Young Thug is one of hip-hop’s most polarising figures, displaying musical and fashion choices that are out of the ordinary to say the very least. His abstract style has gained him millions of fans during his tenure in the music business, but what are his best songs? Well despite not having a studio album out yet, Young Thug has almost 10 mixtapes in his discography so there’s plenty to choose from, but without further ado; these are Young Thug’s top 10 songs according to Viberant.
10: Relationship ft. Future – From ‘Beautiful Thugger Girls’
The biggest song from Thugger’s last project ‘Beautiful Thugger Girls’ and it is a huge collab with fellow Atlanta trap king Future. Both of them bring their usual energy to a really cool modernised beat and the standout element of this has to be the chemistry that the two of them have on the song. Whether it is trading bars in the verses or autotuned vocals in the chorus, Young Thug and Future set fire to this beat and make a serious hit.
9: Check – From ‘Barter 6’
A song literally about how much money he is making from this new found fame; and my word it’s a banger. It is the first Young Thug song I ever heard and from that very moment I was hooked, the beat courtest of London on da Track is absolute dynamite with those slick piano keys and don’t get me started on Thug’s lyrical wackiness. His flow is so good on this track and the hook is straightforward and catchy, what more could you want?
8: Best Friend – From ‘Slime Season’
The fifth song on ‘Slime Season’ it is comfortably the best track to come from that tape, ranking at number eight on his best songs. Produced by Ricky Racks and Young Shad, I absolutely love the backing keys alongside the blast of the beat and Thug sets it alight all by himself, ad-libbing himself in an almost hilarious fashion but you can’t help but nod your head or tap your foot to it.
7: Harambe – From ‘JEFFERY’
The title is absolutely brilliant, especially when you consider that every song on ‘JEFFERY’ was supposedly named after Thug’s biggest influences and heroes; so by that logic the deceased gorilla Harambe is down as one of Young Thug’s greatest icons, wow. Beyond the title, his vocal delivery is absolutely bonkers but it is actually one of his best rapping displays to date, displaying all the aggression necessary for this hard beat.
6: Family Don’t Matter – From ‘Beautiful Thugger Girls’
When I talk about Young Thug, this is exactly the kind of song I refer to, absolute insanity but low-key beauty at the same time. He attempts to make a country ballad with some cold flows and a hip-hop twist; no, seriously. As funny as it may sound, it actually works and I can’t for the life of me describe how. He provides some of the funniest lyrics in hip-hop history in this song alone, with such gems as “country billy made a couple milli” or “I’m in a ghost like Casper”, not to mention the phenomenal “Yee-Haw!” ad-lib at the beginning of the song, art in it’s finest form.
5: Hercules – From ‘I’m Up’
One of Thug’s biggest hype anthems going, it is the brain child of two incredible minds (Young Thug himself and Metro Boomin) having free roam to make whatever they like, and that just so happens to be a trap song for the ages. I would rival that this could be the best beat Young Thug has ever rapped over, but when Metro is in charge of that are we really surprised? Thug doesn’t disappoint either with another simple but effective hook and some vocal obliteration on the verses.
4: With Them – From ‘Slime Season 3’
This is the song that is home to the greatest lyric Young Thug will ever come out with, I hope you’re ready for this one: “She suck on that dick on the plane and I just called her Airhead”. Art like that doesn’t go unnoticed, especially not when it’s the first song on a top draw mixtape like ‘Slime Season 3’, with this song taking the cake as the pinnacle of the whole tape. It was previewed at Kanye West’s Yeezy Season 3 Listening Party so if it’s good enough for Kanye it should be good enough for you.
3: Lifestyle ft. Rich Homie Quan – Stand Alone Single
This was Rich Gang’s first single since their 2013 debut album and Birdman was looking at the future for it, calling on Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan to make a staggeringly good trap anthem. The beat is smooth and knows exactly when to kick into gear, Young Thug’s performance is right up there with the best he has ever done (even if you can’t understand a word of that hook) and Rich Homie Quan puts in a solid display with his verse. On that note I’ll leave you with another classic Thug line, taken from this song: “I ain’t got AIDS but I swear to God I would bleed ’til I D.I.E.”
2: Wyclef Jean – From ‘JEFFERY’
If you haven’t seen the music video to this song then I would highly recommend it, I am not just saying this for the sake of fanboying over Young Thug when I tell you it is one of the best, most inventive music videos I have ever seen in my life. The song itself is a banger, the first track from ‘JEFFERY’ hits hard with a Carribean styled beat, paying homage to the man in the title of this song, and the way Young Thug manages to flow over it is truly commendable. It is songs like this one that truly make you realise Young Thug is one of a kind, not in a stay woke kind of way but for being in his own lane and daring to do things differently, nobody comes near him.
1: Pick Up The Phone ft. Travis Scott & Quavo – From ‘JEFFERY’
This magnificent collab between three of my favourite new-wave rappers in Travis Scott, Young Thug and Quavo simply had to take my number one spot because I believe it is one of the best rap songs I have heard this decade. Absolutely everything fits to an absolute T, from the futuristic beat to Travis’ insanely catchy hook and melody; Young Thug’s sketchy and harsh verses as well as Quavo’s slick appearance towards the end. I really don’t think I could do this song enough justice for quite how hot it is, a modern day classic anthem which will go down in trap history, please do more collaborations Travis and Thug, a full tape would be the soundtrack of my year.
Viberant 