YNW Melly and Kodak Black Team-Up on New Single "Thugged Out"

YNW Melly might still be behind bars, but that hasn’t stopped the “Murder on My Mind” rapper from releasing his new track with Kodak Black, “Thugged Out.”

The bass-heavy track is the first from Melly in almost a year, following the release of “Suicidal” remix with Juice WRLD last March. “Thugged Out” is the first time Melly and Kodak have appeared on a song together, and it’s a pairing that makes a lot of sense stylistically. Melly’s emotive sing-rap verses contrasts with Kodak’s Southern drawl, which is just as idoysncratic as fans have come to expect from him.

When the track dropped last night, Kodak expressed his frustration with the song in a since-deleted tweet. “Dam they got me off beat AF on this Melly song SMH we gone have to revisit this one later,” he wrote, to which Melly replied, “We getting dat bih rite it’s melvin n yak stop playing with our top engenier.”

Melly has been relatively quiet for the past year, and is currently awaiting trial for two counts of first-degree murder. If convicted, he could face life imprisonment or the death penalty. He pleaded not guilty to the double-murder charges, but his legal issues don’t end there. As recently as November, the rapper was sued for millions of dollars by the families of his alleged victims, Christopher “YNW Juvy” Thomas Jr. and Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams.

Kodak Black, meanwhile, is a free man and has been releasing a number of tracks and collaborations since he was pardoned by Donald Trump in January. He also just recently celebrated his engagement to rising 19-year-old rapper Mellow Rackz. He is also still awaiting trial for his sexual assault case in South Carolina.