Young Thug (Instagram)
Rapper Young Thug unveiled the artwork for his new mixtape Thursday and users reacted immediately online. Observers noticed his Instagram post, which showed the MC in a ruffled blue dress with a parasol-like hat over his head. The back cover of Thug’s No, My Name Is Jeffrey, features a similar image. But he faces forward and looks out from under the hat instead.
Some created memes poking fun at the cover choice. Yet others questioned his appropriation of queer culture. For Twitter users who found humor in the photo, creativity abounded.
One placed Thug in the 1990s version of Mortal Kombat.
https://twitter.com/itsbizkit/status/768984949584191489
Another imagined him in Disney’s Mulan.
https://twitter.com/_maleficentt/status/769024745715208193
@ktgonkt couldn’t help but see something familiar in the ensemble. He shared an image of the rapper in Beyoncé’s dress from her Lemonade visual album.
https://twitter.com/ktgonkt/status/769157591842775040
Erick Fernandez shared an image of the MC edited into a car wash.
Someone put Young Thug in a car wash. 😂 pic.twitter.com/wEOmO4gUYt
— Erick Fernandez (@ErickFernandez) August 26, 2016
Instagram also got in on the fun.
Continuing the Disney theme on Twitter, Mariano edited the rapper into the Mary Poppins movie poster.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJj6KyPDljJ/?taken-by=run_productionz
Tim Wattley had the rapper take Nettie’s place, calling out to Celie in 1985’s The Color Purple.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJjj6_ggME5/?taken-by=mr.wattley
But others found the imagery more serious.
The rapper earned praise for his cover choice from some.
look at this carefree black boy young thug. jeffrey. whoever he is now, he's a real one for this. pic.twitter.com/POnHpgzXgg
— A.L. (@ashdollarsign) August 26, 2016
Others, like Myles E. Johnson, thought it was problematic for individuals who are targeted for donning queer aesthetics because it aligns with their identity.
https://twitter.com/hausmuva/status/768973560333426689
Johnson also called out the rapper for using the look for marketing purposes.
https://twitter.com/hausmuva/status/768974261339979777
User B. Lestrange also took issue. She explained straight men taking on feminine styles makes the look palatable for the public because they “tend to reaffirm they’re straight.”
https://twitter.com/_BrookieB_/status/769033039657730048
Still, the Jeffery cover is not the first time Thug wore bent gender norms. He wore a Hooters tank top in his “Check” video last year.
As for why he wears women’s clothing, the Atlanta rapper told GQ they’re “[slimmer] than men’s clothes.”
