Young Thug, born Jeffery Lamar Williams on August 16, 1991, in Atlanta, Georgia, is an influential American
rapper, singer, and songwriter known for his distinct, eccentric vocal style and unconventional fashion. Rising
to prominence in 2013 with his mixtape 1017 Thug, he became a key figure in modern trap music and the "mumble
rap" subgenre.
Childhood
Jeffrey Lamar Williams was born on August 16, 1991, in Atlanta. He grew up in a large family, the tenth of
eleven children. They lived in the south Atlanta neighborhood of Sylvan Hills. Because the children had
different fathers, his mother struggled to provide for the family on her own.
Jeffrey grew up surrounded by crime, developing bad habits from an early age. He developed a drug addiction and
gambling. He witnessed the death of his older brother, who was shot during a fight.
Williams didn't even finish elementary school. In sixth grade, he broke a teacher's arm and was sentenced to
four years in juvenile detention.
At 17, the future artist became a father. Around the same time, he began to take an interest in music and
promised himself that he would no longer live in poverty. The rapper adopted the stage name Young Thug.
Career
Young Thug's rap career began in 2010. Over the course of two years, Jeffrey released a series of mixtapes, "I
Come from Nothing." He was heard by renowned Atlanta-born rapper Gucci Mane, who offered to collaborate. Mane
brought Young Thug onto his label, 1017 Brick Squad Records, and signed him in 2013.
That same year, 2013, while still a member of the label, Young Thug worked on a new project and released his
fourth mixtape, "1017 Thug." The young rapper was noticed by music critics, who praised Young's unique style.
His new collection of songs made it onto Pitchfork's list of the best albums and Complex's list of the 50 best
albums of 2013. The renowned music magazine Rolling Stone also ranked "1017 Thug" fifth out of ten.
The standout track on "1017 Thug" was "Picacho," a collaboration with rapper Maceo. At the end of 2013, the song
was included on best-of lists by Rolling Stone, Pitchforks, and Spin. That same year, Thug released his first
singles, "Stoner" and "Danny Glover." They became hits among young people, but there were no remixes for them,
as the artist was against it.
In July 2013, Young Thug began making waves. Complex magazine named him one of the 25 new rap artists worth
listening to. The artist has his own unique style, which isn't for everyone. In his verses, he constantly
distorts his voice and slurs his speech. Many consider Young's music meaningless, yet it nevertheless pumps up
clubs, inspiring young people to have a blast.
Personal Life
The rapper's personal life is eventful and full of interesting events. By the age of 25, he had six children
with four women. Little information about them is available online, likely because Young abandoned them. The
musician was in a serious relationship with Jerrica Carla, who was his personal stylist. The couple reportedly
even got engaged, but the wedding never took place—Young split from Jerrica in December 2020.
In 2021, Thug's new love interest became singer and songwriter Mariah Amani Buckles (Mariah the Scientist). She
supported the musician during his trial, while recordings of Young's phone conversations, in which he confessed
to infidelity, leaked online. This sparked rumors of a breakup, but in December 2025, during a concert in
Atlanta, Buckles proposed to him and accepted.
Young Thug Now
Young Thug is currently working on new projects and expanding his discography. He was released from prison in
late 2024 and immediately began pursuing creative projects. In January 2025, fans heard the rapper as a guest
artist on a collaboration with Future and Lil Baby on the track "Dum, Dumb, and Dumber." In March, Young
released another collaboration—with Ty Dolla Sign, he recorded the track "We Need All Da Vibes."
The rapper released his own album in September. UY Scuti, named after the red supergiant star UY Scuti, follows
on from the 2023 compilation Business Is Business. The project received mixed reviews, with criticism directed
at the cover and the opening track, "Ninja."
