Young Thug announced the release date for his second studio album Punk and debuted four new songs off the project during his electrifying “Tiny Desk (Home)” performance. According to NPR, and hinted at on the back of Thug’s t-shirt, Punk is officially due Oct. 15.
The pink-haired rapper was joined during the set by Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker for a rock-tinged version of the Slime Language 2 hit, “Ski.” Backed by the band Damaged Goods, Thugger also played unreleased cuts, “Die Slow,” “Droppin Jewels,” “Hate The Game” and “Tick Tock,” the latter of which he also performed during his Rolling Loud Miami set over the weekend.
Thug has been teasing Punk’s release since the arrival of his 2019 album, So Much Fun.
“This album Punk that I’m going to put out soon is probably going to be the best album because it really teaches you — gives you life situations. It’s teaching I’m human. I am you. I am him. It’s very verbal,” the Atlanta-bred star told Rolling Stone that year. “I think it’ll probably be the best album even though it’s not out.”
In an interview with The Fader, Thug also explained that Punk will be nothing like its predecessor, So Much Fun.
“So Much Fun is like nothing to be thought about. It’s only for fun purposes,” he told the outlet. “The name of the album is directly what it means.”
Punk, he explained, is more about “real life” situations and was partially inspired by Tupac.
“Tupac could be one of the biggest rappers in the world because he rapped what he rapped about,” Thug said. “I had conversations with JAY-Z and he told me, ‘We gotta learn how to continue what Pac had going. Pac was a teacher. Pac teaches.’”
Watch Young Thug perform four new songs and “Ski” during his “Tiny Desk (Home)” set below.