Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Young Thug
How Young Thug built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Young Thug, born Jeffery Lamar Williams II, is an influential American rapper recognized for his unique vocal delivery, fashion, and impact on hip hop and trap music. He's considered a pioneer of mumble rap. Beginning his career in 2011 with the 'I Came from Nothing' mixtape series, he gained prominence after signing with Gucci Mane's 1017 Records in 2013 and releasing the acclaimed mixtape '1017 Thug'.
2010: Musical Career Debut
In 2010, Young Thug began his musical career with a guest appearance on rapper TruRoyal's song "She Can Go".
2011: Beginning of Music Career
In 2011, Young Thug embarked on his musical career, initiating the release of a series of mixtapes with 'I Came from Nothing'.
2011: Release of 'I Came from Nothing' Series
Throughout 2011 and 2012, Young Thug released the first three installments of his mixtape series 'I Came from Nothing'.
2012: Release of 'I Came from Nothing' Series
Throughout 2011 and 2012, Young Thug released the first three installments of his mixtape series 'I Came from Nothing'.
October 2013: Appearance on '19 & Boomin'
In October 2013, Young Thug appeared on several tracks on Metro Boomin's '19 & Boomin', including "Some More", his first collaboration with Alex Tumay.
October 2013: Release of 'Stoner'
In October 2013, Young Thug released his commercial debut single "Stoner".
2013: Signing with 1017 Brick Squad Records
In 2013, Young Thug caught the attention of Gucci Mane and signed with his label 1017 Brick Squad Records, releasing his fourth mixtape, '1017 Thug'.
2013: Critical Acclaim for '1017 Thug'
In 2013, Young Thug's mixtape '1017 Thug' received positive reviews and was included in several year-end lists, with FACT calling it the best mixtape of the year. The song "Picacho" was also noted as a standout track.
January 2014: Offer from Freebandz Record Label
In January 2014, Young Thug revealed he received an $8.5 million offer to sign with Future's Freebandz record label.
March 11, 2014: "Stoner" Serviced to Rhythmic Contemporary Radio
On March 11, 2014, Young Thug's debut single "Stoner" was serviced to rhythmic contemporary radio in the United States by Asylum and Atlantic Records.
March 2014: Collaboration with Kanye West
In March 2014, Young Thug recorded several songs with Kanye West and announced upcoming mixtapes with Rich Homie Quan, Chief Keef, and Bloody Jay. He also appeared on the cover of The Fader.
March 2014: Speculation about signing with Cash Money Records
In March 2014, Young Thug's association with Cash Money Records and Birdman led to speculation about him signing with the label, which was later denied.
March 24, 2014: Announcement of Debut Album Title
On March 24, 2014, Young Thug announced that his debut album would be titled Carter VI, referencing Lil Wayne's 'Tha Carter' series.
March 28, 2014: Management Deal with Rich Gang
On March 28, 2014, it was clarified that Young Thug signed a management deal with Birdman's Rich Gang, while still signed to 1017 Brick Squad.
April 2014: Collaborative Album with Metro Boomin and Release of "Eww"
In April 2014, Young Thug worked on a collaborative album with Metro Boomin titled 'Metro Thuggin' and released a new song called "Eww", produced by 808 Mafia.
June 17, 2014: Signing to 300 Entertainment
On June 17, 2014, Kevin Liles confirmed that Young Thug had officially signed to his and Lyor Cohen's label, 300 Entertainment.
July 1, 2014: Release of "2 Bitches" and "Old English"
On July 1, 2014, Asylum and Atlantic Records released "Danny Glover" as "2 Bitches", and Mass Appeal Records released "Old English" featuring Young Thug, ASAP Ferg, and Freddie Gibbs.
2014: Mainstream Recognition
In 2014, Young Thug gained mainstream recognition with singles "Stoner" and "Danny Glover" and guest appearances on tracks like T.I.'s "About the Money". He also released 'Rich Gang: Tha Tour Pt. 1' and signed with 300 Entertainment.
April 2015: Controversy over Album Title and Lil Wayne's Reaction
In April 2015, Lil Wayne expressed his disapproval of Young Thug's planned debut album, 'Carter 6', leading to Thug changing the title to Barter 6.
April 18, 2015: Announcement of 'Hy!£UN35' Album Title
On April 18, 2015, Young Thug announced that his official debut album would be titled 'Hy!£UN35', read as "HiTunes".
May 2015: Clarification of Record Deal and Management
In May 2015, Young Thug clarified that he manages himself and is signed with Atlantic Records.
June 2015: Discussion of Joint Album with Kanye West
In late June 2015, Young Thug and Kanye West discussed the possibility of creating a joint album together after Kanye was impressed by Young Thug's unreleased music.
July 2015: Release of Promotional Single "Pacifier"
In July 2015, 300 Entertainment released "Pacifier" as a promotional single for Young Thug's debut album 'Hy!£UN35'.
2015: Critical Acclaim with Mixtapes
In 2015, Young Thug released several critically acclaimed mixtapes, including Barter 6 and the first two installments of the Slime Season series.
February 4, 2016: Release of 'I'm Up' Mixtape
On February 4, 2016, Young Thug released a mixtape titled 'I'm Up'.
March 26, 2016: Release of 'Slime Season 3'
On March 26, 2016, Young Thug released 'Slime Season 3', marking the end of a phase with leaked material.
July 9, 2016: Announcement of 'Jeffery' Mixtape
On July 9, 2016, Young Thug announced his self-titled mixtape 'Jeffery' was coming out soon.
August 16, 2016: Name Change and Release of 'Jeffery'
On August 16, 2016, Young Thug announced he would change his name to "No, My Name Is Jeffery" for the week of 'Jeffery's' release. The album art featured him in a dress, sparking viral responses.
November 2016: Start of YSL Records
In November 2016, Young Thug announced he was starting his own record label imprint called YSL Records.
December 2016: Joins #fightpovertyagain Campaign
In December 2016, Young Thug joined the #fightpovertyagain campaign.
2016: Appears on Kanye West's album
In 2016, Young Thug appeared on Kanye West's album 'The Life of Pablo', with West hinting at further collaborations on Tidal.
2016: Continued Success with Commercial Mixtapes
In 2016, Young Thug continued his success by releasing the commercial mixtapes I'm Up, Slime Season 3, and Jeffery.
March 2017: Features on Drake's 'More Life' and Calvin Harris' 'Heatstroke'
In March 2017, Young Thug was featured on Drake's 'More Life' and Calvin Harris' song 'Heatstroke' with Ariana Grande and Pharrell Williams.
April 2017: Announcement of 'Beautiful Thugger Girls'
In April 2017, Young Thug announced the commercial mixtape 'Beautiful Thugger Girls', executive-produced by Drake.
June 16, 2017: Release of 'Beautiful Thugger Girls'
On June 16, 2017, Young Thug released the commercial mixtape 'Beautiful Thugger Girls', executive-produced by Drake.
June 29, 2017: Concert Proceeds Donation to Planned Parenthood
On June 29, 2017, Young Thug donated all proceeds from a sold-out concert to Planned Parenthood.
September 2017: Release of Joint EP with DJ Carnage
In September 2017, Young Thug released a joint EP with DJ Carnage titled 'Young Martha'.
October 2017: Release of 'Super Slimey' with Future
In October 2017, Young Thug released a collaborative mixtape with Future titled 'Super Slimey', featuring guest vocals from Offset.
2017: First Number-One Single
In 2017, Young Thug featured on Camila Cabello's hit song "Havana", which became his first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100.
April 2018: Release of Hear No Evil EP
In April 2018, Young Thug released the EP 'Hear No Evil'.
May 19, 2018: Contribution to 'This Is America'
On May 19, 2018, Childish Gambino's "This Is America," which Young Thug co-wrote and provided background vocals for, debuted at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.
August 2018: Release of Slime Language
In August 2018, Young Thug released another compilation album, 'Slime Language'.
2018: Release of Slime Language
In 2018, Young Thug released 'Slime Language' with YSL Records.
May 23, 2019: Release of "The London" and Album Announcement
On May 23, 2019, Young Thug released his single "The London" featuring J. Cole and Travis Scott, and also announced his debut studio album, originally titled Gold Mouf Dog.
July 19, 2019: Album Renamed to So Much Fun
On July 19, 2019, Young Thug announced that his forthcoming debut album, previously named Gold Mouf Dog, had been renamed to So Much Fun.
August 10, 2019: Album Release Date and Cover Art Announcement
On August 10, 2019, Young Thug announced the release date and cover art for his album, So Much Fun.
August 16, 2019: So Much Fun Album Release
On August 16, 2019, Young Thug released his album "So Much Fun" on his 28th birthday, featuring many guest appearances and debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200.
2019: Release of 'So Much Fun'
In 2019, Young Thug's debut studio album, 'So Much Fun', peaked at the top of the US Billboard 200 and featured the hit singles "The London" and "Hot".
April 29, 2020: Slime & B Mixtape Announcement
On April 29, 2020, Young Thug and Chris Brown announced their collaborative mixtape, Slime & B.
May 5, 2020: Slime & B Mixtape Release
On May 5, 2020, Young Thug and Chris Brown released their collaborative mixtape, Slime & B, which included the hit single "Go Crazy".
2020: Success with 'Go Crazy' and 'Franchise'
In 2020, Young Thug's single "Go Crazy" with Chris Brown reached number three on the charts, becoming his first top-ten single as a lead artist. He also appeared on Travis Scott's "Franchise," which topped the chart.
April 16, 2021: Slime Language 2 Album Release
On April 16, 2021, YSL Records, Young Thug, and Gunna released their compilation album Slime Language 2, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
July 2021: Punk Album Advertisement
In July 2021, Young Thug advertised his second studio album Punk with a release date of October 15, 2021.
September 2021: Number One on Billboard Hot 100 with "Way 2 Sexy"
In September 2021, Young Thug reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for the third time in his career with his feature on "Way 2 Sexy" alongside Future, the lead single off Drake's album Certified Lover Boy.
October 15, 2021: Punk Album Release
On October 15, 2021, Young Thug released his album Punk.
November 2021: Global Publishing Deal with Kobalt Music Group
In November 2021, Kobalt Music Group announced a new global publishing deal with Young Thug to handle his publishing administration, global sync, and creative services.
2021: Continued Chart Success and Album Releases
In 2021, Young Thug appeared on Drake's "Way 2 Sexy", which topped the charts. His second studio album, 'Punk', was released in October to continued success, and YSL Records released 'Slime Language 2', which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
June 2023: Business is Business Album Release
In June 2023, Young Thug's third studio album, Business is Business was released, marking his first project since his arrest in May 2022.
2023: Release of 'Business Is Business'
In 2023, Young Thug's third studio album, 'Business Is Business', was released.
