Young Thug

Young Thug, born Jeffery Lamar Williams on August 16, 1991, is an Atlanta rapper widely regarded as one of the most influential and experimental voices in 2010s hip-hop. He first began releasing mixtapes in 2011, but his breakthrough came in 2013 when Gucci Mane brought him into the 1017 fold, leading to the mixtape «1017 Thug» and the standout single «Stoner», followed by «Danny Glover». After Gucci Mane's incarceration, Thug aligned with Birdman and Cash Money's Rich Gang collective, scoring a major hit with «Lifestyle» alongside the late Rich Homie Quan.

What sets Young Thug apart is his vocal approach: elastic, unpredictable, often melodic and warped delivery that treats his voice as an instrument rather than a straightforward rapping tool. He moves fluidly between hard trap production and softer, more melodic or even country- and pop-tinged records, a versatility reflected in tracks like «The London», «Check», «Power» and «Chanel (Go Get It)».

His influence on a generation of rappers who adopted similarly unconventional flows and vocal textures is widely acknowledged, cementing him as a defining figure of the streaming era. His ability to move between genres, features and chart-topping collaborations has kept him a central presence in mainstream rap well beyond his mixtape origins.