Young Thug's scattershot release strategy is a refreshing change of pace from the painstaking, calculated approaches of an entire generation of legacy builders and self-mythologizers, guys pining after their place on rap’s coveted (and entirely subjective) Mt. Rushmore. But it can be a nightmare for those seeking continuity from the virtuoso, both inside and outside of his camp. When he isn’t sending thinly veiled shots at Future on social media or planning to smack Plies on the radio, he’s releasing music rapidly and without regard for quality control; Slime Season and Slime Season 2, a pair of hour-plus long mixtapes, were filled with promise, but undoubtedly packed with filler.

The new nine-song mixtape I’m Up, meanwhile, was meant to be Slime Season 3 until days before its release, and was even on Spotify as SS3 for a day (Thug has since announced that a SS3 is still on the way.) These antics make Young Thug who he is, a dynamic free spirit who isn’t beholden to much outside his immediate brotherhood; as he raps on “Hercules”: “Okay first of all, I was doing this shit 'fore I was rich/ I don't care at all, I'll go do a dolphin for my clique.” He revels in the mayhem, and leaves others to pick up the pieces left in his wake. As Lyor Cohen, head of Thug’s label, 300 Entertainment, once explained while trying to rationalize the disappearance of the missing HY!£UN35 album (and the cancellation of the corresponding tour): “What makes Thug such an interesting artist is his lack of predictability and if I knew, I'd be happy to tell you.”

It’s that chaotic energy that makes Young Thug such an unmistakably bright personality fit for a camera crew, a skilled performer on par with Ric Flair: “I’m Rey Mysterio, my life on HBO,” he squeals gleefully on opener “F Cancer” (a song that, in typical Thug fashion, isn’t even remotely about cancer). But with I’m Up, he is more than a stylist treating individual songs as sonic catwalks; he strings together thoughts, ideas, and concepts in arcs over the course of the project. Amid calls for an armistice and shots at police corruption, there is a pervasive theme: nurturing support systems. There's the ode to a fallen comrade who was gunned down last year on "King TROUP" with a near-whimpering hook. Songs about a fraternal sense of loyalty are lumped together (“My Boys,” “For My People,” “Ridin”). “My Boys” is essentially a treatise on brotherhood with rapper Ralo, who admitted he once tried to shoot and kill Thug. The closer, “Family,” features Thug’s sisters, Dora and Dolly. If there's any central message, it seems to be honor those you love and those you've lost.

It all makes for a less thrilling listen, but a stronger, more complete experience. I’m Up doesn’t muster up the highs of the Slime Season series—the infectiousness of “Best Friend,” the sublime structuring of “Draw Down,” or the woozy euphoria of “Raw”— but Thug manages to compile many of his best attributes into a tightly-wound 38 minutes: his knack for zingers, his impish demeanor, and his ability to slink through productions of all shapes and sizes. The production comes courtesy of Mike Will, Metro Boomin, and Thug’s in-house producer Wheezy, among others, and it is a diverse array of sounds with nods to the dark and distant productions of Barter 6 ("Ridin" is the fraternal twin of "Never Had It") and Atlanta's minimalist wave ("Special"). There's everything from a steady 808 chug ("Bread Winners") to church organ soul ("Family"), and Thug twists and contorts to find interesting ways to fit into them. He’s engaged throughout, making the most of each opportunity. The rapper seems to be venturing toward a more sustainable mode of operation, one that won’t burn him out before his talent can receive the attention it deserves. But, really, at this point, who could guess?