Young Thug -UY Scuti

Score: 8.5 / 10

Young Thug has never been an ordinary artist. From the moment he arrived with strange cadences, bold fashion, and unpredictable songwriting, he challenged the rules of hip hop and expanded what rap could sound and look like. UY Scuti, released in September 2025, feels like another turning point in his career. It comes after a long period of silence caused by his legal battles, with much of the industry wondering whether he could ever return to the throne he once held.

The title UY Scuti is taken from one of the largest known stars in the universe. That choice says a lot. Thug has always aimed for more than making songs. He wants his music to be galaxies wide, strange and massive and impossible to ignore. This project takes on that ambition but grounds it in pain, reflection, and survival. At its best, it is one of the most vulnerable albums of his career, and even when it stumbles, the risks feel purposeful.

The Context

It is impossible to listen to this album without acknowledging the storm that surrounded Thug in the years leading up to its release. The YSL RICO trial made headlines far beyond music blogs. Courtroom testimony, leaked recordings, and betrayal among people he once trusted dominated the conversation. Thug went from being a free spirited superstar to a man fighting for his life.

That weight shapes UY Scuti. Many of the songs feel like coded letters to his fans, his family, and his enemies. He cannot always say what he wants directly, but you hear it in the tone of his delivery. The project is not just about flexing wealth or lifestyle. It is about showing resilience, processing loss, and finding a way forward when the world has tried to drag you down.

Sound and Production

The sound of UY Scuti is wide and layered. Producers like Metro Boomin, Wheezy, ATL Jacob, TM88, and London on Da Track deliver beats that range from heavy trap anthems to spacey, almost ambient landscapes. One of the album’s strengths is how these beats leave space for Thug to bend his voice into new shapes. His voice is still his greatest instrument, sometimes slurred, sometimes sharp, sometimes half sung, always unique.

Across more than twenty tracks, the production gives the album a cosmic feel, but there are moments when the length weighs it down. Some songs are less memorable, and in the middle stretch, momentum dips. Still, even when a track is not a standout, the overall sound design remains rich.

Features and Guests

The album features stars like Cardi B, Lil Baby, Travis Scott, and 21 Savage. For the most part, these guests enhance rather than overshadow. Cardi in particular delivers a memorable verse on “On the News,” matching Thug’s urgency with her own fiery delivery.

At the same time, Thug carries many tracks on his own, and those moments often shine brightest. Songs like “Sad Slime” and “Miss My Dogs” would not have worked with features because their emotional weight demands intimacy. The balance between collaboration and solitude is one of the smartest choices on the album.

Key Songs and Themes

Sad Slime

“Sad Slime” is one of the most important tracks on UY Scuti. It strips away the larger than life persona and shows Thug as Jeffery Williams, a man grieving, angry, and betrayed. The song captures the feeling of watching friends turn into informants and brothers become strangers.

Lines like “I seen a gangster turn rat in my face” cut through the production with brutal honesty. You can feel his hurt and disbelief. Critics have already called it one of the most vulnerable songs of his career. While some of the bars are rough, that rawness makes it real. This is not about perfection. It is about truth.

On the News

“On the News” is defiance turned into music. The hook asks, “Do you know how it feels to see your face on the news,” a line that only Thug could deliver with such weight. He is not exaggerating. His mugshot, his court hearings, his case documents were plastered everywhere.

This track flips that humiliation into power. With Cardi B’s verse adding more fire, it becomes an anthem of resilience. It is not a song about fame for the sake of it. It is a rejection of the narratives that others wrote for him. On this song, Thug writes his own.

Whaddup Jesus

“Whaddup Jesus” is historic because it pairs Thug with YFN Lucci, a rapper he once feuded with intensely. The two had traded threats and diss records for years, and many believed they would never reconcile. Hearing them on the same track is shocking in the best way.

The song itself is filled with Atlanta slang, lifestyle brags, and coded lines. But the bigger message is in its existence. Thug is showing he can move past conflict. For someone whose life has been tied to accusations of violence and gang ties, this moment matters. The song is not only a standout, it is a sign of growth and peace.

Walk Down

“Walk Down” might not have the star power of some of the singles, but it plays a key role in the album’s pacing. It feels steady, grounded, like Thug taking measured steps through his past into his future. The beat is menacing but not overwhelming, and Thug’s delivery has a calm determination.

This track shows the other side of Thug. He can still create anthems for the streets, but here it feels more controlled. It is less about chaos and more about resilience.

Miss My Dogs

If “Sad Slime” is about betrayal, “Miss My Dogs” is about grief and longing. This is the emotional centerpiece of the album. Thug raps about missing his friends, his family, and the people who once stood with him. There is regret in the lyrics, almost an apology for the way things turned out.

The vulnerability here is undeniable. You can feel him carrying the weight of separation and loss. For fans who love Thug’s more melodic side, this is a standout. It reminds listeners that behind the wild persona is a man who values love and loyalty above all else.

Strengths

• Emotional honesty in tracks like “Sad Slime” and “Miss My Dogs”

• Bold production that creates a cosmic, larger than life soundscape

• Features that add variety without overshadowing Thug

• Balance between defiance and vulnerability, showing a complete picture of the artist

Weaknesses

• The length makes the album feel uneven at times

• A few songs in the middle section lack memorability

• The weight of outside expectations sometimes overshadows the music itself

Final Thoughts

UY Scuti is not flawless, but it does not need to be. It is ambitious, emotional, and bold. More importantly, it is proof that Young Thug still has a place in the rap landscape. This project shows him adapting to new realities, confronting pain, and still finding ways to innovate.

The highlights are powerful. “Sad Slime” captures betrayal, “On the News” flips humiliation into defiance, “Whaddup Jesus” shows growth through reconciliation, “Walk Down” embodies resilience, and “Miss My Dogs” opens his heart in ways we rarely see. These songs carry the album beyond ordinary trap and into something deeply personal.

At 8.5 out of 10, UY Scuti stands as one of the most important rap albums of the year. It may not be his most polished work, but it is one of his most human. In the end, that is what makes it special.