‘On The Rvn’: Young Thug On The Attack

On Aug. 17, Young Thug was arrested at his own birthday party. On Sept. 7, he was charged with eight counts related to an earlier arrest. For some, this legal trouble punctuated an ongoing decline in Thug’s career: After two disappointing albums, many felt the rapper had passed his prime. With his new EP, “On The Rvn,” Thug proves his critics wrong. "On The Rvn" echoes the recent Yeezy Season releases in its brevity and quality; its six tracks, for the most part, recall his old music and add new dimensions to his sound.

As its title suggests, Young Thug’s run-ins with the law loom over "On The Rvn." Thug’s lyrics on the EP are, as always, somewhat empty. But this does not mean "On The Rvn" has no message. What Thug lacks in eloquence he makes up in expressiveness, and his indomitable energy and effortless charisma are powerful on this EP. Across the project, Thug’s tone is triumphant. "On The Rvn" sends a clear message: Although Thug may soon be behind bars, he is far from defeated.

Out of "On The Rvn"’s many solid tracks, two stand out as distinctly new. “Climax (feat. 6lack)” sees Thug at his most vulnerable. The song opens with Thug’s ghostly warbling over an a cappella-style rhythm. Soon guitar chords come in, evoking the acoustic sound Thug explored on “Beautiful Thugger Girls.” London on da Track’s minimal beat brings energy to the song, and 6lack’s deep, buttery singing compliments Thug’s treble. The track’s melody comes from a Shiloh song — a possible homage to XXXTentacion, who sampled the singer’s music on several hits and was recently killed.

"On The Rvn" makes history with its other standout song. “High (feat. Elton John)” is an affirmation of the mumbliest of mumble rap by an elder statesman of rock music. Accompanied by rich piano chords and a melodic snare, Thug’s verses interweave beautifully with a sample from Elton John’s “Rocket Man.” Together, the two artists share a wistful yet optimistic conversation across generations and genres. It is an apt collaboration. Elton John was one of the first openly gay pop stars. And Young Thug, though straight, has shattered norms in his own way, introducing gender-bending fashions to rap, an often hyper-masculine genre.

The EP’s other tracks range from good to adequate. In general, they represent a return to the style that made Thug famous. Jaden Smith delivers a solid feature on “Sin,” a bass-heavy banger. Thug brings out some of his catchiest hooks and some unusually well-enunciated, Lil Uzi Vert-esque flows on “Real in my Veins.” Neither the title track nor “Icey” find their direction, however. For an opener, “On the Run” is bland. And “Icey”’s lack of a compelling hook is disappointing, as its beat is one of the EP’s most energetic.

That said, Young Thug is back. Though it is not a lyrical or a complex EP, "On The Rvn" is an EP of optimism and of defiance. Ever since Thug’s 2011 tape “I Came From Nothing” dropped, the rapper’s mainstream moment has been waiting for him, forever on the horizon. "On The Rvn" may be the project that finally puts Thug on the charts. With futuristic production, catchy hooks, and high-impact features, the EP is suited for the moment, dependable yet innovative. It is a sad irony that Young Thug’s breakout may come just as he gets locked up.