With an album named after one of the largest stars in the universe, Young Thug sets an astronomical bar for his first album following a nearly 2.5-year jail bid.
Written by Earvin Adjei
After a highly publicized RICO trial and release, Young Thug is back. We’ve seen what the tweets have to say, but what does the music have to say? Let’s take a step back and dive into UY Scuti.
The Good:
There are several good to great tracks on the album. The project may have lacked an overall narrative, but there is definitely replay value here. Walk Down with 21 Savage finds both artists trading familiar street narratives over a menacing trap beat. RIP Big & Mack places Thug over a grimy, bass-heavy beat rooted in classic Atlanta trap, allowing him to settle into a focused, laidback performance, aided by a solid T.I. verse.
Thug has always been an artist willing to embrace the new generation of artists, and he continues to do so here. Seeing as he inspired most of these guys, it’s no shock to hear him share great chemistry with these artists and deliver fun and fresh collaborations. Yuck with Ken Carson was a vibrant collab that bridged new school Atlanta with old school. Revenge with YSL signees Lil Gotit and 1300Saint was a chaotic but thrilling track that embraces the new underground hip-hop sound and highlights the promising future of the YSL label.
The Bad:
Let’s address the elephant in the room. That intro. Rather than establishing a strong foundation, the intro opts for shock over substance. Towards the end of the intro, “Ninja” Thug has an interesting choice of words to describe his opps. Thug chooses to ditch the conventional use of the n-word and replaces it with the hard R. If shock value was the goal, then mission accomplished, but it came at a cost. Intro tracks are fundamental to laying the groundwork for an album, and Thug undermined that importance. There were so many avenues he could have taken here. He could have addressed Gunna, the leaked jail calls, and the snitch allegations. The rap world was eager to hear how Thug would respond musically, so this feels like a missed opportunity. Instead, he went with a solid but run-of-the-mill trap song that wasted an epic sample that flips the audio of a state prosecutor from the YSL RICO case.
The album cover as well. White face? This highlights the album’s central flaw: Thug prioritizes virality over musical substance, a trade-off that ultimately weakens the project. In years past, things like this worked for him. Whether he was posing naked on the Barter 6 cover or gracing a dress for Jeffery, these moments created intrigue and were accompanied by great music. This time around, Thug had the virality, but it overshadowed the music.
Much of the frustration surrounding UY Scuti stems from what Thug doesn’t say. Despite months of speculation surrounding Gunna, leaked jail calls, and resurfaced interrogation footage, Thug largely avoids addressing these moments directly in the music. Instead, he opts for social media jabs and interviews, leaving fans feeling underwhelmed. In contrast, Gunna kept quiet and released music that spoke for itself, a comparison that only highlights Thug’s missed opportunity.
Final Verdict:
UY Scuti is definitely one of the weaker projects in Thug’s catalogue. Fans were hoping for a return to form for him, but Thug seems to have his sights set on everything but music at this moment. Instead of letting the music speak, Thug seems more focused on managing narratives, which ultimately dulls the impact of the project, though standout tracks show Thug still has his signature spark. 3 out of 5 stars.
The Earvin Edit 
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