The high-profile trial involving rapper Young Thug — commonly known as the “YSL RICO trial” — has commenced.
The trial began in Atlanta on Monday after a lengthy jury selection process concluded in early November and the musician (real name Jeffrey Lamar Williams), 32, who is facing charges of racketeering and gang conspiracy, spent 567 days in jail.
The Fulton District Attorney has alleged the Grammy winner, who was denied bond in June 2022 shortly after his May 2022 arrest, is the co-founder of a violent criminal street gang and used his music to promote it. Prosecutors allege the chart-topping artist’s label Young Stoner Life Records also stands for Young Slime Life, the name of an Atlanta-based gang, and are accusing him of conspiracy to violate the racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations act, or RICO, among other charges.
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Given Young Thug’s fame and the potential for testimonies from major names in the music industry, and the scope of the case — which indicted over two dozen other names, including five who are also confirmed to stand trial — the case is expected to gain national attention and last months.
Here is what to know about the YSL RICO trial.
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Who is Young Thug?
Young Thug is an award-winning rapper and pioneer of the melodic trap sound, known for his unique, mumble-like delivery and taste for pop production sensibilities. The hip-hop star has earned three No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 chart (2019’s So Much Fun, 2021’s Punk and the 2021 compilation album Young Stoner Life: Slime Language 2). He’s worked with the likes of Drake, Future, Travis Scott and others, and had genre-defying crossover with collaborations like the No. 1 hit “Havanna,” his team-up with Camila Cabello, and Childish Gambino‘s “This Is America,” which became the first rap song to win song of the year at the 2019 Grammys.
After coming up in the Atlanta scene and signing to Gucci Mane‘s 1017 Records in 2013, the recording artist eventually launched YSL Records (also known as Young Stoner Life Records), an imprint of 300 Entertainment in 2016.
The hitmaker has also gained a reputation as a fashion icon, as he’s frequently worn garments that defy gender stereotypes, like a dress on the cover of his 2016 mixtape Jeffery.
Fulton County Sheriffâs Office via AP
What is Young Thug being accused of in the YSL RICO trial?
Prosecutors have accused the “Go Crazy” rapper of being the co-founder of and involved with the Atlanta-area street gang Young Slime Life, which has ties to the national Bloods gang, and have brought racketeering, drug and weapons-related charges against him.
He was first indicted in May 2022, along with 27 other names including the rapper Gunna, of violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO.
A second indictment was brought forth in August 2022, bringing six more felony charges against him, per The Associated Press.
Of the 65 total counts against the defendants, which span between the time of 2013 and 2022, the performer is charged with eight. Among the more serious allegations, according to The New York Times, he has been accused of being connected to the killing of Donovan Thomas Jr., a rival gang member who died in a January 2015 drive-by shooting. Prosecutors allege Young Thug rented the vehicle that was used in the shooting.
What do Young Thug and his lawyers say about the YSL RICO trial?
The “Hot” rapper has pleaded not guilty and denied all of the charges. In multiple court filings, per The New York Times, his lawyers have reiterated the claim that YSL is only a record label and does not have gang affiliations.
His lawyers have also noted that while some of those who were charged in the original May 2022 indictment may have committed crimes, the hip-hop star is not responsible for or orchestrating their actions behind the scenes.
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Who are the other defendants in the YSL RICO trial?
The rapper Gunna (real name Sergio Kitchens) was also among those arrested in May 2022 and, like several other defendants including Young Thug’s brother Quantavious Grier, took a plea deal in December 2022.
The “Drip Too Hard” artist, 30, shared a letter from jail claiming that he was being “falsely accused” in June 2022 and eventually took an Alford plea, which allows him to maintain his innocence but acknowledges his best interest is to plead guilty, per AP.
Of the 28 who were first indicted, now just five in addition to Young Thug, will stand trial, due to the plea deals and 13 names now being tried separately.
Are Young Thug’s lyrics being used as evidence in the YSL RICO trial?
In a controversial decision, an Atlanta judge ruled on Nov. 9 that lyrics could be used as evidence in the case.
According to The New York Times, Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville said in court that prosecutors could use 17 specific sets of lyrics as evidence, as long as they argue their relation to the crimes of the accused. The songs being examined include “Eww,” “Just How It Is” and “Mob Ties,” as they relate to the existence of the gang, the defendants’ involvement in the alleged criminal conspiracy and “their mind state” regarding the alleged crimes.
Last year, California governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law that restricts the use of lyrics as evidence in criminal trials, and more than 100 artists and music industry leaders wrote an open letter saying the practice criminalizes Black talent. In the open letter, titled “Art on Trial: Protect Black Art,” they cited Young Thug’s incarceration and wrote that using his lyrics in legal proceedings is “an overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy.”
Despite strong legal opposition from the defense and public activism to “Protect Black Art,” the judge ruled in early November that at least 17 specific sets of lines from the music of Young Thug and other YSL artists could be used by the state to argue for the existence of the gang; the defendants’ membership in the alleged criminal conspiracy; and their mind state regarding specific crimes they are accused of committing.
Why did jury selection take so long in the YSL RICO trial?
According to AP, jury selection began back in January 2023 with expectations that the trial would begin in early 2023. The process faced several setbacks, including working out the logistics of getting the various defendants who were in different jails to court daily, contraband being brought into the court house, a defense attorney and courtroom deputy getting arrested, among other issues.
Now, nine women and three men make up the jury, and it is unclear how long the case could last.
