Young Thug was a rebel without a cause but bound to several ironclad record deals that had him stuck in purgatory between Gucci Mane’s 1017 imprint and Atlantic Records (he would later sign officially with 300 Entertainment). The two rappers were looking for an outlet, and the mogul provided the spark to get their music off the ground. The real inception of the group came when the Cash Money tycoon focused on the young energy of Atlanta upstarts Young Thug and Rich Homie Quan, completely leaving his established and, frankly, old attractions behind. The first compilation album from the project was released to little fanfare in 2013, and included the hit single “Tap Out.” Composed of already established YMCMB artists and Future, Rich Gang was little more than a catchphrase at the beginning of a song. 1, one of the best first, and last, mixtapes from a group ever.īirdman’s Rich Gang experiment was something that didn’t have a main attraction. He combined his foresight with the unparalleled talent of Atlanta newcomers Rich Homie Quan and Young Thug to create Rich Gang: Tha Tour, Pt. For better or worse, his vision and pull have helped him develop new artists every decade, and in 2014 he did it again. Lightning isn’t supposed to strike twice, but somehow Brian “Birdman” Williams has been the exception to this rule.