Jeffrey Lamar Williams, better known by his stage name Young Thug, will headline A&O Blowout 2016 on Friday, September 30 at Welsh-Ryan Arena, A&O announced Sunday.
Young Thug is a rap artist from Atlanta, but he consistently pushes the boundaries of the genre with his swanky sound, woozy beats and unconventional voice. Fellow Atlanta-based rapper Gucci Mane signed Young Thug to his label 1017 Brick Squad Records in 2013, where he released his fourth mixtape 1017 Thug. The mixtape received widespread critical acclaim, and Pitchfork later ranked it as one of the best albums of the first half of the 2010s decade.
Young Thug has since burst onto the scene, establishing a distinct persona and a flare for fashion while releasing comercially successful mixtapes Barter 6, three installments of his Slime Season series, I'm Up and Jeffrey. Kanye West has praised Young Thug and collaborated with him in the past, and rap rising stars Travis Scott and Metro Boomin also often work with Young Thug.
The announcement comes five days after A&O revealed Kehlani would open Blowout, and now the pair is set to energize Welsh-Ryan this Friday. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., and the show starts at 7 p.m. You can buy tickets for $10 here.