What is Young Thug's Net Worth?
Young Thug is an American rapper who has a net worth of $4 million. Originating from Atlanta, Georgia, Young Thug initially gained attention with a series of mixtapes, showcasing his unique vocal style and unconventional flow. His early mixtapes, like "1017 Thug," received critical acclaim and positioned him as one of the standout talents in Atlanta's vibrant rap scene. As his career progressed, Young Thug became known for his eccentric and experimental approach to trap music, often blurring the lines between rapping and singing. His collaboration with producer London on Da Track, "Lifestyle," became a top 20 hit in 2014 and solidified his place in the mainstream. Over the years, Thug has been a prolific artist, constantly releasing new music, be it through mixtapes, singles, or collaborations with other artists. In 2019, Young Thug released "So Much Fun," his debut studio album, which topped the US Billboard 200 and included the hit single "Hot."
Unfortunately, as we detail later in this article, Young Thug has experienced some serious legal issues during his career. He was arrested in May 2022 and subsequently charged on allegations, including participation in criminal street activities and conspiracy to violate the RICO act. An indictment claimed that Thug was the leader of an organization called Young Slime Life, which allegedly participated in murders, assault, theft, drug dealing, and more. In a particularly infamous charge, Young Slime Life was purported to be behind the attempted murder of Lil Wayne in a tour bus shooting in 2015.
Between the COVID lockdowns and his arrest, Young Thug has lost millions of dollars from his inability to tour. He has indicated that at his peak, he was making $500,000 per gig. So even just losing ten gigs would have cost him $5 million.
Early Life
Young Thug was born on August 16th, 1991, in Atlanta, Georgia. His real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, and he comes from a large family of 11 children. A Zone 3 native, Young Thug comes from the same impoverished neighborhood in Atlanta that produced musicians such as Waka Flocka Flame, 2 Chainz, and Ludacris. Williams was an unruly child and was reportedly sent to Juvenile Prison for four years after breaking his teacher's arm in 6th grade.
Career
Young Thug began his musical career before he reached his 20s, featuring on TruRoyal's "She Can Go." This prompted Young Thug to release numerous mixtapes between 2011 and 2012. These mixtapes became known as the I Came From Nothing series. Prominent Atlanta-based rapper Gucci Mane took notice of Young Thug and signed him to the 1017 Brick Squad record label. After releasing more mixtapes with the support of Gucci Mane's label, Young Thug created quite a buzz due to his original musical style. Many predicted that he would be one of the biggest new rappers. During this time, Young Thug added to his notoriety by collaborating with artists such as Waka Flocka Flame and Travis Scott.
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In 2014, Young Thug was the subject of many rumors, including reports that he'd been offered over $8 million to sign with Future's record label. He also became affiliated with Birdman's Cash Money Records, although it was later revealed that this was a management deal and not a record label deal. Young Thug remained loyal to 1017 Brick Squad for most of the year but later signed with 300 Entertainment. The next few years saw Young Thug collaborating with major artists such as Kanye West, Chief Keef, and Rich Homie Quan.
By 2015, fans were begging for a real album – and not another mixtape. Young Thug originally planned to call his debut album Carter 6, in an apparent homage to Lil' Wayne. However, Lil' Wayne saw this as a copyright issue and told his fans to stop listening to Young Thung. In response, Young Thug announced that his album would be called Barter 6 instead. He then announced that the upcoming release would simply be another mixtape.
Later in 2015, there was still confusion about who exactly Young Thug had signed with, as he claimed that he had a deal with Atlantic Records. Over the next few years, a debut album continued to be teased, and at one point, the title was revealed to be "HiTunes." However, the album never materialized, and Young Thug continued to release further mixtapes. One of the highlights of his career came in 2017 when he collaborated with Camila Cabello's hit single "Havana." The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Top 100, giving Young Thug his first number-one hit. He repeated this feat once again in 2018, as he co-wrote and provided background vocals for Childish Gambino's "This Is America." The song reached the number-one spot once again.
In 2019, Young Thug released his debut album, So Much Fun, which debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 and included the Billboard Hot 100 top-twenty singles "The London" and "Hot." The next year, his single "Go Crazy" with Chris Brown peaked at number three on the Hot 100, becoming his first top-ten single as a lead artist. Young Thug then reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 for the second time on Travis Scott's "Franchise." His 2021 compilation album Slime Language 2 hit number one on the Billboard 100, and he would reach number one on the Hot 100 for a third time later in the year on Drake's "Way 2 Sexy" alongside Future. In October 2021, his second studio album, Punk, was released. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and became his third number-one album and second chart-topping project of the year.
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Legal Controversies
In February 2014, he was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, reckless conduct, reckless driving, and driving without a seat belt. In July 2015, Young Thug was arrested at his home in Atlanta on drugs and weapons charges. After the home was searched, police charged him with felony cocaine possession, felony marijuana possession, and three counts of felony drug possession. The arrest came just days after Young Thug and Birdman were implicated in a plot to kill Lil Wayne.
In 2017, it was revealed that Young Thug was being sued by Heritage Select Homes for owing more than $2.2 million in payments on his 11,000 square feet, six-bedroom, 11-bathroom Atlanta home.
In May 2022, Young Thug was arrested at his home in Atlanta's Buckhead suburb. According to an 88-page indictment that accompanied the indictment, Young Thug was one of 28 people charged on allegations, including participation in criminal street activities and conspiracy to violate the RICO Act (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act). The indictment claimed that Thug and 27 other individuals, operating as a group called "Young Slime Life," participated in murder, aggravated assault, theft, drug possession, armed robbery, and more between 2012 and 2020. Young Thug was accused of being one of Young Slime Life's leaders. One of the allegations listed in the indictment is the April 2015 incident in which an alleged YSL member named Jimmy Winfrey allegedly shot at Lil Wayne's tour bus.
Concert Earnings
In the wake of the 2020 coronavirus, Young Thug explained to radio host Big Boy how canceling shows and festivals costs artists on his level millions of dollars. He explained:
"The money I get for shows, let's say I get $500,000. If I don't do these ten shows, that's $5 million."
He further explained that he sort of loses double the money because he needs/wants to keep his expenses at the same level:
"I might spend a million, two million just on this quarantine shit. Like I got my mom and daddy, all these folks, god damn. I'm like, 'Y'all stay in the house.' They like, 'Yeah'. They get tired of the house every week, they want a penthouse, go to the hotel. That shit cost money and you don't make the money off your shows. However much money I lose on a show, that's probably the same amount of money I lose spending my money."
Personal Life
Young Thug has six children (three sons and three daughters) to four different women, first becoming a dad at 17 years old. He got engaged to Jerrika Karlae in April 2015. They split up in December 2020, and in 2021, he started dating singer Mariah the Scientist.
