Top 5: Five Things Neil Young and Young Thug Have in Common

Neil Young and Young Thug are playing Portland the same night. Other than their names, you'd think they'd have nothing in common. You'd be wrong.

1. They've got the same voice, basically.

Neil Young sings like there's a rusty door hinge opening in his throat, while Young Thug flows like an Auto-Tuned Gollum, and they both gleefully annoy purists.

2. They've both stumbled into beef.

After characterizing the entire American South as a racist hill-town in "Southern Man," Neil got himself called out by Lynyrd Skynyrd in "Sweet Home Alabama," the racist hillbilly national anthem. Meanwhile, Young Thug is embroiled in a feud with his idol, Lil Wayne, after prematurely declaring himself the heir to Wayne's alien-rap throne and threatening to name his album Tha Carter VI before Wayne could release the long-delayed Tha Carter V.

3. They're both crazy prolific.

Neil has released a new album every two years on average since the late '60s. Young Thug probably dropped another mixtape while you were reading this.

4. They've both been busted with drugs.

Neil came onstage for his cameo in The Last Waltz displaying the most famous coke booger in history. Thugger was more discreet, catching a possession charge when police raided his home after he threatened to kill a mall cop.

5. They don't have a single fuck to give between them.

Neil records Monsanto dis records, hawks overpriced digital music players to old hippies and would put out, like, an industrial EDM album if the mood struck him. Thugger wears women's clothes, titled a mixtape Black Portland despite being from Atlanta and raps about Pokémon. So, when's the collab? Or at least the Neil Young Thug mash-up?

SEE IT: Neil Young plays Chiles Center at University of Portland, 5000 N Willamette Blvd., on Wednesday, Oct. 7. 7:30 pm. $65-$150. All ages. Young Thug plays Roseland Theater, 8 NW 6th Ave., with Tory Lanez and Rachel West, also on Oct. 7. 8 pm. $28. All ages.

Willamette Week