Young Thug’s Atlanta show marked by odd moments, Mariah the Scientist proposal

Such a show didn’t even seem possible over a year ago, with Young Thug being held behind bars amid the extensive YSL trial. He was released from Fulton County Jail and sentenced to time served and 15 years’ probation after pleading guilty to drug, gun and gang charges.

Credit: Natrice Miller

Credit: Natrice Miller

Part of the 34-year-old’s probation conditions initially included a 10-year ban from metro Atlanta. However, last December, Judge Paige Reese Whitaker said he can stay at his Atlanta home starting Oct. 31, 2027, provided he doesn’t violate his probation terms.

He’s required to return to Atlanta for four anti-gang presentations per year, which can be in the form of a concert. In August, Young Thug, who grew up as Jeffery Lamar Williams in the Jonesboro South housing project, hosted his first anti-gang presentation at Skyview High School in College Park. The following month, he held another (very brief) concert on the steps of Fulton County Courthouse.

Tuesday’s performance was a benefit show, which falls under the parameters of his probation. Brian Steel, the rapper’s attorney, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution via text that the benefiting organizations were Big Brother Big Sisters of Metro Atlanta, Next Level Boys Academy and Skyview High School.

The crowd was a bit sparse, with empty spaces on the floor, during the show’s unofficial start, which included a handful of rising rappers like T.I.’s son King Harris.

However, the room became more crowded once Young Thug took the stage at 9:30 p.m.

“I run this town,” the 34-year-old, wearing a blue jumpsuit and a yellow beanie, told the audience.

For the first dozen tracks, he mainly performed older songs like “2 Cups Stuffed,” “Danny Glover,” “Stoner” and “Halftime.” It was unclear whether Young Thug was experiencing sound issues or simply didn’t know the words to those songs (or both), as he constantly fiddled with his inner ears and kept looking down while stumbling over his words.

The backing tracks for the songs exerted much of the heavy lifting while Young Thug walked around the stage not saying much of anything.

Credit: Natrice Miller

Credit: Natrice Miller

“I don’t like old music,” he informed the audience.

But even for “Birthday,” his feature on Metro Boomin’s “A Futuristic Summa” mixtape that dropped this year, Young Thug still struggled with the lyrics. He did have a stronger stage presence for “Digits,” a 2016 “Slime Season 3″ standout. The crowd seemed to pick up that momentum by performing the song along with him.

Ty Dolla $ign and Jacquees were among the first major guest performers of the night. Next to hit the stage was Mariah the Scientist, who’s also Young Thug’s girlfriend. The Atlanta artist has had a stellar year, with chart-topping hits and an album. She performed the Kali Uchis-assisted “Is it a Crime” and the Young Thug duet “Walked In.”

After she finished performing her breakout song “Burning Blue,” Young Thug got on one knee and proposed. The words “Will You Marry Me?,” were etched in pink lettering across the screen, and Mariah the Scientist accepted.

“I guess I’m getting married,” she said, smiling at the crowd.

T.I., another special guest, continued that excitement by hitting the stage for his classic songs “24’s” and “Whatever You Like.”

Young Thug rarely performed for the second half of the show, although he remained on stage while guests like Quavo, YK Niece, Bellygang Kushington, Meek Mill and Lil Baby kept the crowd entertained by performing two or three songs each.

At the end, Young Thug, whose next big stage will be at Coachella next spring, returned to the stage for solo performances of “Bad Bad Bad” and “Lifestyle.” By that time, his voice was gone, but he seemed like he was having fun on stage with family and friends during a rare sanctioned return to his hometown.

Credit: Natrice Miller

Credit: Natrice Miller

The show concluded around 11:30 p.m., with “Money on Money,” the Future-assisted lead single off Young Thug’s recent album, “UY Scuti.” Most of the night’s special guests joined him on stage for one last time — offering a reminder that the show was less of a polished, high-energy comeback and more of a celebration of his newfound freedom.