Currently, Young Thug is in the middle of one of the most heated legal battles in the history of hip-hop. He and many of his associates in his Young Stoner Life Records label were arrested for racketeering charges in the summer of 2022. Now, Thug is currently awaiting the beginning of his trial, where he faces eight different counts relating to conspiracy and possession of drugs and firearms.
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As the one-year anniversary of his May 9 arrest soon approaches, the massive void his absence has left in the hearts of hip-hop fans has yet to be filled. For now, Thug’s supporters can only revisit already-released music of his, since he has not been able to share new music while in jail.
With that being said, here are Young Thug’s 10 best songs.
1. “Best Friend”
Released in September 2015 as part of his Slime Season mixtape, “Best Friend” garnered so much success that it was eventually dropped as a single on digital streaming platforms.
The song peaked at No. 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was certified platinum by RIAA in 2016.
2. “2 Bitches”
With allusions to Danny Glover’s character Roger Murtaugh from the film Lethal Weapon, Young Thug’s “2 Bitches” skyrocketed to mainstream success shortly after its November 2013 release.
A year later, a video of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian listening to the song at a party went viral, bringing more acclaim to Thug who was a rising artist at the time.
3. “Check”
The fourth track on his 2015 mixtape Barter 6, which he named as a troll to Lil Wayne Tha Carter series, “Check” felt like a moment where the hip-hop community realized Young Thug was here to stay.
One of his first songs ever to crack the Hot 100, the song ended up earning a platinum certification in 2019.
4. “Power”
Also included on Slime Season (2015), “Power” sees a potent combination of Thug and beloved producer London on the track. At first, London was meant to produce the entirety of Slime Season, but after dozens of songs from the duo leaked, Thug changed courses and made new songs with other producers for the tape.
Since then, Thug and London have collaborated on more hits like “Digits” and “Sin,” found later on this list.
5. “Floyd Mayweather”
Every song on Young Thug’s August 2016 mixtape Jeffery is named after one of his inspirations. Dedicating this track to the famed boxer Floyd Mayweather, widely regarded as one of the best fighters ever, Thug is joined by his YSL label-mate Gunna, Travis Scott, and Gucci Mane.
6. “Digits”
One of the most successful solo tracks in Thug’s career, “Digits” peaked at No. 93 on the Hot 100 following the release of its accompanying March 2016 mixtape Slime Season 3.
“Digits” earned a remix with Meek Mill in April 2016 and was certified 2x platinum by RIAA in 2021.
7. “Hercules”
Hilariously comparing the strength of his marijuana strain to the Roman mythological figure, Young Thug’s “Hercules” was released on DSPs as part of his February 2016 EP I’m Up, just months after it came out as a single in November 2015.
“Hercules” was certified gold by RIAA in 2019.
8. “Sin”
In the midst of touring together on J. Cole’s “KOD Tour,” Young Thug and Jaden Smith came together for their first collaborative song “Sin.” The song dropped along with Thug’s 2018 EP On The Rvn, which came out two weeks after he was released on bond for possession of drugs and a firearm.
9. “Mink Flow”
The 12th song on his October 2017 collaborative mixtape with Future, dubbed Super Slimey, “Mink Flow” sees a perfect combination of Thug’s wonderfully-awkward crooning and Future’s tenaciously aggressive rapping.
10. “Get High”
The first and only collaboration between Young Thug and Snoop Dogg, the weed anthem “Get High” was released as the ninth song on Thug’s June 2017 mixtape Beautiful Thugger Girls.
Photo by Amy E. Price/Getty Images for SXSW
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