Who Is Young Thug’s Girlfriend? All About Mariah the Scientist

Young Thug has a special duet partner in his life, his girlfriend Mariah the Scientist.

Born Mariah Amani Buckles, the Atlanta native was studying biology at St. John’s University when she decided to leave school to pursue a career in Music instead. In the process, she reached out to Young Thug (whose real name is Jeffery Williams) in March 2021 to collaborate on a song, and the two began dating six months later.

Mariah stood by the rapper after he was arrested in May 2022 on charges of conspiracy to violate the racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations act (RICO) and criminal street gang activity. When Young Thug was released following a plea deal on Oct. 30, she shared a few words.

“This is more than what we prayed for. We are so grateful, this is the greatest opportunity we’ve ever been presented with,” Mariah said in a statement via a WSB-TV reporter.

So who is Young Thug’s girlfriend? Here’s everything to know about Mariah the Scientist and her relationship with the rapper.

She is from Atlanta

Mariah grew up in Atlanta with her mom, who worked in a church, and her dad, a police officer, per LADYGUNN magazine.

In January 2020, she told Pitchfork that her parents had “instilled structure” in her throughout her life.

“The creative thing wasn’t as appreciated in comparison to hard work and academics,” the “Spread Thin” singer said.

Still, she would find ways to tap into her passion for music throughout her childhood. In November 2019, she told Glitter that she was part of a chorus in elementary school and would sing in her garage throughout middle and high school.

She attended St. Johns University

Mariah attended St. John’s University in Queens, N.Y., where she received a scholarship to study biology with the aspiration of becoming a pediatric anesthesiologist. However, she dropped out during her third year to pursue a career in music, she shared during an October 2023 appearance on Big Boy TV.

Although she said she was “winging it,” Mariah signed a deal within a year and “made a million dollars off of heartbreak.”

She has since incorporated her science background into her music through her artist name, Mariah the Scientist, and her lyrics.

“That’s probably why I liked doing it, because I could combine what I was learning in school … with the s— I was going through,” she told Pitchfork. “So it’s like: Your heart is broken, and you feel so shitty, what is responsible for that? And then it turned more sentimental, almost like storytelling.”

Returning to school isn’t off the table, though. During her appearance on Big Boy TVshe expressed her desire to eventually go back to double major in biology and engineering.

Her first song was a “diss song” for a guy in college

Although the singer now makes music for thousands of fans, she began with one audience member in mind.

According to Pitchfork, she wrote her first song while at St. Johns University in an attempt to communicate with a new boy following a breakup. She turned her personal writing into a song, recorded it in a nearby studio and delivered it to him.

The track was both a “diss song” and a “lovey-dove song,” as she described it to Baller Alert in December 2023.

While she later revealed on Big Boy TV that he never listened to it, the song found a larger audience after friends convinced her to upload it to SoundCloud — eventually catching the attention of RCA Records.

In the years since, she has released four albums and one EP, collaborated with rappers like 21 Savage and Vory and performed at festivals such as Rolling Loud and Summerfest.

She met Young Thug in March 2021

Mariah the Scientist told Baller Alert that she first reached out to Young Thug online to wish him a happy birthday. However, he didn’t see her message until later, when he replied asking if she was signed.

“I honestly thought he was trying to do some business,” she said. “Maybe that was naive.”

As time went on, she made a song that she wanted him to collaborate on, and he invited her to “pull up on me” when she returned to Atlanta.

They started dating in October 2021

When Mariah met Young Thug, she tried to keep any romantic feelings at bay, knowing he had recently come out of a long-term relationship.

“I didn’t want to ‘be that girl,’ ” she told Big Boy TV.

The singer explained that she “waited it out” for six months before getting into a relationship with him in October 2021.

“I was a little more impulsive when I was younger. But I really did like him, and I didn’t want to f— it up,” she explained.

At their first encounter, Mariah said she was shocked by how tall he was in real life and remembered liking his “stoic presence.”

As for their first date, she told Baller Alert that they went to a restaurant called Arnettes in Sandy Springs, Ga.

They’ve released several songs together

Since they started dating, Mariah and Young Thug have produced a number of tracks together.

They released “Walked In” in July 2021, followed by “Ride” in October 2023, which she described to Complex that month as a “love song.”

“I feel like the few songs that we have together we just sound really good together on, it almost seems like it could have been his song or it could have been my song,” she said. “We both kind of sound so dominant, it just seems like a very well-balanced creation.”

The album To Be Eaten Alive also includes a song called “From a Woman.” While awaiting trial, Young Thug put out a complementary track titled “From a Man.”

She struggled after Young Thug’s arrest

When Young Thug was arrested in May 2022, Mariah had to adjust to being apart from her boyfriend.

“In the beginning, I was way more sensitive about it. I was like crying all the time. I was just a hot mess,” she told Baller Alert.

Despite the distance, Mariah revealed on Big Boy TV that they stay closely connected, talking “every day, all day.”

However, their time apart came with its obstacles. In October 2024, Mariah shared on Instagram Live that she was denied virtual visitation on their three-year anniversary due to a “system outage” at the jail, per Billboard.

Shortly after, Young Thug showed his love by wearing a sweatshirt in court that read, “I ❤️ Mariah,” Complex reported.

He was released in a plea deal that same month, and Mariah spoke about the news onstage in Brooklyn while opening for Latto’s Sugar Honey Iced Tea tour.

“I just wanna thank God for the day, I wanna thank you for life, light, and love. I wanna thank you for our family and friends, I wanna thank you for Jeff and our relationship,” she said to the crowd before leading them in a “Thug Free” chant.