Album: Barter 6
Artist: Young Thug
Rating: 7/10
Where to begin, well let me begin by saying this album/mixtape or whatever you want to call it, is not bad at all. Yes, I am a fan of Thugger. It was this unorthodox style of delivery that had many listening to him even before the 1017 Thug series, myself included. The name of this album is surrounded in controversy, originally titled “Tha Carter 6”, paying homage to Lil Wayne, Thug’s idol. Leading up to the release of B6, Wayne was caught putting the album title and Thugger on blast, shortly after Thug took to instagram to inform his fans that due to a lawsuit the album title was being changed to Barter 6, dropping the C and referencing his blood ties. Bangers, nothing but bangers.
Controversy aside, the album lives up to the hype that surrounded it, with bass heavy beats and that signature weirdo style delivery Thug is known for. One thing that I was able to take away from this album was that much like Tyler, The Creator’s latest album Cherry Bomb, B6 is the brain child of Young Thug on his own. Maintaining the style that got him famous and not switching up is the number one thing I like about this album. It’s original and genuine.
From a lyrical standpoint, there’s not much here. Thug drops hot lines here and there but you shouldn’t expect anything more. Hip-Hop is not 100% lyrical. It’s a mix of rhythm, lyrics and soul, but that’s a discussion for another day. The features are another standout on B6, ranging from Birdman to T.I. Notably missing is fellow Rich Gang member and frequent collaborator Rich Homie Quan. If there is any advice that can be offered so that this can be improved on, it’s get Quan on a track, just saying.
Beat selection on B6 isn’t bad at all. There’s a few tracks that missed the mark, one in particular is Constantly Hating. As the opening track to B6, I feel as though this one should have been scrapped. Even so, I can’t truly see into what Thug was doing on this track because, just as Tyler did for Cherry Bomb, Thug had his vision for this album. That doesn’t go without saying, I really disliked the intro. Some standout tracks include ‘Check’, ‘Never Had It’, ‘Dome’, and ‘Can’t Tell’. There are enough bangers on this album to put Migos to shame.
Whether you’re a fan of Young Thug or not, guaranteed there’s a track or two on Barter 6 that’ll keep your head knockin’. Thug’s efforts to maintain his relevancy throughout all the trolling and controversy are not in vain. He does so in a way that’s applaudable because he does it so effortlessly.
While the album is not 10/10 material, it is still well put together and a foot in the door.
