Slime Season 3, and Jeffery. In 2017, Thug featured on the worldwide hit "Havana" by Cuban pop singer Camila Cabello, which became his first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2018, he released a compilation album Slime Language with his label YSL Records. In 2019, he won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for his contributions to Childish Gambino's "This Is America".Young Thug's debut studio album, So Much Fun (2019), debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 and included the Billboard Hot 100 top-twenty singles "The London" (featuring J. Cole and Travis Scott) and "Hot" (featuring Gunna). The following year, his single "Go Crazy" with Chris Brown from the collaborative mixtape Slime & B (2020) peaked at number three on the Hot 100, becoming his first top-ten single as a lead artist. Additionally, he reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for the second time in his career with his feature alongside M.I.A. on Travis Scott's single "Franchise", In 2021, Thug released the compilation album Slime Language 2 which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. Later that year, Thug would reach number one on the Hot 100 a third time for his feature on Drake's "Way 2 Sexy" (alongside Future). His second studio album, Punk, was released on October 15, 2021. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming his third number-one album, as well as his second chart topping project of 2021.In May 2022, Young Thug was arrested alongside 27 other members of YSL on gang-related charges and was accused of violating the Georgia RICO Act in a 56-count indictment. In June 2023, Young Thug's third studio album, Business is Business, was released while he was in Fulton County Jail.

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