Thugga Looks For Change In The Scene With “1000 Degrees”

They say to “be the change you wish to see in the world,” a call that usually applies to activism but just as easily extends to art itself. Sometimes the creative landscape needs people bold enough to fill the gaps they see most clearly, and that’s exactly what Richmond hip-hop artist Thugga does on her new single, “1000 Degrees.” Spotlighting what’s been missing from her corner of the scene while also providing the fix, the track pairs punchy bars and a head-nodding flow with a sleek music video that drives her message home.

Shot by TruthVisions for the Speak Your Truth series, the video finds Thugga in the Oak Grove neighborhood, speaking her mind over a snappy beat in front of security grilles and corner markers. “Raised in the South where that shit be getting hectic,” she reveals, surveying the lay of the land in the city’s scene while holding her own with lyrical poise and rhythmic command. A wispy sample drifts through the background, lending a melodic contrast to her incisive delivery. Her critique cuts through fumbled opportunities and flawed aesthetics that have run rampant in the region. Still, her focus remains locked in on carving a better path forward and proving its viability. “But one thing for sure, the streets gonna talk,” she says directly at the song’s close, acknowledging the risk of visibility before sealing it with a shrug of acceptance: “That’s just how the game goes.”

Written over two years ago, “1000 Degrees” is Thugga’s second official single following 2021’s “Jealousy,” her collaboration with D.R. Price that carried the same assured sentiment. As she’s noted since the video’s release, this track and video represent a push outside of her own comfort zone, one that hopefully suggests more music on the way.

Watch the video for “Street Memories” below and make sure to follow Thugga on Instagram so you can don’t miss her new release.