Young Thug’s Tiny Desk
In the middle of his summer tour, Jeffrey stepped outside of his penthouse suite in Italy to preview new music. He stood in a green garden decorated with pink perennials that complemented his new pink persona. His guitarist and bassist stood behind him as he calmly clenched the mic with both hands. There was a full drum set with no drummer - he wasn’t needed for Jeffery’s peaceful and personal intro.
Die Slow
Thug’s first song was a hyperconscious confessional. Before a minute passes, he reveals traumatic family fights, the loss of his older brother, and his mother’s near-death experience. As his verse continued, his words became more purposeful - yet less predictable, witty while still whimsical.
“I’ll tell you with a long sleeve, I bare arms”
Dropping Jewels
Appropriately titled, Jeffery used this song to speak to his children. He crooned with confidence and warbled with wisdom about his life experience. In true Young Thug fashion, he belts melodic background vocals throughout the hook and plays with unique harmonies during the verses.
“I told my son he ain’t a cheerleader but he might gotta catch a body”
Hate the Game
Jeffery offers some comforting words to an ex-lover in this playful anthem. More than a display of lyrical content, this song shows off Thug’s ability to dive into a melody then swim from tone to tone. His live vocal performance here is just as impressive as the pre-recorded final form we are used to hearing from him.
“How you gonna hate the game and hate me? A lot of flaw and misconceptions what it be”
Tick Tock
The energy shifts when Thug transitions into his final song. The heavy synth-like instrumentation builds the momentum, and Jeffery joins the instruments with a boisterous and bouncy flow. As the drums come in vociferously, Thug speeds up his flow to the point where he audibly runs out of breath. He composes hisself and shows off his breath control by staying in pocket and delivering the most exciting verse of the performance.
“Yves Saint Laurent still tryna cease and desist it”
On October 15th, 2021, Young Thug is slated to drop P*NK - an album title that he’s teased for years. If this tiny desk performance is any indication, you can expect a more transparent, pure form of art from Jeffery. He seems ready to peel back every layer of his tough exterior and show the world what made him the bizarre superstar that he is.
