Young Thug, an Atlanta hip-hop artist, recently released a new album on August 25 titled No, My Name is Jeffrey. Notable Songs such as “Kanye West”, “Wyclef Jean”, “Floyd Mayweather”, and “Harambe”, were titled with the names of his many idols. The album has multiple features from artists such as Wyclef Jean, Travis Scott, Gucci Mane, and Quavo from the Atlanta hip hop group, The Migos.

After raising eyebrows in the music community with the abnormal title to his album, Young Thug then created an even larger stir after the drop of his album cover. He is seen wearing a large, light blue dress and a large, light blue hat. This is not the first time Young Thug has broken the barriers of hip-hop culture and society in general. Several times in the past he has worn women’s clothing in photo shoots and on the cover of magazines. In a Calvin Klein ad Young Thug can be seen confidently modeling a long black sleeveless dress. In a Dazed Magazine interview, the rapper claims that he was been wearing predominantly women’s clothing since he was “12”.

In the past, artists such as Andre 3000 have taken risks with their fashion. The former Atlanta hip-hop group Outkast, and Andre 3000 specifically, have worn eccentric, flashy clothing the goes beyond the norm for males in the hip-hop community. Hip-hop culture has never been the most accepting of those that go beyond gender norms.

Young Thug dressing the way that he does and also being a prevalent member of the community is something that very few artist have done before. It is even more rare considering his brand of Hip Hop. About the album cover, senior Emenike Irobereachi said that he “immediately assumed that it was a girl on the front of the cover”, and not the rapper himself. The genre of music has often been rigid in the past, being heavily associated with manliness, not allowing many to go beyond this barrier.

Sensitivity, emotion, and even homosexuality have been chastised by the community and seen as a sign of weakness for not lining up with the idea of masculinity. In Andre 3000’s case his eccentric style of hip-hop to go along with his style of fashion has resulted in less backlash in comparison to Young Thug. Yet, where there is backlash there has also been praise reverence for Young Thug’s style.

Senior Cyrus Belsoi says that Young Thug “allows guys to feel masculine while still being able to express themselves”. Although not giving Young Thug as much credit Senior Edward Belsoi believed that “if that’s what he wants to do, he can do it”.

Others haven’t been as accepting towards Young Thug. The Hip Hop community is still isn’t necessarily fond of Young Thug’s way of dressing. Despite this, it is still difficult to deny the impact Young Thug has had on many individuals who felt restricted by the roles assigned to them regarding the clothes they wear and the way they are expected to behave.