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Rapper Young Thug’s long-delayed RICO trial begins soon Here’s what to know about the case
YSL RICO case: Some Young Thug lyrics can be used as evidence
In just two and a half weeks, the Fulton County jury on the Young Slime Life gang and racketeering trial will begin hearing the case. Thursday, the judge made his ruling on some of the evidence which could include the defendants’ own rap lyrics.
ATLANTA – Opening statements are expected next week in Atlanta in the trial of rapper Young Thug, who’s accused of co-founding a violent criminal street gang and using his music to promote it.
The Atlanta-based artist, whose given name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, is charged with violating Georgia’s anti-racketeering and gang laws, among other things. He was indicted last year along with more than two dozen other people, five of whom are set to stand trial with him.
The trial is projected to last months and will likely include testimony from a number of high-profile music industry figures. Prosecutors are expected to take the controversial step of using Young Thug’s rap lyrics as evidence against him.
Here are some things to know as the trial gets underway:
Who is Young Thug?
Young Thug’s eccentric style and mumble rap — along with breakout hits such as “Stoner” and “Best Friend” — have made him popular. His squeaky high-pitched vocals can be heard in the background of Childish Gambino’s “This is America,” a social-political hit that became the first hip-hop track to win the song of the year Grammy Award.
Young Thug won a Grammy in 2019 for his co-writing efforts on the track, which included 21 Savage, Quavo, BlocBoy JB, Slim Jxmmi of the duo Rae Sremmurd. He has had several mixtapes and three studio albums including his recent “Business is Business” music project, which was released in June.
Young Thug has collaborated with some of music’s best including Drake, Chris Brown, T.I. and Travis Scott. Elton John called working with Young Thug an “amazing moment” after recording the song “Always Love You” featuring Nicki Minaj and Gunna.
Young Thug has three chart-topping songs including “Havana” with Camila Cabello, “Way 2 Sexy” with Drake and Future and “Franchise” featuring Travis Scott and M.I.A.
He signed with Gucci Mane’s 1017 Records in 2013.
In a hyper-masculine hip-hop scene, Young Thug refused to play by traditional gender rules. He wore a dress on the cover of his 2016 mixtape “Jeffery” and said there’s no such thing as gender as part of a Calvin Klein campaign.
On social media, some noticed Young Thug referencing his male friends as “bae,” “lover” and “hubby.”
Young Thug grew up in a rough suburban Atlanta housing project where crime was the norm. He became a father at the age of 17 and currently has six children.
Prosecutors have painted Young Thug as a gang leader known as King Slime, someone who calls the shots and directs others to engage in criminal activity.
What are the charges young Thug faces?
A Fulton County grand jury indicted Young Thug in May 2022, and more charges were added in a subsequent indictment in August of that year. The second indictment accuses Young Thug and 27 other people of conspiring to violate Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO. The rapper is also accused of participation in criminal street gang activity, as well as drug and gun charges.
Prosecutors say Young Thug and two other people co-founded a violent criminal street gang in 2012 called Young Slime Life, or YSL, which they say is associated with the national Bloods gang. The indictment says Young Thug “made YSL a well-known name by referring to it in his songs and on social media.”
RAPPER YOUNG THUGS’ RICO ACT CHARGES EXPLAINED
In addition to specific charges, the August indictment includes a wide-ranging list of 191 acts that prosecutors say were committed between 2013 and 2022 as part of the alleged conspiracy to further the gang’s interests.
Included in that list is an allegation that Young Thug threatened in July 2015 to shoot a security guard who was trying to get him to leave an Atlanta-area mall. The indictment also says Young Thug rented a silver Infiniti sedan that was used in the killing of a rival gang member. And, on numerous occasions, he and others are alleged to have possessed various illegal drugs that they intended to distribute.
What do Young Thug’s defense lawyers say?
Young Thug’s lawyers have said in multiple court filings that he is innocent of all crimes charged in the indictment. They argue YSL is simply a record label. The rapper has pleaded not guilty.
Multiple defense attorneys in the case have said prosecutors were overzealous in their use of the RICO statute and the anti-gang law, both of which carry heavy penalties.
Who else is charged in the Young Thug YSL RICO trial?
Rapper Gunna, whose given name is Sergio Kitchens, was charged with a single count of racketeering conspiracy. He entered an Alford plea in December, which means he maintains his innocence but recognizes that it’s in his best interest to plead guilty.
RAPPER YOUNG THUG, ASSOCIATES ARRESTED FOR RICO ACT CHARGES IN ATLANTA
During Gunna’s plea hearing, the rapper responded, “Yes, ma’am” when a prosecutor said that “YSL is a music label and a gang” and that he had knowledge that its members or associates had committed crimes in furtherance of the gang.
The other two people accused of co-founding the YSL gang — Walter Murphy and Trontavious Stephens — were also charged. They each pleaded guilty in December to one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-racketeering law.
What has Young Thug been doing since his arrest?
Young Thug has been in jail since his arrest on May 9, 2022, having been denied bond several times since then.
Young Thug drops new album during RICO case
Atlanta rapper Young Thug has released his first project since being arrested on gang-related charges. He’s been in the Cobb County Jail for more than a year awaiting trial.
More than a year after he was jailed, Young Thug surprisingly released his third studio album “Business is Business,” which was executive produced by Metro Boomin. The album — which featured Drake, Future and Lil Uzi Vert — debuted No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart.
Young Thug’s album dropped a week after Gunna released his new project.
What penalties does Young Thug face if he’s convicted?
Young Thug’s racketeering conspiracy charge and two gang charges each carry a penalty of five to 20 years in prison. The other five charges also carry potential prison time.
What’s next in Young Thug’s case?
Jury selection began in January. At that time, 14 of the 28 people charged in the indictment were set to be tried together. That number has dwindled to six after some defendants either took plea deals or were separated to be tried later.
JURY SEATED AFTER NEARLY A YEAR IN YOUNG THUG YSL TRIAL
It took nearly 10 months to seat a jury, which is highly unusual. It took so long for a variety of reasons. For one, the trial is expected to last for months, meaning many potential jurors had legitimate hardship excuses that allowed them to get out of hearing the case. There were also many complications that caused delays, including challenges in getting defendants housed in different jails to court each day, contraband brought to court, and the arrests of a defense attorney and a courtroom deputy.
A jury of 12 people — nine women and three men — and six alternates was finally selected on Nov. 1. Opening statements are set to begin Monday and the trial is expected to last anywhere from several months to a year.
Young Thug and YSL’s Atlanta RICO Trial: Everything You Need to Know
Young Thug, a once-rising star in hip-hop, is now facing a difficult trial over allegations that he ran a violent Atlanta street gang that committed numerous crimes over the course of a decade. The charges against him could result in a lengthy prison sentence if proven true. Despite being a critically-acclaimed rapper with chart-topping hits and albums, as well as a Grammy award and his own record label, Thug is now at the center of one of the music industry’s most closely-watched criminal cases. The case alleges that Thug and other members of his record label, Young Stoner Life (YSL), were actually part of a violent gang called Young Slime Life, affiliated with the national Bloods gang, and committed a wide range of criminal activities in the Atlanta area since 2012.
In addition to Thug, the charges also targeted his star protégé Sergio “Gunna” Kitchens, as well as Deamonte “Yak Gotti” Kendrick, Arnold “Lil Duke” Martinez, Thug’s brother Quantavious “Unfoonk” Grier, and others.
The case is based on Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, a law similar to the federal RICO statute used against organized crime. These laws help prosecutors go after members of criminal enterprises based on their collective actions.
The indictment includes serious accusations related to the 2015 killing of Donovan “Big Nut” Thomas Jr., who prosecutors say led a rival gang in Atlanta. Five YSL members are directly charged with the murder, while Thug is accused of renting the car used in the crime.
Prosecutors also claim that other members sought Thug’s guidance for serious crimes. One allegation states that two YSL members discussed seeking permission from the rapper before attempting to murder rival rapper YFN Lucci (Rayshawn Bennett) while he was in jail.
In an updated indictment filed in August 2022, Thug himself now faces eight counts, including participating in the RICO conspiracy, participating in a criminal street gang, violating the Georgia Controlled Substances Act, possession of a firearm while committing a felony, and possession of a machine gun.
Check out the complete indictment here.
What happened to Gunna?
Since the YSL indictment was issued 18 months ago, many of the original 28 defendants have either accepted plea deals or been removed from the case due to procedural reasons. This has left only six defendants to stand trial this week. Just a few weeks ago, Derontae “Bee” Bebee pleaded guilty and received a five-year prison sentence.
The most significant plea came from Gunna, a highly acclaimed YSL artist often referred to as Young Thug’s protégé. Last December, Gunna entered what is known as an Alford plea. This legal maneuver allows a defendant to admit guilt while maintaining their innocence. Gunna’s decision made sense as he was only charged with one count from the indictment and faced less serious accusations, primarily related to his involvement in music and social media promoting YSL.
Gunna made it clear at the time that he had not agreed to cooperate with prosecutors in convicting Young Thug or any other defendants. He also stated that he had no intention of being involved in the trial process. However, during the court hearing for the plea deal, Gunna publicly acknowledged that YSL was both a music label and a gang. He also admitted to having personal knowledge of crimes committed by members or associates of YSL in furtherance of the gang.
This admission has caused some backlash for the rapper. Nevertheless, Gunna is not expected to testify in the upcoming trial. According to an anonymous source reported by Rolling Stone in December, an agreement had been reached that the state would not call him as a witness. Even if he were called, Gunna would still have the right to invoke his Fifth Amendment privilege and refuse to answer questions.
The use of rap lyrics as evidence in court has become a controversial practice, with critics arguing that it unfairly treats the genre as a literal confession rather than a form of creative expression. This has led to concerns about potential violations of the First Amendment and the prejudicial effect that rap lyrics can have on jurors. While some states have enacted legislation to restrict this practice, courts around the country have mostly upheld the right of prosecutors to cite rap lyrics, particularly in gang-related cases. Despite the backlash, some prosecutors continue to use rap lyrics as evidence, arguing that if someone admits to a crime in their lyrics, they can and will use it against them in court.
The case against YSL was extremely complex, causing significant delays in reaching trial. Initially, finding lawyers for all 28 indicted men proved challenging, as the public defense system did not receive sufficient funding. The state had to contract private defense attorneys, but even that almost fell apart due to inadequate pay. Additionally, jury selection was a difficult task, as it was hard to find individuals who could commit to a year-long trial. The selection process took over 10 months, making it the longest jury selection in Georgia’s history.
Throughout this entire process, Young Thug and the other defendants have remained in jail. Despite Thug’s lawyers arguing for house arrest, Judge Glanville consistently denied him bail due to concerns of witness intimidation raised by the prosecutors.
Donald Trump’s involvement comes into play when we mention “Fani Willis” and “RICO.” Fani Willis is using the same statute to bring a high-profile case against Trump and others for their alleged attempts to overturn the 2020 election in Georgia.
In August, a grand jury in Fulton County indicted Trump and 18 others, accusing them of participating in a criminal scheme to keep Trump in the White House after losing to Joe Biden. Some co-defendants, including former Trump lawyers Sidney Powell and Jenna Ellis, have recently pleaded guilty to lesser charges.
Willis has proposed an August 2024 trial date for the case, which could potentially coincide with the YSL trial. Both trials are expected to last for several months.
Interestingly, Trump’s lead attorney, Steve Sadow, also represented Gunna in the YSL case and negotiated his plea deal.
To secure a conviction, prosecutors must prove “beyond a reasonable doubt” that Thug and the others committed the alleged crimes. This means that jurors must be almost certain of their guilt before voting to convict.
In order to prove the main RICO charges, the DA’s office needs to demonstrate a “pattern of racketeering activity” by the YSL members. This entails showing that they conspired to operate an illegal enterprise or a “racket.”
The trial will begin on Monday with the remaining six defendants. The jury consists of seven Black women, two white women, two Black men, and one white man. Both sides will present their opening arguments, and then the DA’s office will start calling witnesses. The prosecutors have a list of 737 potential witnesses, including 258 lay witnesses and 479 expert witnesses.
The defendants will have an opportunity to bring forward their own witnesses. Thug has mentioned rappers T.I. and Killer Mike, as well as music executive Lyor Cohen, as potential witnesses in a recent legal document. Thug’s lawyers will also present their own expert witnesses to challenge the government’s testimony. If found guilty of the RICO charge, the defendants could be sentenced to prison for a period ranging from five to 20 years. Additionally, Thug and others are facing separate charges for other specific crimes, which, if proven, could result in additional prison time.
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