(Before I begin to tell you why I’ve picked Barter 6 as one of my favorite projects of the year, I’d like to remind all readers I am not saying this is one of the “best” projects of the year, simply one of my favorites. If you disagree, all opinions are like butt holes; everyone has one.)
If you have met me even once, you know I am a Young Thug stan. Seriously. I don’t/can’t go a day without listening to this guy. And no matter how many times I try and explain it, I don’t ever seem to be able to hit the nail on the head. Well here I go, trying again. Young Thug is my favorite rapper making music right now simply on the fact that he is the most melodic rap artist doing it. Though many times he sacrifices lyrical content for this cause, it still (in my opinion) makes his music some of the most appealing rap I’ve heard in years. There’s a playfulness about Young Thug I don’t see in other rappers. He’s doesn’t walk around with his chest out, fist clenched, trying to prove he’s the toughest, manliest man in the room. Instead, he has no shame and mostly complete swag while wearing women’s clothing or men’s clothing that is completely too small for his lengthy-ass. In 2015, gay marriage became legal in America and in 2015, an androgynous rapper was my favorite artist of the year.
Now, Barter 6 didn’t drop and immediately become one of my favorite releases of the year. In fact, it took a month or two for it to really grow on me. I think I speak for a lot of people when I say I was expecting something a lot more hype. Something that embodied the “Danny Glover” and “Stoner” vibe that Thug had on a lot of his single releases in 2014. The controversial release of Barter 6 also made me feel some type of way. I’m no Lil’ Wayne fan, but it was slightly petty Thug decided to name the project Barter 6, in the midst of a serious beef between Wayne and YMCMB head honcho Birdman (side note: favorite rap rumor of the year goes to Thug, Birdman, and Wayne’s supposed love triangle). However, Thug’s project was undoubtedly better than anything Wayne did this year, so I got over the whole disrespect thing pretty quickly.
Though I wasn’t immediately hooked on Barter 6 when it first dropped, I did keep going back to it for some reason. Though I was looking for an album full of radio hits, what Thug gave me was something much more cohesive and variety filled. On “Constantly Hating”, Thug and Birdman kick off the project with a very boastful and bouncy track that has one of the better beats on the entire album. Then, out of nowhere, “With That” is next, which has one of the most infectious hooks on the entire project as well as one of the funniest videos that features Thug with a little baby head (see video above). From then on, there aren’t many road bumps on Barter 6. “Can’t Tell” with T.I. and Boozie BadAzz was surprisingly not a radio hit, but “Check” cleaned up as one of the best rap songs of the year (just ask this little girl). “Dream” with Yak Gotti had to have been one of my favorite slower rap songs of the year with another amazing chorus and an impressive guest verse from Yak Gotti. The second half of the project wasn’t as good as the first, but tracks like “Halftime” and “Knocked Off” with Birdman definitely kept me satisfied.
All and all, Young Thug seems to be doing no wrong. With his Slime Season releases this year, he was definitely one of the most accessible rap artists of 2015. Though sometimes he’ll release something and it isn’t as good as the previous, just remember: Thug is in a constant state of fluctuation and change. He has no fears in trying new things and exploring other possibilities, which is incredibly admirable. Just when you think he’s found his style and groove, he switches it up (sometimes even two or three times within one song). Young Thug is a rapper for the future and I’m incredibly excited for everything he has in store. We’ll see if he can 3-peat with another project on my 2016 list of favorite projects.
LORD FORGIVE ME FOR POSTING TWO VIDEOS AT THE END OF THE ARTICLE INSTEAD OF ONE.
