August Alsina looks at Young Thug’s past gay comments as the discourse on masculinity in hip-hop completes a circle
Young Thug’s old “man code” comments are being used by August Alsina to start a bigger talk about sexuality, judgment, and why some men are still so interested in how other men love.
Recently, the R&B singer went on Instagram Live to discuss Young Thug’s comments on the “Perspectives With Bank” podcast from September 2025. On that show, the Atlanta rapper discussed gay men, “down low” men, and what he called a violation of manhood. Assina expressed that the words resonated deeply with him.
“I felt hurt by that comment,” August said. “It’s time to call people stupid.” He asked Thug, “Why is this s**t on your mind as a man who just got out of jail by the grace of God?” referring to the fact that he had been released from jail just two days earlier.
Thug’s first comments came while he was talking about loyalty, betrayal, and how his friendship with Gunna has broken up. In the interview, he said, “I think that once you break a rule from being a man, you become a rat or go gay.” He afterward tried to make it clear that he didn’t have anything against gay people, but he did say that he would have a different opinion of someone if he thought they had been straight at first but later came out. “I’m going to look at you like you broke a man’s rule.”
The argument arises during a challenging period for Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams. In October 2024, he admitted to gang, drug, and gun charges in the long-running YSL case. He was then released from jail but had to follow strict probation rules. Because of that background, August’s answer hit harder in some ways. He thought Thug had more important things to talk about than a man’s sexuality.
There is also extra weight to the talk because Alsina has been the subject of sexuality rumors for years. He went on VH1’s “The Surreal Life” in 2022 and introduced a man who he said taught him about love and healing.
At the time, he said, “Love showed up, but in a new way.”
In a later interview with Nick Cannon’s “Counsel Culture,” August said that love is more than simple labels. “Love is deeper and more complicated than that.”
That’s why this story is bigger than just one video. With his genre-bending music and famous “Jeffery” cover dress, which Pitchfork said he picked himself, Young Thug has long been a rebel against hip-hop’s image rules. Now August is calling out the contradiction: a culture that values dress and music freedom but still has rules about love.
