Young Thug has been in an ongoing legal case for nearly over two years, and the RICO court proceedings have faced consistent delays throughout. Last year, Thug’s trial was cancelled as a result of a prison stabbing.
However, his legal proceedings have now continued, and he is looking at a long-term severe sentence. The lyricist (real name Jeffrey Williams) has received several charges, including involvement in a criminal organisation, Young Slime Life, possession of illegal firearms, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and possession of schedule V drugs such as codeine and morphine.
The Fulton County district attorney, Adriane Love, has referred to Young Slime Life as a street gang that “moved like a pack,” with Young Thug “as its head.” Young Thug’s attorneys have insisted that YSL stands for Young Stoner Life and is strictly a record label presenting entertaining accounts of criminal activities that its roster does not engage in.
Love insists that the YSL street gang has ties to the national Bloods organisation and is part of a nationwide network of criminal gangs that distribute Schedule V narcotics, including Fentanyl.
Williams’ lawyer, Brian Steel, has said his client has “committed no crime whatsoever.” He has also expressed that Williams’ music tells a rags-to-riches story, from “depression, despair, hopelessness, and helplessness” to affluence.
Young Thug’s lyrics have been used against him in court, with Young Thug’s verse on the 2018 Nicki Minaj track ‘Anybody’ reading, “I never killed anybody, but I got something to do with that body,” the prosecution is insistent that there is an explicit mention of proximity to crime and potential involvement in a murder.
In November, Young Thug’s lawyer filed for a mistrial. However, he was unsuccessful, and the court proceedings have been ongoing for over a two years. Both Williams and Stillwell (the co-defendant) have pleaded not guilty.
