Barter 6

Barter 6 is the debut commercial release by American rapper Young Thug. It was released on April 16, 2015, by 300 Entertainment and Atlantic Records.Barter 6 features guest appearances from Birdman, T.I., Boosie Badazz, Young Dolph, Yak Gotti, Duke and Jacquees, while the production was handled by in-house producers London on da Track, Wheezy, Ricky Racks and Kip Hilson, among others. The project is similar to Drake's If You're Reading This It's Too Late, as it became debatable whether this project is a mixtape or a studio album, due to them both being released commercially.

Naming controversy

The mixtape was initially titled Tha Carter VI, in continuation of the naming sequence of Lil Wayne's successful Tha Carter album series. This created controversy, as Wayne's scheduled album Tha Carter V was repeatedly delayed amid a dispute between himself and Cash Money, who had reportedly refused to release the album. Wayne subsequently became involved in legal proceedings against Cash Money and publicly criticized the label's owner (and Thug's mentor) Birdman, as well as responding negatively to Thug's decision to name the album after him. Despite this, Thug claimed that he was not trying to be disrespectful, and that Wayne was his 'idol'. Following a threat of legal action, Thug announced days prior to the release that the mixtape was to be re-titled Barter 6, in line with the typical Blood gang practice of replacing the letter "C" with "B". He furthered the ill feeling by announcing his first show to promote the project will be held in Hollygrove, New Orleans, one of the neighborhoods, in which Wayne was raised. As of January 10th the name of the mixtape was changed to Barter 6 for legal reasons pending on the law suit Young Thug received from the Young Money Company

Lil Wayne

Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. (born September 27, 1982), better known by his stage name Lil Wayne, is an American hip hop recording artist from New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1991, at the age of nine, Lil Wayne joined Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label, and half of the duo The B.G.'z, alongside fellow New Orleans-based rapper Lil' Doogie. In 1996, Lil Wayne formed the southern hip hop group Hot Boys, with his Cash Money label-mates Juvenile, Young Turk and Lil' Doogie (who now goes by B.G.). Hot Boys debuted with Get It How U Live!, that same year. Most of the group's success came with their platinum-selling album Guerrilla Warfare (1999) and the 1999 single "Bling Bling". Along with being the flagship artist of Cash Money Records, Lil Wayne is also the chief executive officer (CEO) of his own label imprint, Young Money Entertainment, which he founded in 2005.

Lil Wayne's solo debut album Tha Block Is Hot (1999), was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). His subsequent albums, Lights Out (2000) and 500 Degreez (2002), went on to be certified gold. Wayne reached higher popularity with his fourth album Tha Carter (2004), which was led by the single "Go D.J." and his appearance on Destiny's Child's Top 10 single "Soldier", that same year. The album was followed by Tha Carter II (2005), as well as several mixtapes and collaborations throughout 2006 and 2007. Wayne gained more prominence with his sixth album Tha Carter III (2008), which became his most successful album to date, with first-week sales of over one million copies in the United States. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album and includes the hit singles "Lollipop", "A Milli" and "Got Money".

Young Thug

Jeffrey Lamar Williams, (born August 9, 1991), better known by his stage name Young Thug, is an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. He is perhaps best known for his commercial debut single "Stoner", as well as his collaborations with fellow Southern rappers, such as Rich Homie Quan, Birdman, Waka Flocka Flame, Gucci Mane, Young Scooter, Shy Glizzy, Migos, Travi$ Scott and T.I.. Young Thug signed a record deal with Gucci Mane's 1017 Brick Squad Records, an Asylum/Atlantic imprint, in early 2013. He gained major recognition in 2014, after being featured on a string of singles, including "About the Money" and "Lifestyle", the latter of which peaked at number 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Early life

Young Thug was born Jeffrey Lamar Williams on August 9, 1991, in Atlanta, Georgia; the second youngest of his ten siblings. Williams is from Sylvan Hills, a neighborhood in Atlanta (Zone 3).

Music career

2011–13: Early career and record deal

After releasing the first three installments of his mixtape series I Came from Nothing throughout 2011 and 2012, Young Thug caught the attention of fellow Atlanta-based rapper Gucci Mane, who went on to sign Young Thug to his label 1017 Brick Squad Records, an Asylum/Atlantic imprint, in 2013. Thug subsequently released his first project on the label, his fourth mixtape, 1017 Thug. The mixtape was met with positive reviews from music critics, which noted it for its original style. 1017 Thug was included in a number of year-end lists for 2013, such as Pitchfork's Albums of the Year: Honorable Mention and Complex's The 50 Best Albums of 2013.FACT called it the best mixtape of 2013,Rolling Stone placed it at number five on their 10 Best Mixtapes of 2013 and The Guardian placed it among The Five Best Mixtapes of 2013.

Carter

Carter is a surname which originally meant a person who hauls goods in a cart. It comes from the Gaelic and Celtic word cairt (cart). Being of Gaelic and Celtic origins the name originated in Ireland and Scotland and later migrated to England where it was reduced to its English pronunciation and form. However, this name stems from a few common surnames, the names being McCarthy, McArthur and McCarter.

People with this surname may trace their ancestors back to Ireland, many of these name holders ancestors escaped Ireland during the Irish diaspora heading to Great Britain, the American colonies typically the colonies of New York, Massachusetts, Georgia and Virginia. Other immigrants entered the United States later during the Great Famine of Ireland in the 1840s and later. The Irish counties with the highest amount of families having this surname are Laois, Galway, Meath and Leitrim; Laois seems to be the place where most Carters settled or where the name began in origin. Within the past 150 to 200 years, the Carter surname has been adopted widely by the African American community, either with ethnic black and Irish mixing or taken from slavemasters by former slaves. This name is common among African Americans capable of tracing their roots back to the southern United States from the early 20th century onward.

Tha Carter

Tha Carter is the fourth studio album by American rapper Lil Wayne. It was released on June 29, 2004, by Cash Money Records and Universal Records. The album was mostly produced from Cash Money's former in-house producer Mannie Fresh, who had worked with Lil Wayne before Fresh left the label. The album is based on "The Carter", the empire crack house from the 1991 movie New Jack City, and his last name.

Singles

The album's lead single, "Bring It Back" was released on April 10, 2004. The song serves its production and as a featured guest vocals from then-Cash Money producer Mannie Fresh.

The album's second single, "Go D.J." was released on October 5, 2004. Mannie Fresh's production were featured on the song; the same producer, who recently produced the song "Bring It Back", in which latter released as his first single.

The album's third single "Earthquake" was released on November 16, 2004. The production on the song and as a featured guest vocals was from Jazze Pha.

Commercial performance