Young Thug is another oddball from Atlanta making waves because of his almost avant-garde approach to hip-hop. One of the proteges of Atlanta's go-to authority on modern hip-hop Gucci Mane, YT is undoubtedly the strangest sounding character to emerge from the genre in years. The rapper's flow is unlike anything you'll have heard before or since. A sequence of unhinged yelps, sing-song hooks, stoned, drawling verses, guttural grows and surreal whines, he has stated that he does everything to push his voice in increasingly weird directions. Any lines that are repeated, he argues, should sound different to one another. Breakthrough hits like Stoner, Danny Glover and Lifestyle (a collaboration with Rich Homie Quan) have made him the darling of critics everywhere, and he looks like going from strength to strength with utterly surreal and totally unique mixtapes like Barter 6 and his forthcoming album Hy!£UN35. YT is a pretty controversial figure - he's had run-ins with the law, and his off-the-wall futuristic flow certainly isn't for everyone - but his experimentation and originality make him one to watch, no question.
