Young Thug - Slime Season 3

Young Thug
Slime Season 3
2016
Spotify

Young Thug may be one of the most prolific artists of our time. Slime Season 3 marks the end of the Slime Season era and perhaps the end of Young Thug ruthlessly putting out albums and mixtapes on what seems like a monthly basis. This record opposed to I'm Up is a much more accessible release both commercially and lyrically. While I'm Up was much more personal and small in many ways Slime Season 3 is bold and brash. Young Thug is putting a pin in this moment of his development with this record and preparing for what is about to come next. There are far less surprises on this album than there were with Barter 6, Thug seems to be refining his craft into something razor sharp rather than using the album as a vehicle to explore if this record really is where he is going. What Young Thug really does well is not fall into the (pardon the pun) trap of vibey music making lyrics unimportant. Thug has something to say, and an incredible skill at saying it, which means He never sacrifices his lyrics to a good beat. What Thug has to say trumps everything. Where we would usually get some kind of insanity at some point during this Young Thug release He seems to be leaning in and putting his more insane thoughts to bed. In a couple words, He is growing up.

"Digits" which has since been called "the wrong song" by Thug on twitter, is far and away one of the best tracks on this album, and maybe that he has released. "Digits" is an absolute banger, full stop. That song aside however leaves the album feeling a bit one note. The surprises aren't there, the nuts call outs are gone and while the record is more commercially acceptable for the masses that sense that Young Thug exists outside of the reality of the music industry just is not longer true. At the same time you are really getting into this album, but when you remember it's Young Thug you just expect something different. That however does not mean this is in any way a bad album, because it is not. The incredibly high standards that Thug sets for himself and the expectations of his fans means that every single release whether built up to or done in the middle of the night is going to cause a frenzy. This record probably is not going to turn non fans into evangelists but it is concise and direct, something a lot of hip hop could take a note from.

6.8 out of 10