Image
Image Credit
Prince Williams / Contributor via Getty Images
Image Alt
Young Thug performs during “Young Thug Live From Fulton Courthouse”
Image Size
landscape-medium
Key Takeaways:
- Young Thug dubbed “Ninja” a “gay anthem” during a red carpet interview.
- The song drew backlash for its use of the N-word with a hard “-er.”
- A separate moment involving Mariah the Scientist also caught attention that night.
Young Thug’s “Ninja” is a gay anthem, apparently.
In a clip posted by Them on Thursday (Nov. 20), the Atlanta rapper was asked about his “gay anthem of the moment” during GQ’s annual Men of the Year party. After asking what that meant, reporter Ludwig Hurtado clarified, “A song that you’re like, ‘The gays kinda ate with this one.’”
Thugger thought for a moment before picking “Ninja” from his latest album, UY SCUTI. “It’s by this gay rapper named Young Thug,” he joked. “OK, I can’t wait to listen to it,” Hurtado replied, to which the musician encouraged, “Listen to it.” See the video below.
“Ninja” was met with quite a bit of controversy when it arrived on streaming services in September, largely because of Thug’s use of the N-word with the hard “-er.” He raps, “My kids, they straight, you n**ger / I’m not fake, you n**ger / Black diamonds today, I’m a n**ger.”
Later on, the “It’s Up There Podcast,” Thug explained that his choice to “go white” on the UY SCUTI cover — and possibly use the N-word the way he did — was done on purpose. “I think it was just some funny s**t, but it’s still serious to the point where I went with it,” the rapper said. “That’s what I said when I put the album cover out, I said, ‘Aye, if you wanna be the biggest, go white.’”
Besides walking the red carpet at the GQ Men of the Year party, Thug also made comments outside of Hollywood’s Chateau Marmont that riled up the internet. While signing autographs and chatting with people, a reporter asked why Mariah the Scientist wasn’t there with him.
“She had a show,” he responded. Someone else then asked if they’re still “rocking strong,” followed by him answering, “Of course. I just put a baby in her.”