In the last three years, three albums have been released that I consider to be all time classics that will be listened to for many years to come (by me, anyway).

I’ve written previously about two of them, Deafheaven’s superb “New Bermuda” (2015) and Frank Ocean’s immaculate “Blonde” (2016), but I’ve held off writing about the third because I find it very, very hard to put into words what exactly I find so wonderful about it, and because – if I’m honest – it’ll probably sound really fucking stupid.

Young Thug’s “JEFFERY” (2016) is a really, really weird record. It’s not as self-consciously arty as the other two, lacking either the sturm und drang of New Bermuda, or the icey minimalism as Blonde. Nor is it as overtly worthy. In fact, on the face of it, it’s just a massively dumb Trap record about sex and drugs. It’s a really unpromising base from which to build, and yet…..

Jeffery Lamar Williams, aka Young Thug/Thugger, is a rapper out of Atlanta. He grew up in housing projects and in and out of gangs. The protégé of Gucci Mane, he’s a hyperactive presence, releasing at least two records a year since » Continue Reading.