There hasn’t been a time in Young Thug’s career when the rollout hasn’t been significant. Although Business Is Business was marred by his legal struggles, the entirety of 2025 depended on how his comeback would land. In the past, Thug has employed some rather eccentric approaches ahead of his projects—whether defying gender norms by wearing a dress, claiming that he’d be changing his name, or delivering snakes to journalists and major publications. They’ve been captivating and provocative at times, yet never so far out that they would overshadow the quality of the music itself.
But in the case of Uy Scuti, his new album due on Friday (Sept. 20), Thugger’s had a lot of explaining to do, and it’s been a rather chaotic spiral to witness. The release of “Money On Money” ft. Future felt like a rather unsatisfying and cold appetizer. However, the end of August saw a string of leaked jail phone calls hit the internet, along with old audio of a police interrogation that many claimed painted the Atlanta rapper as an informant. Then came several calls where Thug voiced his frustrations toward other rappers, including his own peers—whether Lil Durk or Drake. His interview with Big Bank saw him clearing the air with plenty of memeable moments, and the aftermath included his breakup with Mariah The Scientist, raising questions about his standing with former collaborators like Future. Not to mention the leaked record, “Closing Arguments,” where he went off on everyone in the YSL case whose actions he considered ratting.
That brings us to last Thursday night’s latest drop, “Man I Miss My Dogs,” the newest single that will presumably appear on Uy Scuti next week. This song, however, is a 180 from “Closing Arguments,” where his defiance lowers and his introspection peels back into an apology to everyone he wronged at some point during these conversations. Thug is clearly going through something, but that seems to be what’s producing some incredibly compelling and genuine music from his corner. Below, we’ll be breaking down the lyrics and everyone he addressed on his latest song.
Verse 1: An Apology to Mariah The Scientist
One might be able to overlook some of Thug’s comments about his rap peers and even the allegations that he snitched, but the conversations he had behind Mariah The Scientist’s back deserved to be at the forefront of his apology tour. “Baby, I’m sorry” kicks off the first verse of the song, where he directly addresses the alleged call in which he supposedly asked another woman to have a child with him—while still in a relationship. Throughout the verse, Thug outlines his fears, the small moments they shared, and every way she held him down during their time together. It’s a pretty detailed apology for a single verse, where he admits to taking her from another relationship that may have served her better and even acknowledges his role in her arrest in 2024.
Verse 2: Young Thug Is Still In Drake’s Corner
ATLANTA, GA – AUGUST 27: Drake and Young Thug attend the Summer Sixteen Concert After Party at The Mansion Elan on August 27, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/WireImage)
It always seemed as though if anyone was riding with Drake, it was Young Thug. And that’s certainly true, but the 28-minute leaked phone call suggested there was damage control needed between Spider and Drizzy. If you recall, Thug explained where things went wrong between Drake and Metro Boomin, criticizing the Toronto rapper for weaponizing his status to get his hands on Metro’s song “Trance” just weeks after the producer’s mother passed away. Compared to some of the other terms that have been used to describe Drake in the past 12 months, Thug’s choice of words was certainly tame when he referred to his Business Is Business collaborator as “stupid.”
In the verse, Thug makes it clear that his loyalty remains with Drake, thanking him for his endless contributions to rap and his character—especially when Drizzy visited him at Cobb County while he awaited trial. At the same time, Thug details the efforts he put in to try and settle differences between Drake and Metro, as well as Future, presumably following the release of We Don’t Trust You. Even more interesting is Thug’s revelation that Cash XO, one of the quieter players in Drake’s broader battle with the industry, helped bring him and Drake back together.
Verse 3: Saluting Lil Baby
ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 03: Lil Baby and Young Thug attend Lil Baby’s Ice Ball on December 3, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia.(Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage/Getty Images)
Among the calls that leaked was one where Young Thug aired out some of the behind-the-scenes drama involving Quality Control, Atlanta’s biggest hip-hop label. In it, he described how QC essentially screwed over Lil Baby in their deal with HYBE, while simultaneously dissing Pierre “P” Thomas. That created friction between Thug and Baby, which the former addresses directly on “Man I Miss My Dogs.”
The Slime Season rapper delivers a sprawling verse in which he explains how Baby hasn’t been picking up his calls. However, he notes that Baby has been one of the most solid people he knows, pointing to the fact that he covered upwards of $75K in legal fees for several YSL co-defendants. At its core, Thug uses the verse to praise Lil Baby for remaining loyal—especially following the situation with Gunna during the case—and for carrying himself in the way their OGs raised them to.
Verse 4: Future’s Owed An Apology
ATLANTA, GA – DECEMBER 23 : Future and Young thug perform at the TIDAL #CM9 Release Concert at Center Stage on December 23, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo By Prince Williams/ Wireimage/Getty Images)
Young Thug’s words for Drake were one thing, but targeting Future left fans floored. Many remember a time when the two weren’t always on good terms, but they eventually worked through it and became close friends and collaborators. However, in the leaked call, Thug had some harsh words for Future—especially regarding his studio habits and how he responded to potentially joining a benefit concert.
On the record, Thug revisits the evolution of their relationship and acknowledges how Future played a pivotal role in shaping his career. He points to Future’s guidance and belief in their chemistry when they created Super Slimey. He also pays homage to Young Scooter, who died earlier this year. Thug also made clear that his relationship with Future transcended the studio and extended to treating each other’s families as their own.
Verse 5: 21 Savage’s Loyalty & A Pat On The Back For Young Thug
HOUSTON, TX – JANUARY 03: Rap artists 21 Savage and Young Thug attend the game between the Houston Rockets and the Philadelphia 76ers at Toyota Center on January 3, 2020 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
While 21 Savage largely escaped Thug’s harsher critiques, some of their conversations still leaked online. Whatever impact that had on their relationship, this verse acknowledges 21’s loyalty. Thug thanks Savage for standing by him when others turned away.
He also reflects on trying to get 21 and Lil Baby to bury their beef, in the same way that Savage once tried to broker peace between Thug and YFN Lucci. Thug then draws parallels between those disputes and the friction between Drake and Future, admitting that while his efforts at peacemaking often fell flat, the intentions were genuine.
Verse 6: An Homage to Gucci Mane
ATLANTA, GA – OCTOBER 18: Gucci Mane, Jadakiss, Young Thug, Alex Gidewon and Chubbie Baby attend the Gucci Mane Album Rlease Party at Gold Room on October 18, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/WireImage)
Personally, I’ve suspected that things between Young Thug and Gucci Mane haven’t been entirely smooth in recent years. There was the time Thug rejected Gucci’s $1M offer to reunite Rich Gang, and another instance when Gucci offered to sign Gunna while he was still under Thug’s wing.
A leaked call later revealed that Thug apparently took issue with some of Gucci’s business practices, even calling him “soft” for linking with Pierre “P” Thomas after prison. Still, the verse reflects Thug’s respect for Gucci’s leadership in Atlanta’s rap scene—going as far as to say that even Jeezy would agree.
Verse 7: Family First
The song closes with a tribute to Young Thug’s family, who held him down and kept the public updated during his case. It’s a short verse but one that captures the essential role they played in his life. Thug highlights his father’s role in keeping the family together, extending love to stepchildren as his own. He also apologizes for the mistakes that created greater challenges for those closest to him.