Nobody seems to know exactly why Young Thug chose Oedipus — the Greek mythological figure who unknowingly killed his father, married his mother and gouged his own eyes out after realizing what he'd done — as the mascot for his esteemed Slime Season trilogy. But at the very least, the Freud-endorsed theme has helped visually represent the enthralling rapper's evolution: while the cover art for the first mixtape was eye-catching but clearly thrown together, the painting for Slime Season 3 (which was allegedly made by a fan and used without permission) exudes clarity, focus and finesse.
SS3 is a brief affair, with eight songs over the span of 29 minutes. But like Future's 56 Nights or Beast Mode, the conciseness works wonders; it's an incredibly tight release. Every song justifies its spot: the Allen Ritter-produced "Drippin'" serves as a standout, exhibiting a staccato delivery and manic yelling, both of which are new to his already vast sonic vocabulary.
Thugga's beatmaking BFF London On Da Track makes half of the beats on SS3, all of which are highly serviceable. But Young Thug tends to sound most exciting when he's paired with less familiar producers — Jamie xx, Salva and Nick Hook, Treasure Fingers, Frank Dukes — and may find most success in winning over new fans via similar collaborations.
Who knows when Young Thug's debut album Hy!£UN35 will drop — hell, the only reason we knew the release date for this tape was because of a bizarre faux-funeral procession through the middle of SXSW — but if SS3 is any indication it could very well be a strong contender for rap album of the year.
(Atlantic Records / 300 Entertainment)SS3 is a brief affair, with eight songs over the span of 29 minutes. But like Future's 56 Nights or Beast Mode, the conciseness works wonders; it's an incredibly tight release. Every song justifies its spot: the Allen Ritter-produced "Drippin'" serves as a standout, exhibiting a staccato delivery and manic yelling, both of which are new to his already vast sonic vocabulary.
Thugga's beatmaking BFF London On Da Track makes half of the beats on SS3, all of which are highly serviceable. But Young Thug tends to sound most exciting when he's paired with less familiar producers — Jamie xx, Salva and Nick Hook, Treasure Fingers, Frank Dukes — and may find most success in winning over new fans via similar collaborations.
Who knows when Young Thug's debut album Hy!£UN35 will drop — hell, the only reason we knew the release date for this tape was because of a bizarre faux-funeral procession through the middle of SXSW — but if SS3 is any indication it could very well be a strong contender for rap album of the year.
