We first heard about a possible Young Thug remix of Elton John's 1972 classic "Rocket Man" back in 2016. And now, just as I was starting to accept that it would never be released, the track, featuring production from Stelios Phili, has thankfully surfaced.
An upload of what is clearly actually Thugger going in over the John and Bernie Taupin composition first appeared, seemingly, on Reddit before making its way to the usual outlets.
Anyway, stop whatever trivial activity you're currently wasting your time with and get on this Thugger x John right now. Hopefully this means we'll be getting "Slimey Dancer" (?!?!?!) next.
Sir Elton previously compared Thugger to the late John Lennon. "I love all of that, it's unexpected," he toldNoisey back in 2015 when asked about Thugger's penchant for inspiringly bold fashion, not unlike the looks John was serving in the '70s. "I remember when Blind Faith came out, with a nude girl and John and Yoko, you had to buy it in a black plastic bag. And you should be able to do things like that but we don't live in that kind of world anymore."
Producer Stelios Phili told Complex: "I remember reading an article in 2016 where Elton John said he was a fan of Young Thug and I was like, ‘Wow, this makes so much sense.' They’re both icons of individuality. So I reached out to Thug's A&R Geoff Ogunlesi, hoping there would be some way we could bring them together. He was down. I built a new beat around the ‘Rocket Man’ a cappella, sent it in, and Thug cut it that night. A couple months later, Thug was photographed with Elton looking like lifelong best friends. Apparently Elton loved it.
"I'm hoping it gets officially released and mixed," he added.
Last Friday, Young Thug released his new Young Stoner Life Records compilation project Slime Language. Though there's no Elton on the tracklist, there's plenty to write home about. Lil Uzi Vert, Tracy T, Lil Baby, Gunna, and Wheezy all make appearances. You can currently catch Thugger on tour with J. Cole and Jaden Smith. If he's reading this, perhaps he'll consider adding "Rocket Man" to the setlist.
