Buzzing Atlanta Rapper Young Thug's New Mixtape Is Called Black Portland For Some Reason

Most hip-hop fans—or, at least, hip-hop fans who learn about emerging artists via indie-rock blogs—first discovered Atlanta upstart Young Thug via "Picacho," a wildly idiosyncratic track in which the MC compares his jewelry to a Pokemon character. That song, from Thug's widely acclaimed 1017 Thug mixtape, ended up on Pitchfork's Best Songs of 2013 list, while another single, "Stoner," has begun gaining traction in clubs and rap radio. Since then, he's received cosigns from everyone from Kanye West to Drake.

And so, have officially entered the discussion as one of the new kings of Southern rap, Thug took the next logical step and…released a mixtape called Black Portland. He and compatriot Bloody Jay dropped the new set—the cover of which is adorned by the Blazers pinwheel logo—yesterday, and at a first, quick listen, there appears to be little conceptual connection to the Rose City beyond the surface references, though it exudes the eccentric energy and off-kilter catchiness of his previous work and that of his fellow Atlanta street-rap statesmen, Migos.

So why is it called Black Portland? Beats me. As far as I know, Young Thug has yet to perform here, though it's certainly possible he's got family and friends in town. My guess is it has something to do with the Blazers rising national profile. After all, the Hawks aren't getting out of the second round anytime soon. Come aboard, Thug—there's plenty of room on bandwagon!

Download the whole tape for free here and scan for references to LaMarcus Aldridge, Powell's and the new carpet at the airport. 

UPDATE: Finally, we get an answer! Turns out I was half-right: According to The Fader, who apparently had the same questions and went directly to Bloody Jay to get them, he and Young Thug have indeed jumped on the Blazers bandwagon, referring to the team as "young and ambitious. There's a lot of players on their team that you might have never heard of, but they're all coming in and playing as a real team. They stick together. You know that if you play them, you're gonna have a hard night."

But, as Jay explained to writer Naomi Zeichner, there's more to the Black Portland concept than just basketball:

Sunlight? Ambition? Black Portland really is the Bizarro Portland.

WWeek 2015