The Rich Gang Track is Proof Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug Will Father Rap into the Future

Rich Gang – the supergroup headed up by Birdman – put out a mixtape on Monday. This is important for two reasons. One: the production on almost every Cash Money record is as sublime as a drop of D’usse Cognac in a crystal clear balloon snifter – and therefore a perfect excuse to wild-out and get faded on your local supermarket’s affordable equivalent. Two: Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan feature on every track.

The pair have already appeared on a bunch of tracks together – Rich Gang’s “Lifestyle” (the Summer’s prerequisite to turning up), “Get TF Out My Face” (a side-eye anthem), and “Pull Up” (which appears on the Rich Gang tape) – and the fact they’ve made an entire record together is pleasing. Fans that have spent the past year devouring the pair’s respective (and heavily addictive) back catalogues will abuse their office chair’s suspension system upon listening. But, even to people that haven’t yet subscribed to the duo’s cult, the partnership is one of the most essential things to happen in hip-hop the last few months.

The last year or so has been interesting for the pair. Ever since Young Thug dropped “Stoner” last August he’s been rising: appearing on tracks with T.I, performing with Lil Wayne and the rest of YMCMB, and playing on the Jimmy Fallon show. Kanye West and Drake have both been spotted wildin’ out to his music. Similarly, Rich Homie Quan – who has released four tapes since 2012 – put out “Type of Way” around the same time and has since been clocking in millions of plays. He also appeared on the XXL Freshman Class of 2014 list.

Each time a new hip-hop artist starts to pick up hype, they get labelled with phrases and tags like “innovating” or “pushing the game forward”. A recurring problem for many hype-artists in the last few years, is that their overnight fame has come as the result of a Tumblr project that probably took off on Reddit (and by proxy HypeTrak and the Fader), and when push comes to shove, they just aren’t ready for the pressure and expectancy that brings. And, they also usually look more like your little brother’s friends, than future stars.

Will Never Stop Going In Princess Leia buns on the Fallon show Dun Deal et al US colleague Kyle Kramer

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