Last week, Atlanta’s Future dropped Hndrxx, his sixth studio album and the follow-up to his self-titled album that was released only a week prior. With his third release in three weeks rumoured to be coming this Friday, and with his last two albums getting extremely mixed reviews, it raises the question: quality or quantity?

There’s certainly a sweet spot when it comes to the consistency of releases. While releasing too much music devalues the final product, can not releasing enough be just as damaging? Think back to the hype that Frank Ocean’s Blonde generated solely through vague announcements over four years. Sure it became painful at times but Blonde’s eventual release was met with critical acclaim, not because of it’s long lead up, but it’s undoubtable quality.

Can this be said for any of Future’s solo projects?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT1KCigshPs

There’s definitely a point where this ‘sweet spot’ can run it’s course and cause problems. Take Jay Electronica’s elusive Act II: Patents Of Nobility (The Turn) for example. Fans have been waiting almost ten years for this release, and it’s almost getting to the point where its relevance has passed, yet you can’t say that that’s something which has devalued Jay as an emcee. His sparsely distributed guest verses are continuously praised and are what keep him relevant and a point of discussion despite his solo silence.

There is a strong argument against constantly releasing music, the work ethic of say Gucci Mane for example. Gucci has now released a whopping 67 mixtapes, 3 of which were released last year alongside two more full-length studio albums and three EPs. Was this in any way wise? If he was to have picked the most relevant and heavy hitting of the singles and compiled them into one release, would it have been more widely praised and have enjoyed longer relevance? Sure these albums did score sales, but with his eleventh studio album Drop Top Wop already announced, are any of these past releases even going to maintain any relevance once the next Gucci project drops?

On the other hand, this quality approach is something that has worked for countless artists even on the small, independent scale. The now Grammy award winning Chance The Rapper had his first claim to fame with his debut mixtape 10 Days, similarly Joey Badass’ 1999, ASAP Rocky’s Live. Love. A$AP or even J.Cole’s first ever tape The Come Up; these were projects which were given at least a year of space and helped embellish the status of these artists as cutting edge emcees.

That being said, there’s a definite argument for the quantity approach too. Yet another Southern emcee, the infamous Young Thug, released three mixtapes last year, all of which managed to garner positive praise. This was especially true with the last of the trio Jeffery, which was named among the best releases of the year by several publications. And it’s not just Thugger either, 2016’s man of the year Anderson .Paak released two studio albums (one solo and one as half of NxWorries), and appeared on eleven guest features in 2016 alone. Despite what could be seen as flooding the market, he was celebrated as one of the year’s most influential artists across multiple genres.

German composer Hans Zimmer put it interestingly, saying, “we have a McDonald’s generation of music consumers,” in the sense that listeners want something quick, simple, and easily digestible. This is what the quantity approach preys on; why have a six-month marketing campaign teasing a handful of singles, when you can release two full-length albums and have a constant turnover of music.

The problem with this discussion is that ‘quality’ is subjective and is entirely a matter of opinion. You might love Future’s new albums, and love the fact that your favourite artist has released two hours of music in two weeks alone. Therefore perhaps ‘quantity’ as a synonym for substandard quality isn’t quite true; after all, through quantity comes quality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9L3j-lVLwk

Image: Billboard

Rapper Young Thug is making a name for flaking on things lately, he bailed on his own music video shoot for single Wyclef Jean recently and today it has been announced that he has also pulled out of his highly anticipated stints as part of the stellar bill touring Australia with this year’s St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival.

It’s understood the issues are visa related, but the news will still come as a huge disappointment for Thug fans as the trip would have marked his first visit to Australia in a touring capacity. Just as the filming for Wyclef Jean went ahead without the rapper though, so too will Laneway Festival, and stepping up to the plate to take his place on the lineup are homegrown heroes Dune Rats, who were announced immediately as a more than worthy replacement.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul6VV8XW9xw

They may lack the trap beats, the near unintelligible but still damn fantastic bars (unless you count drummer BC’s Mini Bar Mike alter ego) and the overall whackiness of Thugger, but Dune Rats will still be on hand to make sure the energy is through the roof with what is always a wild set.

They’ve got a new album The Kids Will Know It’s Bullshit due out in early February and we may be gifted a live peek at a few more of their new tracks. The LP’s first two singles Bullshit and Scott Green are already huge fan favourites and anticipation for their sophomore album (produced by noted shred lord and good mate Zac Carper of FIDLAR) is sky high. After Laneway, Dunies will be off on a national tour that has been selling out faster than you can rip a solo on a glass saxophone. If you missed out on snapping up tickets in your city, Laneway might be your next best bet! It kicks off next week!

2017 St. Jerome’s Laneway Festival dates and venues:

Saturday 21 January – SINGAPORE – THE MEADOW, GARDENS BY THE BAY

Thursday 26 January – BRISBANE – BRISBANE SHOWGROUNDS, BOWEN HILLS (16+)

Saturday 28 January – MELBOURNE – FOOTSCRAY COMMUNITY ARTS CENTRE (FCAC) AND THE RIVER’S EDGE

Monday 30 January  – AUCKLAND – IT’S A SECRET, WATCH THIS SPACE!

Friday 3 February – ADELAIDE – HART’S MILL, PORT ADELAIDE (16+)

Saturday 4 February – SYDNEY – SYDNEY COLLEGE OF THE ARTS (SCA), ROZELLE

Sunday 5 February – FREMANTLE – ESPLANADE RESERVE AND WEST END

Image: Supplied

Young Thug has dropped a new music video for his Jeffery opener Wyclef Jean. Actually, to say Young Thug dropped it might be a bit of a stretch, it would be more accurate to say Ryan Staake dropped a new video for Young Thug’s Wyclef Jean.

Staake co-directed the video with Thug, but according to him Thug never showed up on set. The result is one of the most innovate music videos to appear in some time. The video plays as a back-and-forth between the footage Staake shot and text explaining what’s happening during the filming, as well as a voice-over from Thugger as to what he wanted in the clip. The video cost over $100,000 and only features the artist himself for a few seconds.

Apparently, when Thugger finally saw what they were filming he decided to send in a self-directed clip of himself eating Cheetos in front of a plane. It’s strange to think that he couldn’t make it to the shoot but sent his kids along to help smash the cop cars in front of real cops.

The reason given for Thug leaving the set before filming anything was reportedly due to his Instagram being hacked. Check out the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9L3j-lVLwk

It’s obviously way to early to call, but the potential for video of the year is right there. It’s a hilarious approach to a music video, but it does take almost everything away from the song. I was too occupied reading the story.

Young Thug will be in Australia next week for Laneway Festival – Dates below.

Saturday 21 January – SINGAPORE – THE MEADOW, GARDENS BY THE BAY

Thursday 26 January – BRISBANE – BRISBANE SHOWGROUNDS, BOWEN HILLS (16+)

Saturday 28 January – MELBOURNE – FOOTSCRAY COMMUNITY ARTS CENTRE (FCAC) AND THE RIVER’S EDGE

Monday 30 January  – AUCKLAND – IT’S A SECRET, WATCH THIS SPACE!

Friday 3 February – ADELAIDE – HART’S MILL, PORT ADELAIDE (16+)

Saturday 4 February – SYDNEY – SYDNEY COLLEGE OF THE ARTS (SCA), ROZELLE

Sunday 5 February – FREMANTLE – ESPLANADE RESERVE AND WEST END

Image: YouTube

Yesterday, a video clip was released for the track Wyclef Jean from Young Thug‘s 2016 album JEFFERY. The incredible meta-video is not the video it was intended to be; rather, it’s a commentary by “co-director” Ryan Staake (the inverted commas are there because he was supposed to “co-direct” it with Thugger) about how the video got made without Young Thug showing up at all. The rapper allegedly showed up ten hours late, refused to get out of his car, and then drove off after an hour. The only involvement from Jeffery himself was a recording of him brainstorming a few basic concepts for the video – kids and kid-sized cars, police vehicles, “bad bitches and a lotta hoes” etc. There was also brief pre-recorded footage of him eating Cheetos.

To use up both time and the video’s $100,000 budget, Staake and the team at production company Pomp & Clout went ahead without him, filming various scenes featuring said cars, bitches, hoes, etc.

The resulting video is a look at exactly what happened next – from the perspective of a pissed off but creative director. Commentating text uses deadpan humour throughout, not only discussing the actual filming in between actual scenes, but mentioning every post-production edit, including label and lawyer requests to make changes. The video goes even further in breaking down that fourth wall, by mentioning that it will be discussed in comments online.

All in all the video is a smart and funny success, no doubt achieving more attention and praise than if it had been the originally planned  video.

But more than that, the video is a painstakingly real take on how shit it can be to deal with artists like Young Thug. Staake has confirmed that the video’s premise was completely real, and not a stunt (as in, it wasn’t planned to be this amazing meta-commentary-thing, it really was improvised). In an interview with Booooooom, he explains:

“The only part of this that was planned was using the audio of him describing what he wanted and building it out piece by piece. Beyond that, its 100% a reaction to the shitty cards I was dealt on this production. The video tells the story of what actually happened, but I agree, that would’ve been quite a concept if I’d planned it all.

Once I got into the concept during post, I actually welcomed all the bizarre turns it kept taking… He sent a drive? Awesome, I’ll use it and make fun of it. The label wants me to remove a line? Okay, we’ll mention that. They want logos? Perfect, another opportunity for a few jokes.”

Seeing the humour in it all, Thug’s teams approved the final result, and thus it was released. “I think at the end of the day, everyone understood that the goal of a video is to get views, and that this approach would get more than some half baked reshoot video.”

It all ended well, and Staake did note that “him not arriving made for a much more interesting video than we would’ve had if he had arrived.” But it really irks me that people are saying it’s Young Thug’s video and praising Thugger for being so hilarious and creative about it all, because he’s not. Staake doesn’t even know if Thug likes or has seen the video, let alone conceptualised and directed it.

Young Thug is notorious for being late, for cancelling shows, and for generally being an asshole. Love him or hate him music-wise, you can’t deny that he’s a dickhead to his fans. He was a last-minute booking to Laneway Festival taking place here in Australia next week, but I’d be more surprised if he actually shows up on time – or at all – than if he cancels.

Edit: HA. About five hours after writing this article, Young Thug indeed did cancel his visit to Laneway Festival.

In the predicted online comments, numerous people who work on music videos have confirmed that artists like Thug do show up late to shoots, and how frustrating and wasteful this can be.

This video is amazingly funny, and it does an incredible job of making the best out of a shit situation. But it’s not Young Thug’s video. It’s Ryan Staake’s video for a Young Thug song. Sure, maybe I’m taking this a little too seriously, but also, maybe I’m not. Credit where credit’s due, guys. Don’t thank Young Thug for wasting 100k and a tonne of people’s time. Thank Staake for being the creative and hilarious improvisor that he is.

https://youtu.be/_9L3j-lVLwk

Image: Booooooom

Young Thug has returned to the scene of a crime at an airport in Alaska, where he was recently filmed speaking offensively toward employees of Alaska Airlines.

The rapper was involved in a verbal confrontation with two female staff when he was stopped from boarding an Alaska Airlines flight that he was late for. The incident was filmed and sees the rapper referring to the workers as “ants”, “peasants” and “bums”, even offering two women $15,000 to quit their jobs, as a taunt.

Today, the artist took to Instagram to show that he had been ordered by his mother to return to Alaska to apologise to the employees in person.

When your mama make u go to the airport and apologize 😔😞 sorry love ones….

A photo posted by “”JEFFERY”” (@thuggerthugger1) on

It’s a cute story, one that more importantly reminds us that no matter how rich and successful you become, it’s important to remain grounded – and to listen to your folks!

It’s nice to see a rapper of his reputation take the time to show to his fans that he admits is mistake, and is willing to make up for it.

The incident marks the end to a huge year for Thugger, who has also just been announced as a late addition to the 2017 Laneway lineup. No sideshows have been announced, but our fingers are crossed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-0kZ_jeIHI

Image: The Wrap

As if you didn’t already have enough reasons to get your tickets to next year’s Laneway Festival. Already one of the best summer festivals the country has to offer, next year’s edition featured names like Tame Impala, Nick Murphy (the artist formerly known as Chet Faker), Glass Animals, A.B. Original, Gang Of Youths and so many more. After the announcement of D.D. Dumbo, many would be forgiven for thinking the Laneway organisers would dust their hands on a job well done, but they weren’t done by a long shot.

Enter Young Thug.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJagA5R2wR8

#ATLShawty! Thugger is set to join the already Godzilla-sized bill around the country. His very first shows in Australia no less, and as one of the hottest young talents in hip-hop at the moment, you can bank on these being nothing short of special. Expect to hear some of the best trap from his six year career releasing some of the best mixtapes you can put in your ears.

It’s an exclusive set of Laneway appearances too, Young Thug not performing at any sideshows while here, so if you haven’t already got your grubby mitts on an admit-one, we’re not really sure what you’re waiting for after this.

Peep the full lineup and check out the dates below.

Saturday 21 January – SINGAPORE – THE MEADOW, GARDENS BY THE BAY

Thursday 26 January – BRISBANE – BRISBANE SHOWGROUNDS, BOWEN HILLS (16+)

Saturday 28 January – MELBOURNE – FOOTSCRAY COMMUNITY ARTS CENTRE (FCAC) AND THE RIVER’S EDGE

Monday 30 January  – AUCKLAND – IT’S A SECRET, WATCH THIS SPACE!

Friday 3 February – ADELAIDE – HART’S MILL, PORT ADELAIDE (16+)

Saturday 4 February – SYDNEY – SYDNEY COLLEGE OF THE ARTS (SCA), ROZELLE

Sunday 5 February – FREMANTLE – ESPLANADE RESERVE AND WEST END

Image: YouTube

Prophets Of Rage – The Party’s Over

When rumours began circling about the reformation of Rage Against The Machine, it’s fair to say most of us 90s kids got excited. While we didn’t get exactly what we wanted, Prophets Of Rage is as close as we’ll come (unless Audioslave give it another go). Rage members Tom Morello (guitar), Tim Commerford (bass) and Brad Wilk (drums) have joined forces with Public Enemy‘s Chuck D and DJ Lord, along with Cypress Hill’s B-Real, forming the supergroup Prophets Of Rage. As for the reasons for this unique collaborative effort, Morello summed it up best in a recent interview with Rolling Stone Magazine; “We’re an elite task force of revolutionary musicians determined to confront this mountain of election year bullshit, and confront it head-on with Marshall stacks blazing.” Or for the more cynical listener, “How can we squeeze a few more dollars out our music?”

Deriving their name from the Public Enemy song Prophets Of Rage – taken from their classic 1988 album, It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back – the band have been touring the States and playing hit filled sets comprising of Rage, Public Enemy and Cypress Hill tracks, along with a bunch of covers and a few originals. The Party’s Over is the band’s first official release, and although it contains only one new song, is a good overview of what to expect from the group. Just imagine Rage trading Zach de la Rocha for Chuck D and B-Real, and you know what to expect with this five track EP.

The EP opens with Prophets Of Rage, an updated version of Public Enemy’s 1988 track. With added instrumentation and a brand new verse from B-Real, which urges you to stand up for your rights, it’s a decent interpretation of one of Public Enemy’s classic tracks. The sole original number, The Party’s Over, is a thumping dose of rap-rock with each member of the group given room to showcase their musical talents. A similar theme of raging against the machine runs throughout this track, with Chuck and B-Real’s distinct voices working well in unison during the chorus. The last three tracks are two live covers, Rage’s Killing In The Name and Public Enemy’s Shut Em Down, and another reworking, this time a mash-up of The Beastie Boys’ No Sleep Til Brooklyn and RATM’s Fight For The Power, retitled No Sleep Til Cleveland. While these tracks aren’t new, they provide that familiar feeling of nostalgia that’s sure to fire up many old fans of not only Rage, but Public Enemy and Cypress Hill.

While it’s great to see these legendary musicians coming together to continue to push their agenda and get people, particularly young Americans, invested in current political events and the future of their country, the lack of original songs is disappointing. While there is no doubt the tracks they cover are still relevant today, I can’t help but feel most people buying this EP or going to their shows are doing so for the nostalgia value. I applaud what the band are trying to do, but after Audiosoave failed to set the world on fire, do we really need another variation of Rage without Zach at the helm?

Verdict: The machine continues to rage but for how long?

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n29LR6UCjVw]

Young Thug – JEFFERY

There are few, if any other artists in the hip-hop game as divisive as Southern MC Young Thug. A leader of the new generation of rapper who favour auto-tune and trap influenced beats along with a disregard for traditional hip-hop sounds and structures, Thug is helping take the culture into uncharted territory, as highlighted by the album cover art. Young Thug appears in an androgynous dress designed by Italian designer Alessandro Trincone, doing his best to confront hip-hop’s negative views towards the LGBT community, hoping rap fans understand it doesn’t matter what you wear or what your sexuality is, we are all equal – “you can be a gangsta in a dress,” he says. This might seem like a token gesture, but anyone who’s followed Thugger’s career path knows he embraces all sexes, races and cultures and has nothing but love for everyone he interacts with, similar to the original internet rapper, Lil B.

While JEFFERY (formerly known as No, My Name Is JEFFERY) isn’t the debut album we’ve been waiting so long for, it’s certainly another quality release from Young Thug. With each track named after one of his idols, Young Thug sounds focused and committed across the 10 tracks, delivering his unique brand of rap over beats from some of the game’s best producers. Along with paying homage to his favourites via song titles, many of the mixtape tracks incorporate musical nods, with Wyclef Jean having a Caribbean vibe and Future Swag sounding like a Future rip-off, with Thugger’s high sexualised lyrics also similar to Future Hendrix‘s.

Elsewhere Floyd Mayweather finds Young Thug joined by Gucci Mane, The Gunna and Travi$ Scott for a song about the four’s excessive lifestyles and RiRi is a tribute to Rihanna, with Thug repeating the words “work” throughout the song. Then there’s a bizarre salute to Harambe, and the Wyclef dance-hall pop collaboration Kanye West (formally known as Elton John and Pop Man).

Verdict: If this doesn’t convert you then you’ll never be a Thugger fan. (Ed. note: can vouch for this. Not a Young Thug fan. Digging at least half of Jeffery.)

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAhNZO7Fwd0]

G-Unit – The Lost Flash Drive

50 Cent and The Game finally buried the hatchet a few weeks ago, so it’s no surprise new music from the G-Unit crew has surfaced online. The Lost Flash Drive is a mixtape of unreleased tracks that didn’t make the final cut of the last two G-Unit EPs, The Beauty Of Independence and The Beast Is G-Unit. Hosted by the Unit’s regular DJ, DJ Whoo Kid, the tape features all members of the group in the majority of tracks except their fearless leader 50, who only shows up for end track Wait A Minute.

The absence of 50 is a blessing in disguise, as it allows every other member to flex their skills. Lloyd Banks and Young Buck are the clear highlights of the tape. Banks’ clinical one liners and punchlines are on display during tracks like Superville and Worldwide, while Buck keeps things gangster on the Mortal Kombat sampling Fatality and It’s A Stick Up. Buck even gets his own solo track, FREE Young Buck Freestyle, easily the tapes best track. Over a beat that samples Outkast‘s SpottieOttieDopaliscious and Elevators, Master P’s Bout It Bout It, Three 6 Mafia’s Sippin’ On Some Syrup and a 2Pac track I just can’t place, Buck riffs about his time in the streets and celebrates the life of many rappers and singers who have passed away. As for the other two, there’s not much to say. Game’s replacement Kidd Kidd is a more poor mans 50 who rattles off a few decent bars here and there (particularly Get Away) while Tony Yayo, the weakest member of G-Unit, fails to impress as usual.

As a G-unit fan, this is a great reminder of what the group are capable of. While Yayo and Kidd aren’t top tier rappers, they gel well with Banks and Buck. Add in a couple more 50 verses and get Game involved and the G-Unit revolution could well be in full swing.

Verdict: G-unit season is approaching.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMqWiMDfTyw]

Fabolous – Summertime Shootout 2: The Level Up

Fabulous is that rare breed of rapper who has managed to forge a successful career without ever releasing a groundbreaking album. It’s not that his major label releases are terrible, just more middle of the road, containing more filler than killer. On the flip side, Fab has released a string of well received mixtapes that trump any of his six solo albums. The latest is Summertime Shootout 2: The Level Up, the sequel to last year’s mixtape of the same name, featuring 13 tracks of original material, remixes and freestyles.

As he declares on first track, To The Sky, Fab believes he’s ready to “Level up” his career and become one of raps big names, and after listening to SS2, he’s certainly going about it the right way. Sampling some big hits and roping in a number of the new wave of rappers, Fab is doing his best to appeal to a hip-hop market fuelled by the youth. Lil Uzi Vert joins him on the Outkast sampling Godard Bag and rising New Yorkers Dave East and Don Q, both known for their lyrical prowess, feature on For The Family. Fab even includes his and Troy Lanez’s remix of Joe Budden’s Flex, now titled 4am Flex and minus Budden.

Remixes of Rihanna and Trey Songz’s Sex Wit Me, Future‘s Check On Me and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie‘s My Shit are entertaining, but it’s Fab’s solo cuts that will have you hoping he’s finally ready to deliver a hit album. Ah Man is a thumping street anthem and Ashanti a touching tribute to the singer that loosely samples her 2000 hit Foolish. Then there’s the chilled Wale collaboration Faith In Me and the short but impacting freestyle Team Litty.

As with most his mixtapes, SS2 is a solid release that plays to Fab’s strengths and most certainly will appeal to the younger hip-hop heads not familiar with his near two decade long career.

Verdict: Soild

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZegE3QpFeAw]

Image: HasItLeaked

Hip-hop is often stereotyped to be an unforgiving world of prejudice and narrow-mindedness when it comes to issues related to gender and sexuality. Hip-hop’s overwhelmingly destructive reputation about these issues are grounded in years of intolerance and thick walls built up, which are only beginning to crumble in recent years, one brick at a time. Much like the rest of music, hip-hop evolves with time. Both sound and subject matter develops to adapt to the word around it.

Earlier this year, Pharrell and Flying Lotus spoke about the changing nature of hip-hop. Pharrell argued that hip-hop needed to evolve to appeal to the changing times. Producers can create their own music and songs don’t have to tell stories to be influential. “There’s room for everybody now,” FlyLo said. “You can be super lyrical… you can just ride the beat barely rhymin’, and it’s all good.”

But the changing nature of hip-hop stretches much further than beats and production. The rise of artists like Syd tha Kid and Frank Ocean have jumpstarted conversations about the acceptance of homosexuality, and now we are also seeing hip-hop artists challenge the very notion of gender itself. As unlikely as it may seem to some, Young Thug is one of the most important artists in this conversation, and people are really taking notice.

On the cover of his new album, titled Jeffery – his real name – Thug wears a dress.

The baby blue ruffled skirt is designed by Alessandro Trincone, has Japanese influences, and was originally modelled on a man, not a woman. Legend has it that Thug stumbled upon the photo and immediately knew he needed the dress for the cover. “I think his cover image exactly centred my point, which is that everyone can wear whatever they want to,” Trincone told W Magazine. “Everyone can be themselves. Ignore what people are saying and thinking.”

He also explains the idea behind androgyny. “The feminine side of every male is explicitly shown through the whole collection, hoping to introduce a new meaning of masculinity, far from the traditional imagery society has carried through time.”

This is simply an example of Young Thug’s openly ambiguous style and belief system, which he claims began when he was 12. He is often seen wearing women’s clothes and has stated that he doesn’t believe in gender. In a GQ interview he said, “[I wear women’s clothes] because [they] are [slimmer] than men’s clothes. The jeans I got on right now, they’re women’s jeans. But they fit how they’re supposed to fit. Like a rock star. The only thing I probably have in men’s is, like, briefs. T-shirts. Ninety percent of my clothes are women’s.”

In itself, the fact that a guy is wearing a dress isn’t a really big deal. It’s not shocking, and it doesn’t even feel overly gimmicky – actually, it’s a beautiful image, one that you could easily imagine adorning any high-end fashion magazine. But it’s certainly worth talking about, because this is hip-hop, not fashion. Wearing a dress on his album cover continues Young Thug’s ongoing identity, going against gender stereotypes and the kind of male-dominated machismo so commonly identified with hip-hop. It also continues to force his listeners to think about the issues related to it, and that might be the most important factor of all.

That an Atlanta rapper like Young Thug has not only been labelled gender fluid, but has apparently been compared to David Bowie, Prince and Little Richard, for his approach to gender and androgyny, is remarkable for hip-hop in 2016. 

To many, hip-hop artists are highly influential individuals with license to inspire and create conversations. It’s important for them to be open about who they are and inspire their fans to do the same. Thug has never been afraid of gender fluidity, again making reference to it in his Calvin Klein ad. “In my world, you can be a gangsta with a dress or you can be a gangsta with baggy pants. I feel like there’s no such thing as gender,” he said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ymE6dUF98Y

Ambiguity does not only live in their image, but also in their lyrics. In an interview with the UK Independent, Angel Haze spoke about their* preference for not using pronouns at all. “I like to make all my work ambiguous so that people can relate to it. If all my songs were about how in love I am with a girl… There are no key words, no pronouns,” they said.

This appeal allows Angel’s music to be interchangeable, and being open about this issue forces the listener to think about it, too. The listener can put themselves into the song’s protagonist’s shoes, applying the lyrics and emotions to their own life experiences and dreams. It might even help them express who they are and help them cope with similar struggles and issues, should they be facing them. It’s the kind of conversation that can help someone discover who they really are as a person and provide the courage to some others that person.

Could we do they if all angled toward one specific gender? No. Could we do it if gender ambiguity, non-heteronormative sexuality and other related issues were ignored or shunned? No.

As a society, we are becoming more open-minded and aware of different ways of living. We all have our own beliefs and opinions that shape who we are and allow us to grow in confidence and feel comfortable in our own skin. Hip-hop has the power to change lives for better and for worse. Yes, it still has a long way to go in some ways, but artists like Young Thug and Angel Haze deserve a lot of praise for flying these flags.

*Angel Haze prefers they/ their pronouns

Image: W Magazine

Young Thug and Future may have made amends, but there was no shortage of drama over the weekend when a fully armed SWAT team rushed the Atlanta rapper’s van following a Pittsburgh concert.

According to TMZ the incident happened after venue security alerted local police that someone in Thug’s entourage was brandishing a firearm. Fortunately nobody was harmed, but video footage has emerged depicting several armed officers approaching the van in the venue’s parking lot. Drawing closer to the vehicle with guns drawn, it seems like the situation was poised for confirmation.

Yet despite the tense moments depicted in the clip, the altercation was resolved after four members of the crew revealed they did possess four firearms but that they were legally licensed.

This is far from the first time the artist has been involved in gun-related controversy. In 2015 Thug was implicated in the shooting of Little Wayne’s tour bus in April, although he was not charged with any criminal wrongdoing. In June he was briefly arrested in his Atlanta home after threatening to shoot a shopping mall’s director of security in the face. One of his security guards was also found shot dead in December.

According to The Washington Post there are an estimated 360 million firearms within the United States.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxpQqfLHOzE

Read More: Young Thug: Moron or Genius?

Image: TheSource.com

Last week, Future unleashed DJ Esco’s latest mixtape, Esco Terrestrial. One of the most interesting tracks on the tape was the Future and Young Thug collaboration, Who.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gct2TTsQLZg

‘Who’ is just one of the questions surrounding this rather unexpected collab, the others being what, where, when, why and how did they squash this enormous beef they supposedly had going? Not only did they come together for Esco’s mixtape but Wheezy overnight Tweeted and Snapchatted a studio session featuring Young Thug, Future and DJ Esco.

https://twitter.com/wheezy5th/status/747679863738335232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

https://twitter.com/Thundathundaa/status/747758259927453696

It certainly appears as though whatever beef they had is history. If the two rappers have been back in the studio together on more than one occasion, could we infer that this is the dawn of a wave of collaborative songs between the pair? It also begs the questions of what this feud was even about and whether there even was one in the first place? Did it all start because producer Metro Boomin, who has worked extensively with Future and Thug, only credited Future by name for popularising the mixtape trend? Or was it just a publicity construct like so many other beefs?

When we break down the cause and timeline of the beef, it really goes to show they were fighting over nothing and that they could have been producing quality tracks like Who this entire time.

Last year Metro Tweeted a picture of Future with this caption:

https://twitter.com/MetroBoomin/status/663794583663439872

He then went on to clarify, ending the discussion with:

Later that day Young Thug injected himself into the conversation:

Future’s response came in the form of a couple of cryptic tweets, stating “I pray the real live forever and all the fake get exposed!” and “Don’t judge me by my past, I don’t live there no more,” which could be in reference to almost anything – but was taken as a shot at Young Thug, who responded with, “I have nun in the world against Future I listen to his music… His music makes me happy and I hope he continues to bless me and others with it.”

As far as all of this reads, some very subtle seeds may have been planted but this was hardly a full blown conflict. Young Thug genuinely seems to like Future and it was difficult to conceive how anyone would assume there was any aggression from the former towards the latter, who never once claimed he was singlehandedly responsible for popularising mixtapes. If anyone had issues here it’s Thug and Metro, whose bold statements first ignited the exchange.

Then a few months later came this exchange:

https://twitter.com/youngthug/status/694995765685526528

That was it? A spot of shit-talking over Twitter? Not even a single diss track from either camp to solidify this as real beef? The whole narrative looking back seems ridiculous. People from all walks of life talk smack on social media at their friends and even hip-hop superstars aren’t afraid to rib each other and have a laugh. We’ve truly reached a low point if two artists can’t throw good-natured shade in a public forum without everybody jumping to the conclusion that they despise each other. Real friends run each other down far worse than this.

Whatever the story of the past year, and not being well-acquainted with either Future or Young Thug means we’ll never know the entire truth of it, it is great to see and hear good music coming from two rappers at the top of their game.

Image: Ben Watts / GQ