Business is business — and to Young Thug, not even a prison stint and ongoing court trial are getting in the way of it. The rapper released Business Is Business, his first solo music since being indicted on racketeering and other charges as leader of his label and collective YSL. (He’s had collaborations with everyone from Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa to Yeat come out while in prison, but those were likely recorded beforehand.) The cover alone made it clear that Thugger wasn’t going to keep quiet about his situation, featuring a black-and-white shot of the rapper looking back at a camera while other defendants look ahead in court. Executive produced by Metro Boomin, the 15-track album includes features from Drake, Future, 21 Savage, Travis Scott, Yak Gotti, Lil Uzi Vert, BSlime, Lil Gotit, and Nate Ruess.
Thug first teased the project a week ago, posting a QR code that led to a countdown clock. That same day his protege Gunna released a Gift & a Curse, his own first album since leaving prison after making an Alford plea on his racketeering charge. “Switching on my brother, are you serious?†he asked on “paybach,†responding to the rumors that he’d testify against Thug and others in the ongoing, long-delayed case.
Young Thug, a.k.a. Jeffery Williams, has been in prison for over a year since the indictment, still awaiting trial. His attorneys have made multiple requests for bail, claiming prison has been unhealthy for him, but all have been denied. Jury selection is still ongoing, with little clue of when the trial could begin.