Songs like this have the definitive quality of “outtakes.” “Rarri” also sounds a bit phoned-in: Its melody feels compiled from previous better Thugger songs, and the stop-and-start flow of the chorus a tired gambit. More anonymous beats, like Sonny Digital’s on “Quarterback,” tend to result in more standard maneuvers from Thug. Compared to the deathly spare, moodier sound of the production on Barter 6 and the best Rich Gang tracks, the approach feels uninspired. Slime Season begins with a few clearly older tracks - possibly dating back to early 2014 or before - featuring more of an industrial-grade, stock “trap” sound. These stylistic shifts, as well as the make of the beats, makes it possible to speculate fairly intelligently about when certain songs were recorded. During that time, the rapper has come into his own as an artist capable of producing full-length releases with broad appeal (Rich Gang’s Tha Tour Part 1 and April’s Barter 6) and not just a mixtape-famous oddball with a couple of fluke singles (see “Danny Glover” and “Stoner”). Thug’s spark plug style has evolved so quickly over the past four years - even just in the last year and a half. The result of this is that it’s probably the least consistent Thug solo release since his first mixtape I Came From Nothing, back when he was working to separate his identity as an artist from that of his then-idol Lil Wayne (who appears here, by way of a troll, on previously-released, pre-feud track “Take Kare”). Instead, Thug’s label 300 Entertainment seems to have opted to make Slime Season a compendium of sorts (which London doesn’t seem totally happy about). The credits list is relevant because the tape was originally advertised as an exclusive collaboration between London and Thug.