Jeffery (mixtape)

Jeffery
Mixtape by Young Thug
Released August 26, 2016 (2016-08-26)
Genre
Length 42:15
Label
Producer
Young Thug chronology
Slime Season 3
(2016)		 Jeffery
(2016)		 Beautiful Thugger Girls
(2017)
Singles from Jeffery
  1. "Pick Up the Phone"
    Released: June 3, 2016
  2. "Wyclef Jean"
    Released: January 24, 2017[1]

Jeffery (stylized as JEFFERY and originally titled No, My Name is Jeffery)[2][3] is a mixtape by American rapper Young Thug. It was released for retail purchase on August 26, 2016, by 300 Entertainment and Atlantic Records. The mixtape features guest appearances from Gucci Mane, Young Scooter, Travis Scott, Wyclef Jean, Gunna and Migos members Quavo and Offset, as well as executive production from TM88 and Wheezy.[4]

Jeffery charted at number eight on the US Billboard 200, and received acclaim from critics. Its artwork, which features Young Thug in an androgynous dress, went viral. The album was named among the best releases of 2016 by several publications, including Pitchfork, Fact, Complex, and Rolling Stone.

Background

Jeffery was announced on July 9, via Young Thug's Instagram, along with previews of new music.[5] It was initially slated for release on August 16, coinciding with Young Thug's birthday, but was pushed back.[6] The mixtape was accompanied by his decision to abandon the stage name Young Thug in favor of the new moniker No, My Name is Jeffery, or simply his birth name Jeffery.[7] The change of stage name was announced by his manager Lyor Cohen in the preparation for the mixtape's release.[7] According to Young Thug, "Jeffery is all about Jeffery. It ain't even about Young Thug. Ain't no Young Thug songs on there. The mixtape is a straight crossover."[4] On Beats 1, he clarified that the name change was only for one week, unless the mixtape sold 100,000 copies.[8]

Each track was named after one of Young Thug's "idols", including Gucci Mane ("Guwop"), Rihanna ("RiRi"), Future ("Future Swag"), and Harambe, the gorilla killed at the Cincinnati Zoo in May 2016.[9]

Release and commercial performance

The song "Kanye West" (originally titled "Elton" and then later "Pop Man") featuring Wyclef Jean, was released on August 19, 2016.[6] The mixtape release was then preceded by a short album trailer released on August 20, which depicted Young Thug being interrogated about his name by the authorities.[6]

The project artwork features Young Thug in an androgynous dress designed by Italian designer Alessandro Trincone, and was photographed by Garfield Lamond.[10] The artwork went viral and prompted a wide range of responses on social media.[11]

Jeffery debuted at number eight on the US Billboard 200 and number five on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, with 37,000 album-equivalent units and sold 18,000 copies in its first week.[12][13] This is Thug's third debut in the top 40 and his second in the top 10.[12]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.4/10[14]
Metacritic82/100[15]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[16]
Exclaim!8/10[17]
The Guardian[18]
HipHopDX3.9/5[19]
Now[20]
Pitchfork8.5/10[9]
PopMatters8/10[21]
Pretty Much AmazingB+[22]
Rolling Stone[23]
ViceA–[24]

Jeffery received acclaim from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the mixtape received an average score of 82, based on 11 reviews.[15] AllMusic's Neil Z. Yeung called the mixtape "thrilling and essential, one of the best rap releases of 2016," writing that "there's enough freshness here to make it his most exciting and mainstream release to date."[16] Daniel Bromfield from Pretty Much Amazing described it as "a more satisfying major-label rap album than most mixtape-bred rappers ever make," asserting that "despite being more extreme in many ways than his prior work, Jeffery is his poppiest tape since 2014's Tha Tour with Rich Gang."[22] PopMatters critic Brian Duricy stated that "as a collection of songs, it's his most realized set to date."[21] Rolling Stone's Jody Rosen stated that "it's Thug's own sound that predominates: the heroic howls, rasps, mumbles and wheezes of a man who is as captivating a vocalist as any in pop."[23]

For MTV News, Meaghan Garvey wrote that "Jeffery, like ATLiens 20 years prior, has that unqualifiable, absolute feeling of arrival," describing it as "irrepressible, bursting with uncannily memorable one-liners and dynamic experiments in flow and cadence over beats that, attached to a more easily marketable rapper, could be obvious radio hits."[25] Pitchfork's Sheldon Pearce described it as "rangy and stunning, an exciting new curve in the fascinating Young Thug arc," stating that "Thug understands the modern pop song construction better than anyone: anything and everything can be a hook."[9] Robert Christgau wrote in Vice that Young Thug "makes black comedy out of irrepressible sound," stating that "his hoohoos and melismas and blahs and mwas and frogcroaks and put-puts are the message."[24] In a less enthusiastic review, Lanre Bakare of The Guardian described it as "a mixtape that features gems among run-of-the-mill trap fodder" while praising the single "Pick Up the Phone" as "an example of all the things Young Thug excels at coming together on one track."[18]

Year-end lists

Publication Rank Ref.
Complex
13
Consequence of Sound
45
Entertainment Weekly
36
Fact
19
The Guardian
25
Pitchfork
21
PopMatters
54
Rolling Stone
10
Spin
17
Variance
29
XXL N/A

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Wyclef Jean"
3:56
2."Floyd Mayweather" (featuring Travis Scott, Gucci Mane and Gunna)
6:01
3."Swizz Beatz"
  • Williams
  • Glass
Wheezy3:16
4."Future Swag"
  • Williams
  • Simmons
TM882:45
5."RiRi"
  • Williams
  • Burgess
  • De La Rosa
Billboard Hitmakers4:04
6."Guwop" (featuring Quavo, Offset and Young Scooter)
  • Wheezy
  • Cassius Jay
  • TM88
5:15
7."Harambe"
  • Williams
  • Burgess
  • De La Rosa
Billboard Hitmakers3:10
8."Webbie" (featuring Duke)
  • Williams
  • Burgess
  • De La Rosa
  • Martinez Arnold
Billboard Hitmakers3:55
9."Kanye West" (featuring Wyclef Jean)
  • Wheezy
  • Cassius Jay
5:41
10."Pick Up the Phone" (with Travis Scott featuring Quavo) (bonus track)
4:12
Total length:42:15

Notes

  • "Floyd Mayweather" originally did not feature vocals by Travis Scott
  • "Kanye West" was formerly known as "Pop Man", "Wet Wet" and "Elton"[37]

Charts

Chart (2016) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[38] 191
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[39] 77
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[40] 19
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)[41] 54
French Albums (SNEP)[42] 72
New Zealand Heatseekers Albums (RMNZ)[43] 5
UK Albums (OCC)[44] 149
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[45] 23
US Billboard 200[46] 8
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[47] 5
US Top Rap Albums (Billboard)[48] 3

References

  1. ↑ "Urban/UAC Future Releases". All Access. All Access Music Group. Archived from the original on January 18, 2017. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
  2. ↑ "JEFFERY by Young Thug on Apple Music". Apple Music. Archived from the original on September 24, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Young Thug – Wyclef Jean [Official Audio]". August 15, 2016. Archived from the original on September 2, 2016 – via YouTube.
  4. 1 2 P, Mr. "Young Thug drops new mixtape, No, My Name Is JEFFERY". Tiny Mix Tapes. Archived from the original on August 27, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
  5. ↑ Smith, Trevor. "Young Thug's "Jeffery" Mixtape Is on the Way". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 Goddard, Kevin. "Young Thug Announces Release Date For "Jeffery"". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on August 26, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
  7. 1 2 Shipley, Al. "Young Thug's New Moniker Is Just Another Entry in the Long History of Changing Rap Names". Complex. Archived from the original on August 18, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2016.
  8. ↑ King, Eric. "Young Thug Will Keep His Name Change for a Week Unless He Sells 100,000 Mixtapes". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 26, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 Pearce, Sheldon. "Young Thug JEFFERY Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on September 2, 2016. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
  10. ↑ Wolf, Cameron. "This Is the Story Behind Young Thug's 'Jeffery' Dress". Complex. Archived from the original on August 30, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2016.
  11. ↑ Jones, Jaleesa M. "Twitter is having a ball with Young Thug's 'Jeffery' cover art". USA Today. Archived from the original on August 26, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2016.
  12. 1 2 "Young Thug's "JEFFERY" Enters Billboard Chart at No. 8". Archived from the original on September 6, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums – September 17, 2016". Archived from the original on September 19, 2016.
  14. ↑ "Jeffery by Young Thug reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2016.
  15. 1 2 "JEFFERY [Mixtape] by Young Thug". Metacritic. Archived from the original on September 5, 2016. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  16. 1 2 Yeung, Neil Z. "Jeffery review". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 4, 2016. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Young Thug – Jeffery review". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on September 7, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  18. 1 2 Bakare, Lanre. "Young Thug: Jeffery review – inconsistent but worth persevering". The Guardian. Archived from the original on September 1, 2016. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
  19. ↑ Chintaluri, Narsimha (August 31, 2016). "Young Thug Jeffery Album Review". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on September 9, 2016. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
  20. ↑ Ritchie, Kevin. "Jeffery – review". Now. Archived from the original on November 1, 2016. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
  21. 1 2 Duricy, Brian. "Young Thug: No, My Name Is JEFFERY". PopMatters. Archived from the original on September 2, 2016. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
  22. 1 2 Bromfield, Daniel. "Young Thug: JEFFERY". Pretty Much Amazing. Archived from the original on September 3, 2016. Retrieved September 1, 2016.
  23. 1 2 Rosen, Jody. "Review: Young Thug's 'Jeffery' May Be Rapper's Strongest in Years". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on September 16, 2016. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  24. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (September 9, 2016). "'Prima Donna' and Young Thug's Name Is Actually Jeffery: Expert Witness with Robert Christgau". Vice. Archived from the original on September 10, 2016. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
  25. ↑ Garvey, Meaghan. "YOUNG THUG'S JEFFERY IS THE MASTERPIECE WE NEVER SAW COMING". MTV News. Archived from the original on September 5, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  26. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2016". Complex. December 5, 2016. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  27. ↑ "Top 50 Albums of 2016". Consequence of Sound. November 27, 2016. Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  28. ↑ "The 50 best albums of 2016". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 13, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  29. ↑ "The 50 best albums of 2016". Fact. Archived from the original on December 15, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  30. ↑ "The Best Albums of 2016". The Guardian. November 30, 2016. Archived from the original on March 15, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  31. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2016". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on December 13, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  32. ↑ "The 70 Best Albums of 2016". PopMatters. Archived from the original on December 16, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  33. ↑ "50 Best Albums of 2016". Rolling Stone. November 30, 2016. Archived from the original on November 30, 2016. Retrieved November 28, 2016.
  34. ↑ "The 50 Best Albums of 2016". Spin. December 12, 2016. Archived from the original on February 16, 2017. Retrieved December 17, 2016.
  35. ↑ "50 Best Albums of 2016". Variance. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 23, 2016.
  36. ↑ "50 Best Hip-Hop Projects of 2016". XXL. December 19, 2016. Archived from the original on December 25, 2016. Retrieved December 25, 2016.
  37. ↑ Smith, Trevor (August 27, 2016). "Young Thug's Pop Man renamed "Kanye West" on itunes". The Fader. Archived from the original on August 29, 2016. Retrieved August 27, 2016.
  38. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Young Thug – Jeffery" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 9, 2016.
  39. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Young Thug – Jeffery" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  40. ↑ "Young Thug Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  41. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Young Thug – Jeffery" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  42. ↑ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums Fusionnes – SNEP (Week 35, 2016)". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  43. ↑ "NZ Heatseekers Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. September 5, 2016. Archived from the original on September 14, 2016. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  44. ↑ Chart Log UK: "CLUK Update 10.09.2016 (wk36)". UK Albums Chart. Zobbel.de. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  45. ↑ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 16, 2016.
  46. ↑ "Young Thug Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
  47. ↑ "Young Thug Chart History (Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  48. ↑ "Young Thug Chart History (Top Rap Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
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