Young Thug - Barter 6 (Review)

I think I would classify Young Thug as a talented rapper who has had a ton of gimmicks surrounding his career. He initially got a lot of interest from his rapping ability which is quite reminiscent of Lil Wayne. He then started getting a lot of press and news stories about his eccentric behavior, style of dress, and of course his continued insistence that his debut album would carry on 'Tha Carter' name, which is the name of Lil Wayne's popular album series. Thug insisted he would title his album Tha Carter Six, which he was going to make good on. For about a week or so it looked like Thug's Tha Carter Six would drop before the often delayed Lil Wayne album Tha Carter Five. That is until Thug ran into some legal troubles when trying to use the title. Word on the internet is that Wayne threatened to sue if Thug used the name. So instead of Carter 6 we get Barter 6. The album now might also be considered a mixtape instead of Thug's debut album. For all intents and purposes Barter and Carter are different words, but it's not much of a stretch to pretty much consider that Thug got his way minus one letter. Plus the original Tha Carter Six artwork is all over the internet so with the one letter change aside we all know the vast majority will consider this Thug making good on releasing Tha Carter Six, in theory at least...I guess. Now with all the gimmicks, bad and good, aside including the album title drama you have one thing left to consider. How good is the actual music on Tha Barter Six? That's exactly what I wanted to get into when I listened to the album/mixtape. I wanted to strip away (no pun intended toward the album artwork) all those layers around the union to see just how good the music is. That being said I had to look at how some of the gimmicks affect the listening experience and how it's inescapable not to notice them.

Right from the start song one is going to cause some controversy. "Constantly Hating" features Cash Money's Birdman. He is again featured on track ten "Knocked Off". His inclusion on the album, the drama surrounding his current beef with Lil Wayne, and the fact this album's title is a take on Lil Wayne's classic album series is very interesting and could be telling. I would be willing to bet his inclusion on the album will not win over any of those Lil Wayne faithfuls who are siding with Wayne in the Birdman beef but who might have decided to give Barter 6 a chance just due to the name comparisons to Wayne's Tha Carter series. Overall "Constantly Hating" is a pretty interesting song. Thug's rapping ability is instantly showcased. He's always had an interesting rapping ability and you definitely hear those Lil Wayne influences pretty immediately on this song and various other songs on the album. Birdman's appearance will no doubt add some discussion points, but his verse on the song isn't one of his best. He does flow decently over the beat though.

"Can't Tell" features T.I. who works out much better as a guest. The song definitely has single potential and will probably be a fan favorite. The beat has this dripping sound throughout that is interesting and works pretty well with the snare elements of the song. There's also a line Thug says that could be interpreted as a slight diss to Lil Wayne. Thug says on the song, "I'll leave you dead and call it Dedication." This could be a slight diss because Dedication is the name of Wayne's popular mixtape series. Maybe there's a little animosity coming from Thug who was unable to name his album what he wanted or maybe there has been animosity for a while because the song was probably recorded before the title drama, or maybe I'm just reading too much into one word in a song. 

"Check" is a pretty darn catchy song and it's not surprising it was picked as single. The chorus easily gets stuck in my head. Although you aren't getting the world's greatest lyrics in the chorus, you can't knock how catchy it is. There are times on the song when you almost feel like you're listening to a Lil Wayne song. Thug's rapping ability comes so close to mirroring that of his idol. "Never Had It" featuring Young Dolph has an insanely well crafted beat with its beat being one of my favorites on the album. The bass in the song sounds really cool and Thug flows really well over the beat. "Amazing" featuring Jacquees has a smooth flowing beat, smooth vocal parts, and features Thug delivering some fast paced rhymes. It also features some of Thug's best rhyme flow on the album. The song comes together and delivers. It's one of my favorite, if not my favorite, songs on this album.

I think this album is solidly produced. I'm liking the beat selection. Thug definitely has his own vibe. His rapping style is very reminiscent of Lil Wayne. It's very obvious that he draws a lot of influence from him. That being said he's not a Lil Wayne clone. He has a lot of elements to his rapping ability, lyrical ability, and delivery that capture his style in a unique way. He's somewhat eccentric and has a decent flow. The guests, for the most part, are pretty solid. Lyrically, there are spots here or there that lack. Overall, this is a solid rap album. It's a shame that some of the gimmicks are going to overshadow the album because it's pretty solid without focusing on the gimmicks and just judging the album by its music. In fact I think this is probably Young Thug's best release. I suggest trying to look away from the gimmicks surrounding the album and just listen to the music. If you can do that it is a pretty enjoyable release.