Last Thursday (October 31), Young Thug was released from prison after pleading guilty in the YSL Rico case.
In a smart move, Thug's legal team, led by Brian Steele, opted for a no-deal guilty plea. The plan worked in their favor, as Thug was sentenced to 15 years probation with no time to serve in prison after he had already spent two years in custody. Thug's release sent shockwaves through social media, causing him to glisten comments from TI, Travis Scott, Sexxy Red and more.
Kevin Liles, the former CEO of 300 Entertainment, which houses Thug's YSL label, said: “Words cannot express the incredible happiness and relief I feel upon learning of Jeffery's freedom. There will be a time to discuss the criminalization of hip-hop lyrics and the use of bond denial as a weapon against defendants, but for now everyone should feel nothing but joy that this amazing artist and even better person can embrace his children, parents, siblings and other loved ones tonight.”
With all eyes on Thug, his next moves will be imperative, mostly due to the limitations of his probationary period and the limitations of what he can also rap about. As 2024 winds down, questions will arise about new music, his relationship with Gunna, when we'll see him back on stage and more as Thug returns to a rap world where everyone is waiting to see what he does next.
Bulletin board broke down the five things we hope will come from Young Thug's upcoming comeback. Check it out below.
-
Cue his first day song
It's almost a tradition now that when a rapper gets out of prison, they drop their “First Day Out” record. We've seen 2Pac (“Ambitionz Az a Ridah”), Tee Grizzley (“First Day Out”), and Kodak Black (“First Day Out”) release their tracks, so it would be awesome to see Thug get into the hip-hop annals with his painful drop. Knowing that his trial has had so many twists and turns, hearing Thug's perspective on his grueling two-year stint would be a great way to kick off his new chapter. Additionally, he already talked about wanting to link up with Lil Baby for a collaboration. Could Baby Be The Missing Link To Thug's 'Welcome Home' Record?
-
Play at Rolling Loud Miami 2024
This December, Rolling Loud will celebrate its 10th anniversary in Miami, and Thugger will enjoy a massive pop on one of hip-hop's biggest stages. Last year, RL co-founders Tariq Cherif and Matt Ziegler said they were ready to offer Young Thug $1 million once he was released from prison. Even if Thug doesn't get to enjoy a full set since the shows are already locked in, imagine him coming out during Future's Friday set and unleashing a fiery trio of signature hits like “Hot,” “Ski” and “Lifestyle “.
-
Talk about his situation with Guna
This is undoubtedly the biggest question mark regarding Thug's future. Prior to their arrest, Thug and Gunna had the rap world on fire with the Hot 100 top ten hit “Pushin P” and were hip-hop's most indomitable 1-2 punch. When Gunna took an Alford plea in 2022 – which saw him plead guilty to one count in the YSL Rico case – there were concerns about the health of his relationship with Thug. Many rappers denounced their relationship with Gunna, citing his early release as a form of disloyalty to Thugger. While Gunna has consistently voiced his support for Thug — especially during his concerts where he's been posting “Free Thug” visuals — a conversation needs to happen between the two men before we can expect anything music-related from the two.
-
Thug's first interview
Thug isn't the easiest person to interview, but when he's safe, he's a joy to watch. Some of his gems include his chat with Gillie and Wallo, his Breakfast Club interview, and even the 2022 cover with him and Gunna. As exciting as Thug is, a select few should be able to sit with him, including Charlamagne Tha God and Wallo. While a 60 minutes or CBS Mornings The interview would boost Thug's profile and cache, a conversation with someone in the culture would have more impact. The only worry about a Thug interview is how much he might reveal about his messy trial.
-
Help Drake & Future Make Peace
Before Thug was released, he tweeted his desire to see Drake and Future call a truce. Now that he's back out, seeing this rap trio come together once again would rock the hip-hop realm. This trio successfully produced records like “D4L” and the Hot 100-topping “Way 2 Sexy.” If anyone can bring Drake and Future together after their chaotic feud this year, it's Thugger.
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/lists/young-thug-release-new-music-gunna-drake-future/
