Young Thug has marked his return to the music scene with the release of his new album, UY SCUTI, on Friday, September 26. This album drops nearly eleven months after the artist secured a plea deal that led to his release from jail amidst the YSL RICO trial. The period leading up to his album release was not without controversy, as Thug’s reputation was significantly impacted by a series of leaked jail phone calls that circulated widely in recent months.

While many in the hip-hop community reportedly distanced themselves from the rapper, Drake notably doubled down on his friendship with Young Thug. Thug himself confirmed Drake’s unwavering support during an appearance on the Pivot Podcast, also on Friday. He revealed that Drake had reached out to him during the height of the controversy, offering a message of solidarity. Thug recounted Drake’s advice: “N—a, I love you. Drop that music, bro. Let your music talk.” This message provided a stark contrast to the public scrutiny Thugger was facing.

During the same podcast interview, Young Thug addressed his regrettable comments made during his incarceration. He admitted that the frazzled state of mind induced by jail led him to engage in “pillow talk” about his hip-hop peers, a behavior he claims was uncharacteristic. “Damn, I was really on the phone talking about people. No girl in my entire life can tell you that I pillow talk with them,” he stated, expressing deep regret, “That s—t get to me every day, I was really on the phone like a p—y.”

Further muddying the waters, an alleged leaked jail phone call between Young Thug and Mariah the Scientist surfaced, where Thug was heard criticizing Drake’s perceived treatment of Metro Boomin following the tragic passing of Metro’s mother. According to VIBE, Thug allegedly said, “You’re using the fact that you’re Drake as a weapon now and the n—a just not feeling that right now. You supposed to get on your big ol’ plane, and went to where that n—a was or where that n—a momma died, cause you really, really, really, mess with a n—a.” This particular leak fueled existing speculation regarding a rift between Drake and Metro Boomin, reportedly stemming from Drake requesting a song from Metro during his period of intense grief.

Despite this critical commentary from the leaked call, Young Thug insists that his bond with Drake remains strong. Although Drake provided a pair of assists on Thug’s 2023 album Business Is Business, he was conspicuously absent from the star-studded guest list of UY SCUTI. Nonetheless, Thugger maintains that their friendship is tight. Furthermore, Drake was among those individuals Young Thug publicly apologized to in his sincere single “Miss My Dogs,” emphasizing the complexities and nuances of his relationships within the industry during a challenging period of his life.