To tease the release of his upcoming album Punk, Young Thug made a remote appearance on NPR for the latest edition of the Tiny Desk (Home) Concert series. He debuted four brand new songs for the occasion, which you can watch below.
Set up in front of the Houdini Estate in Los Angeles, California, Young Thug was joined by a full band for his Tiny Desk performance, with each member sporting a bright pink top emblazoned with the work “PUNK.” According to a press release, that’s the title of the rapper’s next album which will come out on October 15th. This “new pink aesthetic” is “a representation of the forthcoming album PUNK” as well, so get ready for way more Avril Lavigne-looking graphics down the road.
Among the four previously unheard tracks that Young Thug debuted were the almost emo-sounding ballad “Die Slow,” a jazzy number with light drumming called “Droppin Jewels,” the repetitious pop-punk track “Hate The Game,” and the trap song “Tick Tock” that goes hard with some heavy rock guitar. Young Thug told NPR that these songs will usher in a new era that’s meant to represent “authenticity, consciousness, and overall purity.” However, all of these tracks sounded more minimal or pop-punk than they did punk or rock, so hopefully Thug can be honest with himself when promoting the name of the record.
That said, Young Thug made good on his album title momentarily with a punk-rock version of his viral hit “Ski” to close out his Tiny Desk (Home) Concert. Joining him for the rendition was Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker, who Thug introduced as “the GOAT.” The two had a surprisingly natural chemistry, as was made evident when Barker dialed in his part and brought a snappy energy to the already boisterous Slime Language 2 track.
In other news, Young Thug recently revealed he will star in an upcoming hip-hop musical called Throw It Back that’s co-produced by Tiffany Haddish. He also partnered with Gunna to post bail for 30 men and women in Fulton County Jail back in April. The inmates were being held on minor offenses and were imprisoned because they didn’t have the money for bonds that were, according to Thug, often “higher than what they stole.”
