Young Thug ignited debate over race and artistic boundaries after unveiling the cover of his latest album, UY SCUTI, where he appears noticeably lighter skinned and doubling down on the use of the N-word with a hard R in its opening track “Ninja.”
In a preview clip from the It’s Up There podcast, shared by host Big Loon on Twitter (X), the Atlanta rapper addressed the backlash surrounding both the album’s imagery and lyrics. The full interview is set to drop Monday (September 29).
“I think it was just, like, some funny s###,” Thug said. “But it’s still serious to the point where I went with it. […] We always joked and played in my hood. ‘N####, you want to be the biggest, go white.’ […] We just talking s###… It’s just a narrative that the world paint. And we just going with the narrative… ‘Michael Jackson went white for this,’ we know that ain’t true.
“We just go with the motions. It’s just all fun. […] They always let the white people be the biggest. I love white people, too… We got big-ass artists too that’s Black… I was just pushing the envelope a little bit.”
Young Thug Breaks Down His Whiteface Move on UY SCUTI — Why He Did It & What He Means By It
— #youngthug #uyscuti on It’s Up There Podcast with @BigLoon_
Rollout interview
Thug opens up on the uproar surrounding the UY SCUTI album art — where he and his features were edited… pic.twitter.com/KatrK0gUAN
— Big Loon (@BigLoon_) September 28, 2025
Young Thug added that his intentions were not political but rather a commentary on the industry’s long-standing racial dynamics.
“‘You want to be the biggest n#### in this muthafuckin’ world, you got to be Eminem.’ I just put the white album cover out, just talking shi**t. It’s just all fun s###, though. I ain’t with none of that political s###. We having fun, it’s music, and you shouldn’t take it so serious. It’s not like we can make it out alive, anyway. We all gon’ die, no matter what. You got to choose to be happy and put in the world what you want and the legacy you want to create for yourself, ‘cause that’s what it’s about.”
Thug is reportedly scheduled to perform in Atlanta on Sunday (September 28), which may be connected to his probation terms allowing him to be in the city only for anti-gang initiatives.
Young Thug was arrested in 2022 on RICO charges alongside other alleged members of the YSL collective. Prosecutors claim the group operated as a criminal street gang responsible for numerous violent crimes in Atlanta. Thug has denied all allegations and pleaded not guilty. The trial wound up being the longest in Atlanta history, and Thug was finally released on October 31, 2024.
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