Young Thug says his decision behind the controversial “UY SCUTI” cover came from thinking about superstardom, and the names that immediately came to his mind were Eminem and Michael Jackson.
On a recent livestream with Adin Ross, Young Thug explained why he appeared in whiteface on the cover of his new album. According to him, the choice was both practical and symbolic, rooted in how he views superstardom.
“If you wanna be the biggest, go white”, he said. Responding to Adin’s incredulous question of it means that you have to be white to be the biggest, Thug responded with, “That’s what they think”. He explained: “I was just thinking like, damn, who’s the biggest? You got motherfuckers like Michael Jackson, Eminem…”
When the host reminded him that Michael Jackson was Black, Thug doubled down: “Yes, for sure, but he turned himself white”.
Pressed on whether he’d ever want to change his own skin tone permanently, Thug reacted quickly and decisively: “Yeah! Well, maybe for a day”.
The comments sparked plenty of debate, but what stands out for Eminem fans is how naturally his name came up when Thug was listing the all-time greats. In Thug’s words, when young rap stars think about greatness, Eminem belongs in the same breath as Michael Jackson: an iconic benchmark for global influence.
Young Thug speaks on why he's white on the 'UY SCUTI' cover:
"If you wanna be the biggest, go white… I was just thinking like, damn, who the biggest? You got motherf*ckers like Michael Jackson, Eminem…"
pic.twitter.com/PQtj8szhb1— Complex Music (@ComplexMusic) October 1, 2025
