On November 1, 2024, Jeffery Lamar Williams, in a wrinkled brown sweater and mangled dread-headed hair stood nervously in front of Superior Court Judge Paige Whitaker of Fulton County, Georgia. Next to him stood his lawyer, Brian Steel, in a crisp gray suit and short, clean hair.
After a staggering two years spent in federal prison, Atlanta rapper Young Thug accepted a non-negotiated plea deal to criminal charges in exchange for a reduced sentence. The “YSL Records racketeering trial”, as it was known, accused Young Thug’s record label, “Young Stoner Life (YSL) Records” of criminal ties to the street gang “Young Slime Life” in May 2022. Countless charges for drug trafficking, money laundering, and even murder threw “Thugger” and his crew of fellow rappers into the longest court case in Georgia’s history. Numerous sentences for Young Thug, most notably one that involved forty years in prison, were intended for the rapper; however, he was able to secure a deal for fifteen years of probation instead. Months and months worth of trials, court hearings, delays, and witness testimonies all lead up to this one moment— Thugger’s courtroom address.
“All right, Mr. Williams, is there anything you want to say?” Asked Judge Whitaker.
“Yes, ma’am,” responded Young Thug. The rapper spoke for about five more minutes apologizing for his actions and acknowledging his need to “do better as a person”. He was subsequently released after his speech— and walked out of the courtroom, free.
Months passed, and Young Thug remained quite inactive in his music, with some featured verses on rappers Lil Baby and Playboi Carti’s albums “WHAM” and “MUSIC”, respectively. In July 2025, he performed at the Summer Smash Festival in Bridgeview, Illinois in front of nearly 100,000 attendees. Even so, there wasn’t much news surrounding Thugger in the months following his release.
Then, in September, 2025, Thugger sent shockwaves through the music scene with a full-length, twenty-one track surprise album— “Uy Scuti”, his most polarizing project yet . Fans were bewildered. This project could be the comeback that Thugger needed… right?
On the surface, “Uy Scuti” is named after one of the biggest stars in the universe, metaphoring Thugger’s colossal presence in the rap scene. Behind his brags, though, Young Thug also reflects on the aftermath of the YSL case and what it meant for him: media backlash, financial problems, and betrayal from other artists. It’s a new perspective on a more vulnerable, emotional Young Thug then what fans are used to, however.
“Scuti”’s underwhelming opening track, “Ninja”, kicks off the album with Young Thug’s mumble-raps alongside deafening 808 basses. “Ninja” is supposed to be a celebration of Young Thug’s comeback, but it just comes across as bland and forced, like he’s begging you to join the fun. My raps might sound like I’m throwing up, but the rest of the album’s gonna get better, I promise!
Even “Scuti”’s star-studded cast of featured rap stars like Ken Carson, Future, Cardi B, Travis Scott and Lil Baby struggle to find their place in this mess. You can’t even hear Ken Carson’s muddy lyrics on “Yuck”, and Sexyy Redd, who’s notorious for her unhinged, energetic vocals, sounds comatose on “Mami”.
Not all featured artists deliver a subpar performance, thankfully. In fact, “Walk Down” features the most impressive raps on “Scuti”, with 21 Savage effortlessly ripping through verses with a gang-like, murderous flair.
Despite the assists of the featured artists, however, Thugger can’t seem to make a slam dunk— he’s the main problem of his own album, rapping at such a slow, sleepy pace. Even the emotional scale of “Scuti” isn’t there; Young Thug laments about his remorse in the aftermath of the YSL case in such a whiny way that it’s hard for listeners to feel any sympathy. He’s got a lot he wants to say but can’t articulate it very well. One minute Thug’s apologizing to his fans for crimes on “Sad Spider” and the next he’s blaming former friends for his problems on “Dreams Rarely Do Come True”. Listeners can’t really find a common ground on Thugger’s true emotions in the aftermath of the YSL case, and it’s a significant pitfall of this album.
Overall, “Uy Scuti” sounds so minimal because of Thug’s crippled emotional state. I can’t see many songs from this album being played in cars, sports games, or functions, and honestly, it’s probably a good thing. If you’re looking for a soulless, seventy-five minute rap album to fall asleep to, then look no further. In any case, hopefully Thugger will come to the reality that he’s not the biggest— or brightest— star in the universe.