"Whatchu say?" Atlanta rap auteur/professional weirdo Young Thug squeals in "Cash Talk", his latest pairing with Atlantan producer Metro Boomin as Metro Thuggin. Considering Thug's pinched-off delivery of the line over the Galaga meets traphouse beat, it can be construed one of several ways. Emboldened by the sturdy bass, Thug is chest puffing and asking haters what shade they would dare throw his way. Or the syrup-addled ATLien is mimicking the most common question anyone hearing his music for the first time would ask, "whatchu say?" With the marble-mouthed Gucci Mane and Autotune loving Future providing competition, Young Thug still stands out in Atlanta rap as the most misunderstood. Check out any number of entries on Rap Genius for Thug's music and you'll find glaring lyric holes or debates over what exactly it is he's saying. Even if his words are properly transcribed there's a reasonable chance you'll still be asking "whatchu say?" Unless Thug’s a serious Transformers fan, "Y'all like we wear black diamonds, stingray, no bumblebee" doesn't mean anything. It's a liquid non sequitur that flows like rain on a slanted roof.
Which leads to a third possibility. "Whatchu say?" could be an incomplete thought of "it's not whatchu say, but how you say it." Delivery is what matters more in our fast-paced communication and at this point Thug has his delivery perfected. He'll squeal, scream, bark, bellow and laugh, often on the same track. "Pull up in a hearse you're head imma burst" is a relatively minor threat unless it’s delivered in Young Thug's frantic tone. Hearing him speed through the line, you'd think he was going to kill everyone at the funeral and then hit another wake "just because." Maybe it's the Southern Gothic churn that so frequently accompanies him, but much of Thug's work has that feel. It's a do or die urgency few in any genre possess right now and it's a marvel to hear, no matter what it is he’s saying.
The Metro Thuggin mixtape is loosely pegged for a summer release.
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