I've been working away at my resume and job applications and such lately, and it's... not fun. Today, like many days, was a struggle where my top priority was also the most dreaded step, and nothing else was achieved. Ah. I was looking forward to a new Young Thug mixtape tomorrow, but it's even nicer to get it right before bed, the soundtrack to my dreams... wow uh that sounds lame, sorry, I was writing about The Beach Boys earlier today.
The Slime Season series started off as a dumping ground for random loose singles, stuff that got leaked, and tracks that didn't make the cut on Barter 6 or other more cohesive projects. At first I liked it cause it was a way to shore up these (often amazing) releases into something that felt "complete" and "substantial", but once we got the second one and the scope of the project became clear - four parts? a SLIME YEAR??? - I fell in love. So when I heard that this project, which had been promoted as Slime Season 3, had switched titles, I was initially scared. Would the Slime Year go the way of Sufjan's Fifty States? But now that I've actually seen it, I think the move makes sense... while SS1 and 2 both reached well over an hour, the 9 tracks of I'm Up weigh in under forty minutes. And where we saw more of a "dumping ground" approach on the first two, it seems like all the songs here were created specifically for this tape, and thus might be more cohesive.
So I'm happy with it. I'm still confident that, when he hits some critical mass of content, we'll see SS3 and 4. And I'm happy with a mini-"bonus" season. Partially because things like 2 Chainz' Felt Like Cappin EP have recently reminded me of how addictive short albums can be, partially because Waves (or whatever it's called now) is coming in just a week, and I don't really have time for anything more, and partially because it's late and I want to go to bed soon. With that in mind, let's get started.
iTunes only has the old Slime Season 3 art so far, so I made my own art (via screencapping the logo during the "Fuck Cancer" trailer).
Young Thug - I'm Up
Live Review
1. F Cancer (Boosie)
Ahh this is a single, we listened to it like 500 times already. I guess the name change from Fuck -> F is for radio play? Or the suggested title of "Boosie" I guess? But this song barely has anything to do with Boosie either LMAO. I think the mastering is a bit different on this version than the single... I noticed one part where the beat cuts away almost completely that I don't remember before? Ahhh the hook is so good, how does he do it? It sounds like just one continuous flowing thought, one smooth idea. "I got a bunch of wings surrounding my body", I talked about how much I liked this line before. I love how the title is "fuck cancer" but he never talks about cancer, but the idea of him having a hook where he says "fuck cancer" a lot is good too. The way he says "Actavis" is so good. Jesus what a song. Boosie will live forever off of this. Like immortal. AND QUAVO, ahhh. I like how both on them are on the "wishy washy" thing with this. Started with a thousand dollars, and then a thousand hours, and here we are. Tbh I think he's underestimating the amount of hours he's put in. A thousand hours isn't even that much LOL. oh man the traded verses at the end are so good, whenever thug does that with anyone it's golden. **
2. My Boys
Idk who Trouble or Ralo are but Lil Durk has put in work before. Nice laid back flow here. My dawgs, my boys. PABLOOO!!! is a good ad-lib. This guy's voice is really good, like a more extreme version of one aspect of Thug's. I wonder who "Lil Jeff" is, does he mean Thugger? Will kill for Thug, good. This guy is good too. I hope Thugger has a proper verse on this before. Oh man going for that rawwwwww flow, Where's Waaldo sick lmao. The beat is so... hmm. It's almost like a classic Lil B "cry on the track" sorta beat. Real based energy on this one. Ayyy Lil Durk going in hell yes. Wow on some real shit, missing your dad shit. "Just a project nigga, never had shit", and now he has his boys. "Light him up like it's Christmas if he plays with my boys", is that what he said? If you didn't know what words meant that would sound really kind LOL. Thug's verse hell yeahhh. Elementary school stories. His really punctuated "spitty" flow here is good, good contrast with the beat. Nice nice, good song. S
3. For My People
Sick Duke does really good stuff with Young Thug too. Woahhh this beat. It's that guy! that producer whose tag I can never make out!! Oh yeah this is a sick one. So "busy" and yet his voice is so clean and smooth through it. WOAH DUDE that jump in register, this is exactly what I want. "Pussy clean there's no germs in it"? lolll. So jumpy, soaring so far now. "Bitch I'm a zone not a zebra", unsure what this could mean. "Bitch I'm the shit fuck a toilet" LMAO. Oh man how many octaves has he worked in this song now. Hoooooly shiiiiiiit going in this flow is amazing. "No hokey no pokey" OMG. This is amazing. I didn't know such a song was possible. There's so many amazing aspects to the beat, so many little things. OH MAN the line trading, this is too much almost. "I drink lean all day, I got a hell of a kidney" omg. the contrast between their verses. This is godly. I want to listen to it again already and it isn't even over. "My pocket, it look like a book with no worm in it"? Like it has so much paper? idgi LOL. **
4. King TROUP
Hmm, what could this be about? Like a theatre troupe?? I doubt it. Oooh this flow, this beat, so smooth, so underwatery. "I'm cold as the motherfucking pole" is good, I guess North Pole lol. "I got drink in my cup, like I'm Kurt Cobain", there's uhhh one of us is very wrong about Kurt Cobain's lifestyle. I love this sort of flow where's sort of "suspended" in the beat, making fast movements but overall remaining sort of "static". Idk if I can explain it. Floating and doing karate attacks. Ah. Lame image. "Stop the killing", this is a message he's espoused on a few songs, trying to bring people together... "Keep em mad and that's how you know you doing good" hell yeah, good Kanye-type attitude. The quick "Versace" adlib made me really happy. Okay nice nice. S
5. Ridin
Lil Durk again sure sure. Nice atmospheric intro, with classic Thug warmup sounds. ALL THE WAY STREET WITH IT, go go. OHHH sick this beat is amazing, this flow is amazing, I am feeling almost overwhelmed. These sound effect adlibs are good, he is the best at them. They see the ice and get "wetted up", a good term. "I can fuck a bitch on the bus like she Rosa Parks" HOLY SHIT WHAT what does that even mean LOL. Good NTR story, good dog detail. Oh man the rhythms on this flow... so insane... how is he doing this lmao. Lil Durk yeeeeah, "Pussy ain't even know that you rap", this is an interesting social situation. "If I eat it she gotta be a Kardashian", "If she wanna fuck me now I got a wait list" hahahahaha. This is so sliiiiiick man how can they make it so interesting but so immaculate? It's like IDM LOL. that's really the only comparison I can think to make. I hope that makes sense. *
6. Hercules
Okay we've heard this... many many times in the last three months. Many many. And has it ever gotten old? I wrote about it a lot a few days ago for Song of the Day. Conclusion: no. Just the producer tags at the start get me pumped. omggg his voice on the hook, how does he do that? It's like he was running a race and then suddenly started tunneling straight down. A move in a dimension you had never seen before. "STRONG MARIJUANA" perhaps the best adlib. And the way he shifts wholly into the range he had before used for his adlibs? That's so genius jesus how. omg the piano on the hook tooooo ahhh it's too much, too much. HERCU-HERCULES. "Okay first of all, I was doing this shit before I was rich" is one of the better verse starters imaginable. Thugger is always winning, every verse a victory. if I had one wish it would be to be able to say "woahhh" like he does on this track. and the way the piano comes back in at the end but it's all muted and stuff is Metro Boomin the new Mozart?? Like how Zaytoven is the new Beethoven??? AND THE TAG AT THE END, ahhhhhhh. **
7. Special
oooh piano beat. THUGGA THUGGA BABY, that's some classic 1017 shit. MIKE WILL EARDRUMMERS HELL YEAH LET'S GO. omg this one is gonna be special. I can believe it. And OFFSET'S ON THIS???? Idk who Solo Lucci is. Reminds me of the One Piece character Rob Lucci because I'm an idiot LOL. dude the bass on this is nuts. I can't really keep track of the story he's telling rn lol because I'm an idiot. Whenever he says "reallyreallyreally" fast like that I love it. I think he just conflated the sound of "pencil" and "pistol". Dude Solo Lucci is sick, he just said "My pistol on special" and then shouted "Retarded!", and his voice and flow are great too wow. Gotta check this guy out. Omg OMG this flow WOW he's going THAT FAR IN? amazing. "My diamonds they got way bigger, I got a tiger tigger". OFFSET ayyyy "I'm addin up money not minusing" hahhaa. His flow is just naturally so robust and athletic. Olympic flows. Damn. I feel like this whole song I was distracted by how good one element was that I neglected to notice three other simultaneous equally good element. That's a good song. Wowowoowow. **
8. Bread Winners
hmmm BREAD winners, feat young BUTTA... poetry. OOoh interesting beat. Idk who Young Butta is though lol. nice aggressive triplet flow over a really insane beat sheeeesh I am impressed already. This beat is completely nuts what the fuck. His voice is sick ALLERGIC TO SEAFOOD what the hell is he talking about, holy shit is this really as good as I think it is or have I gone insane? what did he just scream at the end? This is completely insane, it feels like they have to defuse a bomb or something. "They got lots of bread so I'ma call butta" POETRY. haha this is so exciting, it feels like anything can happen at any time. "Like a kid make em play with each other" lol. "I just bought my bitch some new titties", I have absolutely no idea what this song is about if anything. Oh man and then this "deprived" beat, this "skeleton" beat, this is so crazy, are they really trying for this sort of structure??? ahhhhAHHHHH hahahahHAhahha. Cool song. **
9. Family
idk who Dora and Dolly are... I think they might be his sisters :O in OD when he names a bunch of his family, did he say those names? I can't remember. are they the people sampled here at the beginning? Answering machinecore? Nah here's Dora. Exploring the beat. hahah lame. Good attitude, good skrrts. Lil Dora from Zone 3. Oh "we no relation", I guess that answers that? It'd be sick if Atlanta had a Dej Loaf-sounding woman. Or any sort of woman y'know I don't mean to suggest they should sound like Dej Loaf just cause they're women, that's just a woman rapper I like a lot. Oh man Thugger coming in fast. Hot like a tea cup, frozen on diamonds. Ohh man this really super falsetto voice, so smooth, with the piano riffing a bit on the beat... "If you like me you can be with me"? Is that not... assumed? "I just did a feature and then I charged em 90 9s"... is that... not that much money? I must have misheard. "We the clan", idk man, I think maybe it's his sisters. Idk. Interesting. I like the jazzy beat too. *
Okay 2016 Young Thug project #1 confirmed good
Every song had some sort of crazy beat
Every producer brought their signature sound while still experimenting
Every feature was solid and went way tf in
Thugger still sounds like rapping is an absolute joy to him on the tier of a kid with a brand new video game console
It seems like he can put out songs of this quality whenever he wants, as often as he wants, without depleting this sort of magic
It makes me super happy but I also look forward to more expansive/experimental works (HiTunes when???)
And now I'm gonna go to bed.
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