Today, Interview Magazine has revealed their Winter Issue, which features a cover story on Young Thug. The piece finds Young Thug talking art and life with Virgil Abloh in a conversation that ranges across a variety of topics. It's a fascinating read for fans of the rapper, and one of the most in-depth looks into Thugger's creative process in a minute.
Off the bat, Thug confidently approximates that his overall tally of recorded songs currently stands at 15,000. Though the number may feel staggering, the explanation is actually rather logical. "I just stay in there," explains Thugger, referring to the studio. "I keep clothes in the studio. I slept there last night. To be honest, I hate traveling so much, because I’d rather be in the studio." Of course, such dedication to the craft might explain Thugger's prolific run, but it also speaks to a perfectionist side we take for granted; his vault must be a truly impressive sight to behold, with Terabytes worth of unreleased WAV files.
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As the conversation progresses, Thug explains why his music sounds so original, especially in a sea of perpetual copycats. "If you don’t like something, you kind of have to create your own look," explains Thugger, drawing parallels with Abloh's own mindset. "When I didn’t like what I was listening to, I just had to create a whole different album, or a whole different mixtape. It’s still like that for me."
Abloh proceeds to reflect on an era when he and Kanye were barely welcomed in the high fashion game. "When me and Kanye first went to fashion shows, they wouldn’t let us in. We’d have to get back in the car and drive around the block. Now this collective of us is the whole culture. How we wear clothes and how we make our art is what rock ’n’ roll was for previous generations." Thugger can't help but marvel at how the world has changed. "Now n***s are the brand ambassadors for this shit. It’s crazy as fuck."
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While the conversation is a wide-ranging and insightful one, the most interesting moments arise when Thugger sheds light on his creative process. When asked about where he draws inspiration, Thugger explains "When I first started [writing lyrics] the topic was real-life situations. But I now spend maybe 16 hours a day in the studio—I spend almost all my life in the studio—so I try to turn everything I go through in those hours into something. Anything crazy, or iconic, or even a mistake—whatever it is, I feel like it’s precious. That’s my concept."
For more from Young Thug and Virgil Abloh, be sure to check out the entire cover story over at Interview Magazine.
