Image via YouTube/Young Thug
Young Thug has saved us from a recent dry spell in rap, delivering the long-awaited new album from Young Stoner Life Records.
Slime Language 2 is a family affair, showcasing all the talent on YSL and featuring guest appearances from Thug’s extended circle, which includes everyone from Future to Travis Scott to Drake. Guided by production from Wheezy and other go-to collaborators, the 23-song project is a snapshot of everything happening in the YSL universe right now.
For Thug, the SL2 recording sessions felt more like performances than traditional studio experiences. “It seemed like a show,” Thug told Zane Lowe on Friday afternoon. “It seemed like a Lollapalooza or Coachella. Every moment was performing. It was like a performance. You got to show up. Everybody’s watching. Everybody’s here. Everybody in your shit. Everybody’s in your face. You’ve got to show up.”
After giving the project a couple initial spins, we put together a list of our first impressions and takeaways, which you can see below.
Thug will do anything for YSL
No one cares about their crew more than Young Thug cares about YSL. Over the years, he has repeatedly taken time out from his own career to put on for everyone around him, and that happened again on Slime Language 2. Coming off the momentum of the most commercially successful album of his career so far (So Much Fun) Thug could have pushed his crew to the side and focused on creating a star-studded project of his own. But instead, he chose to release a YSL album as the follow-up. And this isn’t just an afterthought side project. Thug put major collaborations on here with A-listers like Drake and Travis Scott, instead of saving them for his own album. When Zane Lowe asked about the risks involved with prioritizing YSL over his own career, Thug sounded unbothered, responding, “I don’t think about risk when it comes to family.” Then he added, “It’s not about me anymore. It’s about the organization.” Is there anyone more loyal than Young Thug? —Eric Skelton
… and Thug’s peers will do anything for him
SL2 isn’t just a showcase of up-and-coming talent on Young Stoner Life Records. It’s a celebration of the entire corner of rap that orbits around Young Thug. Artists like Lil Baby might not actually be signed to YSL, but they can thank Thug for paving a way for them, and they show up all over the tracklist. And the fact that A-listers like Drake, Future, Travis Scott, and Kid Cudi contributed verses to a label compilation project is a clear sign of their devotion to Young Thug. When you’re one of the most loyal artists in rap, the love will inevitably come back around to you, and that’s what we see throughout Slime Language 2. Thug should be extremely proud of this album, not just for what it means for YSL, but what it represents about his own place in rap. He’s a legend already. —Eric Skelton
We’re all proud of Uzi
Hearing Uzi sing about Thug being proud of him (and vice versa) is what we’ve been waiting for ever since those photos of their shopping spree went viral a few years ago. Actually, it seems this one might have been recorded around the same time, based on snippets that have been kicking around since Instagram Live sessions in 2018. And it was worth the wait. On first listen, Uzi’s catchy hook is one of the standout moments on the whole project, and his interplay with Thug has us dreaming about a full collab project between these guys at some point. Until then, we’ll happily keep “Uzi we are proud of youuuuuuuu” on repeat. —Eric Skelton
Future goes experimental (again)
Look, there’s no such thing as a bad Future verse. He’s just too big to fail. It’s not happening. Even his weakest moments are fodder for lesser MCs. But on “Superstar,” his delivery is… interesting. Soaked in AutoTune and reaching for registers that are, to put it mildly, outside of his general range, Future stretches the logical limits of his sweet spot. It’s his diva moment, as he nearly shrieks over flutes that sound like a long-lost cousin of “Mask Off.” Maybe it’s another “King’s Dead” moment for Future, stepping outside of his comfort zone to stand out in a crowded field. In that song, with Jay Rock, Kendrick, and James Blake, Future lets his raspiness steal the show, sounding like 645ar without the shiny studio effects. Granted, Future experimenting outside of his wheelhouse is exciting. He’s been hitting home runs without having to swing the bat for a few years now, so watching him scratch a creative itch is a thrilling experience. But perhaps it would serve him well to test out a few different styles before committing one to tape (Pro Tools, more accurately). Weird Future is better than no Future, and on “Superstar,” he’s never sounded odder. —Will Schube
Thug carries it
While Young Thug, our gracious host, makes plenty of room for his many mentees to shine, he still flexes his muscles when necessary to put the team on his back. When you’re a superstar like Thug, you’re going to be in the spotlight, no matter how much shine you give your associates. Throughout SL2, Thugger makes his presence felt with sharp hooks and baffling deliveries that would sound like mush coming out of anyone else’s mouth. He occasionally pops up, drops a hook that will stay in your head for a week, and then cedes the mic to one his YSL students. Thug’s impact has been massive on rap song construction since he first came out, and he delivers memorable moments again and again. The bars sometimes fall flat, but Thug gives us enough unforgettable moments to look past any shortcomings. —Will Schube
It’s top-heavy
The first eight songs on SL2 are stacked. There’s the much-hyped single “Ski,” which fully lives up to the irresistible snippet. There are collaborations with Drake, Uzi, and Travis (“Diamonds Dancing” is a hit). And there’s even a standout performance from Thug’s own brother Unfoonk (more on that a little later). If the project stopped there, as an 8-song EP, it would be bulletproof. Unfortunately, SL2 falls off a little after that point, as some of the songs begin blending into each other and performances from a handful of the up-and-coming artists fall short. Of course, that’s to be expected on a label compilation like this. Thug gave everyone an opportunity to shine alongside the biggest names in rap. Some took advantage of the moment and others weren’t quite ready (although, they might be by the time SL3 comes around). —Eric Skelton
Thug’s brother Unfoonk delivers
A 23-track label compilation album gives ample opportunity for one of YSL’s unheralded acts to have a breakout moment. And while it feels like that may not have happened on first listen, Thug’s brother Unfoonk came the closest to it. He made headlines when he came home from an 11-year-bid in 2019, but those who didn’t intently follow him afterwards may not know what he’s been up to in the ensuing years. “Real” is a solid indication that he’s been honing his craft. The guitar-driven track is the first real mellow moment of the album, and Unfoonk holds his own with Thug. He has a distinctive vocal tone like his brother, using his gravelly voice to croon about betrayal and telling us to “check the Rollie, bitch, it’s my time.” He may be right. I’m interested in hearing more of what he has going on after “Real.” —Andre Gee
Rowdy Rebel sounds great
There’s been some intrigue about how Rowdy Rebel and Bobby Shmurda would sound on 2021 rap production. The prevailing thought was that though their presence ignited what eventually became Brooklyn drill, they never actually rhymed over those 808Melo and AXL “type” beats synonymous with the new scene. Even the more trap-leaning production they used has been updated a couple times while they’ve been away. But every one of Rowdy’s appearances since coming home has been impressive, including “Came and Saw” on Slime Language 2. He rides a churning Wheezy beat with finesse, sounding at home with his charismatic mic presence. Thug already looked out for Rowdy with a chain, and now he put him on a star-studded album. The way he blends in with the rest of the stars on the album (without sounding outdated) bodes well for him going forward. —Andre Gee
Wheezy anchors the project with some of the most memorable beats
As usual on a YSL album, Wheezy’s presence is heavy on the production credits. According to Wikipedia (we know) his name shows up seven times on the 23-song project, including three tracks where he’s the sole credited producer. He displays his knack for slinky, earworm loops several times on the project, including the ethereal “Paid The Fine” and the flutey “Superstar.” “Came and Saw’s” stern horns definitely gave me “Hot” vibes, but not so much where it takes away from just how good it sounds. The project is definitely given a jolt whenever you hear that tag. —Andre Gee
Thug cleared the YSL hard drive
At this point, it’s no secret how much music Young Thug (and everyone else in his orbit) makes on a daily basis. We’ve heard stories about dozens of hits being recorded in a single night, and there are whispers about hard drives with thousands of unreleased records sitting on them. In some ways, Slime Language 2 feels like a way to clear out some of those hard drives. All of these artists (Thug included) are expected to drop solo albums of their own in the very near future, so SL2 seems like a way to share a bunch of songs that may not have found homes otherwise. This strategy led to a somewhat bloated tracklist, which might hurt how the album is received from a critical perspective, but we live in a time when most of us hand-pick a few songs, save them to playlists, and keep it moving. So in that sense, we’re more than happy to get all these songs to choose from. There are some gems in here, too. On first listen, my personal favorites are “Diamonds Dancing,” “Ski,” “Solid,” and “Proud of You.” This was a nice sampler before the solo projects arrive. —Eric Skelton