Punk is the second studio album by American rapper Young Thug. It was released on October 15, 2021, through YSL Records and is distributed by Atlantic Records and 300 Entertainment. The album contains guest appearances from Strick, J. Cole, T-Shyne, Gunna, Future, BSlime, Juice Wrld, Post Malone, ASAP Rocky, Lil Double 0, Drake, Travis Scott, Doja Cat, Nate Ruess, Jeff Bhasker, and Mac Miller. The production on the album was handled by a variety of record producers, including T-Minus, Metro Boomin, Kanye West, Pi'erre Bourne, Wheezy, Oz, Louis Bell, and Watt, among others.
The album received generally positive reviews from music critics and was a commercial success. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 90,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.
Background and release
In an interview about recording his debut studio album, So Much Fun (2019), Young Thug told The Fader that he wanted to release a follow-up album in the "upcoming weeks". In contrast to his debut, which he described as a "lighthearted work", Punk would be more personal and introspective. He implied that the new album was "touching" and interpreted the meaning of Punk as "brave, not self centered, conscious, very, very neglected, very misunderstood, very patient, very authentic". He said the album would reflect "real rap".
On July 27, 2021, Thug featured on an NPR Tiny Desk home concert, where he performed four new songs and teased an October 15 release date for the album, as seen on the back of his t-shirt. More promotion for Punk is a video published on October 13, 2021, of Thug smashing a $320,000 Rolls-Royce with the word "punk" painted on it in pink.
Following Punk’s release, Thug stated during his appearance on The Breakfast Club that his track "Day Before" with Mac Miller was recorded on the day before Miller's death on September 7, 2018.Punk is the second studio album by American rapper Young Thug. It was released on October 15, 2021, through YSL Records and is distributed by Atlantic Records and 300 Entertainment. The album contains guest appearances from Strick, J. Cole, T-Shyne, Gunna, Future, BSlime, Juice Wrld, Post Malone, ASAP Rocky, Lil Double 0, Drake, Travis Scott, Doja Cat, Nate Ruess, Jeff Bhasker, and Mac Miller. The production on the album was handled by a variety of record producers, including T-Minus, Metro Boomin, Kanye West, Pi'erre Bourne, Wheezy, Oz, Louis Bell, and Watt, among others.
The album received generally positive reviews from music critics and was a commercial success. It debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, earning 90,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.
Background and release
In an interview about recording his debut studio album, So Much Fun (2019), Young Thug told The Fader that he wanted to release a follow-up album in the "upcoming weeks". In contrast to his debut, which he described as a "lighthearted work", Punk would be more personal and introspective. He implied that the new album was "touching" and interpreted the meaning of Punk as "brave, not self centered, conscious, very, very neglected, very misunderstood, very patient, very authentic". He said the album would reflect "real rap".
On July 27, 2021, Thug featured on an NPR Tiny Desk home concert, where he performed four new songs and teased an October 15 release date for the album, as seen on the back of his t-shirt. More promotion for Punk is a video published on October 13, 2021, of Thug smashing a $320,000 Rolls-Royce with the word "punk" painted on it in pink.
Following Punk’s release, Thug stated during his appearance on The Breakfast Club that his track "Day Before" with Mac Miller was recorded on the day before Miller's death on September 7, 2018.false2023-07-15 18:01:18Punk1020212021-10-152021-10-1563Hip HopTrap13645623726693b146b58-6030-4e02-a3e8-48d1d793a547800760de-bdf8-43a2-8fe0-44a2401a5515a5b65469-d34a-4901-a9e6-ed56eba43d1c/media/data/media4/Music/Young Thug/Punk (2021)/folder.jpgYoung ThugAlbumArtistYoung ThugArtistYoung ThugYoung ThugJeffery Lamar Williams (born August 16, 1991), known professionally as Young Thug, is an American rapper. Known for his eccentric vocal style and fashion, he is considered an influential figure in modern hip hop and trap music, and a pioneer of the mumble rap microgenre. Williams embarked on a musical career in 2011, releasing a series of mixtapes beginning with I Came from Nothing. In 2013, he signed with fellow Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane's 1017 Records and gained further attention and praise for his debut mixtape with the label, 1017 Thug, released in February of that year.
Williams first received mainstream recognition in 2014 for his singles "Stoner" and "Danny Glover," in addition to his guest appearances on numerous singles, including T.I.'s "About the Money", Tyga's "Hookah", and Rich Gang's "Lifestyle". That same year, he released a mixtape with Rich Gang titled Rich Gang: Tha Tour Pt. 1, and signed a solo recording contract with 300 Entertainment, an imprint of Atlantic Records. In 2015, he amassed a number of mixtapes to critical acclaim, including Barter 6 and two installments of his Slime Season series. Throughout 2016, Williams saw continued success with the release of his commercial mixtapes I'm Up, Slime Season 3, and Jeffery. In 2017, Williams guest performed on the worldwide hit "Havana" by singer Camila Cabello, which became his first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100. The following year, he won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year for his contributions to Childish Gambino's "This Is America".
Williams' debut studio album, So Much Fun (2019) peaked atop the US Billboard 200 and yielded the Billboard Hot 100 top-20 singles "The London" (featuring J. Cole and Travis Scott) and "Hot" (featuring Gunna). The following year, his single "Go Crazy"—with Chris Brown, from their collaborative mixtape Slime & B (2020)—peaked at number three on the chart and became his first top-ten single as a lead artist. That same year, he peaked the chart once more for his guest appearance alongside M.I.A. on Travis Scott's single "Franchise". In 2021, he did so for a third time with his guest appearance alongside Future on Drake's "Way 2 Sexy". His second studio album, Punk was released in October of that year to continued success, followed by his third studio album, Business Is Business in June 2023. In addition to his solo career, he has released two compilation albums with his record label, YSL Records: Slime Language (2018) and Slime Language 2 (2021) to concurrent success; the latter debuted atop the Billboard 200.
Since May 2022, Williams has faced mounting legal troubles. He has been held without bail in the Fulton County Jail on remand due to being charged with violating the Georgia RICO Act, as well as a total of 56 counts of illegal substance trafficking or firearm possession charges. Williams was arrested alongside 27 other members of YSL on gang-related charges. He has been denied bail four times, and Business Is Business was released during his incarceration.