| Human Profile | |
| Name: | Jeffery Lamar Williams II |
| Birthday: | August 16, 1991 (age 34 years), Born in Atlanta, Georgia |
| Height: | 6'3" (191 cm) |
| Education: | Luther Judson Price Middle School Booker T. Washington High School (No Diploma) |
| Subscribers: | 7.18M |
| Views: | 5,378,758,256 |
| YouTube Revenue: | $5.4M - $37.7M |
| Videos: | 392 |
| Channel Created: | September 2013 |
Overview
Jeffery Lamar Williams II, known professionally as Young Thug, is an American rapper and record executive recognized for his unconventional vocal style, influential mixtapes, and for founding the record label YSL Records.
Latest News (Mar 13, 2026): Young Thug recently sparked a significant debate within the hip-hop community by publicly defending the use of protective custody while incarcerated, leading to pushback from artists like Boosie Badazz. Additionally, he and Travis Scott are among a group of artists who have formally requested the U.S. Supreme Court to stay the upcoming execution of a man convicted of capital murder in Texas.
Early Life and Formative Years
Jeffery Lamar Williams II was born on August 16, 1991, in Atlanta, Georgia, the tenth of eleven children. He was raised in the Jonesboro South projects in a neighborhood that was also home to fellow rappers Waka Flocka Flame and Peewee Longway. Williams’s childhood was marked by poverty; he once described his family’s financial situation as “worse than struggle – that shit was hell.” His father, Jeffrey Williams Sr., was an ex-convict who had spent time in prison.
Williams’s formal education was brief. He was reportedly expelled from school in the sixth grade after an altercation with a teacher and was subsequently sent to a juvenile detention facility for four years. He became a father for the first time at the age of 17.
Career Beginnings with Mixtapes
In 2011, Jeffery Lamar Williams II began releasing a series of mixtapes under the name Young Thug, starting with the I Came from Nothing series. These early projects caught the attention of fellow Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane, who signed Williams to his 1017 Records label in 2013. His first release on the label, a mixtape titled 1017 Thug, received positive reviews from music critics for its unique style. The project was noted for its originality and was included on several year-end lists of the best mixtapes of 2013, with publications like Pitchfork, Complex, and Rolling Stone recognizing its quality.
Rise to Prominence
The year 2014 marked a significant turning point in Williams’s career as he gained mainstream recognition with the release of his singles “Stoner” and “Danny Glover”. These tracks, along with guest appearances on several other artists’ songs, including T.I.’s “About the Money” and Rich Gang’s “Lifestyle,” propelled him further into the public eye.
That same year, he collaborated with Birdman and Rich Homie Quan on the mixtape Rich Gang: Tha Tour Pt. 1. The project was praised for the chemistry between Williams and Rich Homie Quan and was considered by many to be one of the best mixtapes of the year. The success of this period led to Williams signing a solo recording contract with 300 Entertainment, an imprint of Atlantic Records.
Major Works and YSL Records
Continuing his prolific output, Williams released a number of critically acclaimed mixtapes in 2015, including Barter 6 and two installments of his Slime Season series. In 2016, he continued to build on his success with the commercial mixtapes I’m Up, Slime Season 3, and Jeffery. The Jeffery mixtape was notable for its cover art, which featured Williams in a dress, and for its tracks being named after his “idols”.
In November 2016, Williams announced the formation of his own record label imprint, YSL Records. He continued to release music, including the collaborative mixtape Super Slimey with Future in 2017. His debut studio album, So Much Fun, was released in 2019 and debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart. The album featured the singles “The London” and “Hot”. He followed this with his second studio album, Punk, in 2021, which also debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
Personal Life and Legal Issues
Jeffery Lamar Williams II has six children with four different women. He was previously engaged to Jerrika Karlae.
Williams has faced a number of legal issues throughout his career. In May 2022, he and 27 other individuals associated with his YSL record label were arrested and charged in a 56-count RICO indictment in Fulton County, Georgia. Prosecutors alleged that YSL operated as a criminal street gang. In October 2024, Williams accepted a plea deal in the case. He pleaded no contest to one count of conspiring to violate the state’s RICO act and one count of participating in criminal street gang activity, while pleading guilty to six other charges. He was sentenced to time served and 15 years of probation.