Young Thug's 'Lifestyle' played in court as Atlanta rapper faces RICO charges
ATLANTA — The Atlanta trial of rapper Young Thug, who's accused of co-founding a violent criminal street gang and using his music to promote it, has restarted after facing a delay in December.
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 for the YSL rapper and five other people, which began in November, returned to proceedings on Jan. 2. The trial is currently in another weeklong recess, returning on Jan. 22.
Prosecutors are expected to take the controversial step of using Young Thug's rap lyrics as evidence against him. The rapper has pleaded not guilty.
Here are some things to know as the trial gets underway:
'Lifestyle' by Young Thug plays in courtroom
On Jan. 11, the trial opened with the song "Lifestyle," on which the rapper is featured, playing for the court.
Young Thug's lawyer, Brian Steel, requested to play the song's video in an effort to show that YSL's clothing is typical of rappers and has no gang affiliation. Fulton County Judge Ural Glanville decided not to let the music video play for the time being.
Viral courtroom moment: Attorney says Young Thug stands for 'Truly Humble Under God' in Day 2 of RICO trial
When does the Young Thug trial start?
The Young Thug trial began on Nov. 27 with opening statements from prosecutors and the rapper's counsel.
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. A jury of 12 people — nine women and three men — and six alternates was finally selected on Nov. 1 after several delays.
Why was Young Thug's trial delayed?
Shannon Stillwell, 31, was stabbed multiple times Dec. 9 during a fight with another man housed in the same part of the jail, the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office said. Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville sent jurors home the next morning, telling them one of the defendants had a "medical issue" but told them to return the next morning.
On Dec. 12, he told them the "medical issue still exists" and told the jurors they were to return to court Jan. 2 at 9 a.m. Glanville instructed them not to read anything about the trial or talk to anyone about it in the meantime.
How long will the trial last?
The trial is projected to last months and will likely include testimony from a number of high-profile music industry figures.
Young Thug YSL case explained
Young Thug is facing racketeering, drug and gun charges related to his alleged involvement with a criminal street gang.
A Fulton County grand jury indicted Young Thug in May 2022. A second indictment in August 2022 accuses Young Thug and 27 other people of conspiring to violate Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO. The indictments contains 65 counts of felony charges, six of which apply to Young Thug.
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."
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.
How much prison time is Young Thug facing?
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.
Young Thug's attorneys deny YSL is a gang
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.
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.
Rapper Gunna was previously charged alongside Young Thug
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.
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.
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 earned a Grammy in 2019 for his co-writing efforts on the track, which included 21 Savage, Quavo and more.
He has had several mixtapes and three studio albums including his recent "Business is Business" music project, which was released in June.
Lyrics can be used as evidence during Young Thug's trial on gang and racketeering charges
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.
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.
Contributing: Kate Brumback, Jonathan Landrum Jr., The Associated Press
Young Thug's RICO trial slowed down by alleged smuggled drugs in courtroom, reluctant jurors
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Lifestyle' lyrics played in court amid RICO case
