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Jam Master Jay Trial Begins Two Decades After His Murder

January 29, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Jam Master Jay of Run DMC’s murder went unsolved for a long time, but almost 22 years after it, we will at least get an answer when it comes to two prime suspects. Moreover, after the jury selection phase kicked off a few days ago at press time, Ronald Washington and Karl Jordan Jr.’s trial began with opening statements on Monday (January 29). They received these federal charges in 2020 for the Brooklyn incident, which they allegedly carried out as revenge for a cocaine deal gone wrong, prosecutors argue. If convicted of these crimes, they face life sentences in prison.

Furthermore, U.S. Disctrict Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall will oversee the trial, which is expected to last a month. When news first broke that Jam Master Jay’s alleged killers would face trial this month, many folks expressed a lack of hope in justice, if these are in fact the culprits. For one, some folks did witness the murder and police developed leads upon his loss, but these never came to fruition until the charges in August of 2020. In that way, it’s similar to unsolved cases in hip-hop such as the infamous and tragic examples of Biggie Smalls and Tupac Shakur.

Jam Master Jay Performing In 2001

Jam Master Jay Murder Trial Start Hip Hop News — Jam Master Jay of Run DMC performs on stage at the Respect Festival, Finsbury Park, London, United Kingdom, 2001. (Photo by Martyn Goodacre/Getty Images)

However, even though some rumored details of this trial didn’t manifest -– such as a double jury -– the details of the incident themselves remain murky. Prosecutors and the charges claim that Washington and Jordan intruded Jam Master Jay’s studio on October 30, 2002 at nighttime. Allegedly, Washington threatened another person in the room with a firearm, whereas Jordan shot Jay twice with one bullet striking his head at close range. In addition, prosecutors suggest that Jay had agreed to purchase 10 kilograms of cocaine that the suspects and other individuals distributed in Baltimore. The suspects chose to retaliate against the DJ when he exited the arrangement.

Meanwhile, Jay Bryant will face a separate trial for his alleged involvement in the murder, for which prosecutors charged him in May of 2023. Jordan and Washington maintain that attorneys waited too long to charge them, which will make it more difficult for them to prove their innocence due to faulty witness memory and cell phone records becoming unavailable over time. In September of 2022, a judge dismissed these concerns and questioned how they could counter prosecutors’ evidence in the first place. For more news and the latest updates on the Jam Master Jay trial, check back in with HNHH.

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Young Thug Defense Attorney’s Opening Statements Reveal Meaning Of Rapper’s Moniker

November 28, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Waiting for the YSL RICO trial to finally begin has been an unbelievably lengthy process, but now that Young Thug and his co-defendants are in court, we can hardly keep up with the updates as they come at us. After filing a motion for a mistrial on Monday (November 27), the So Much Fun hitmaker and his defense team were ultimately denied. The “Day Before” artist is no stranger to such circumstances, as his requests for bond over the past 500+ days were all rejected, citing him as a serious flight risk amid the allegations he’s facing.

Thankfully, Thugger has been able to stay positive through it all. He looks to have filled out more during his jail stint, with some speculating this could be a result of clearing drugs and alcohol out of his system. The producer/lyricist is in the capable hands of Brian Steel in court, and on Tuesday (November 28), we heard the attorney’s opening arguments, which were compelling, albeit sort of comedic.

Brian Steel is Standing on Business for Young Thug

Young Thug’s lawyer tells the court that his stage name means ‘Truly Humble Under God’:

“Truly Humble Under God. That’s what T.H.U.G. means” pic.twitter.com/RUlhZysHRV

— Pop Base (@PopBase) November 28, 2023

While the prosecution is painting a photo of the 32-year-old that reflects a violent, dangerous gang member, Steel insists that his client has holiness watching over him. “Truly Humble Under God, that’s what THUG means,” the celebrity lawyer said in Georgia court this morning. The internet is happy to see things off to such a strong start for Jeffrey Williams and remains hopeful that he’ll walk away from this experience a better man.

It’s been nearly two years of Young Thug being locked away from those he loves most, but still, the Atlanta native knows he’s got an abundance of supporters standing behind him. Among them is his girlfriend, Mariah The Scientist, who’s been sharing frequent updates on the man (and his Candy Crush addiction) with the YSL community. Check out her outfit in support of Thugger’s first day of trial at the link below, and let us know what you think of Brian Steel’s work so far in the comments.

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Lil Wayne’s 2015 Tour Bus Shooting Referenced In Young Thug & YSL RICO Trial

November 27, 2023 by newhiphopnews

The RICO trial for Young Thug and YSL began today (Monday, November 27) with opening statements and a denied call for a mistrial on behalf of the defense. On that last point, it’s unclear if it’ll happen but still unlikely, but that wasn’t the only notable incident to come up on day one. Moreover, Fulton County Deputy District Attorney Adriane Love brought up a 2015 shooting that Lil Wayne’s tour bus suffered, allegedly at the hands of Thugger and YSL. If you weren’t aware of their beef, now you know to what extent it allegedly went to. Furthermore, she said that the convict in that case– Jimmy Winfrey– and others shot up the bus to show solidarity with Thugger after they went to Weezy’s show “locked and loaded” and did not secure clearance to enter.

“They unloaded bullets into the man’s tour bus,” Adriane Love remarked. “Bullets for nothing, except to show their dominance. There will be no evidence to show that Lil Wayne threatened either of them that night. But that act on the part of Jimmy Winfrey and the defendants before you today was intended to show their solidarity, their willingness to act on the behalf of– [and] their willingness to exact violence upon anyone who threatened the position of– the criminal street gang calling itself Young Slime Life.”

Young Thug & YSL RICO Trial Prosecutor Reminds The Jury Of Lil Wayne Shooting: Watch

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In fact, the “Metro Spider” MC’s feud with Lil Wayne was also the subject of a leaked interrogation with him. Furthermore, Young Thug answered questions about whether he, Birdman, or Tunechi were part of a Bloods gang. Of course, he stood by any lyrical references as just entertainment, and denied any and all actual criminal activity relating to that. It’s one of many bizarre angles in this case competing for court relevance.

Another is the use of lyrics in the trial as evidence against the codefendants, and you already know how the Atlanta trap pioneer thinks about that. Regardless, we’d predict that this tour bus shooting will prove to be a constant point of discussion, both for the severity of the actions and their alleged responsibility, plus its connection to the hip-hop world that is an apt contextual comparison. All that remains is to see whether the evidence supports that. For more news and the latest updates on Young Thug, the YSL RICO case, and Lil Wayne, stick around on HNHH.

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Young Thug Requests Mistrial In YSL RICO Case

November 27, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Day one of the Young Thug and YSL RICO trial already got off to a pretty wild and contentious start. Moreover, during the prosecution’s opening statements, in which they presented some PowerPoint slides, Thug’s attorney Brian Steele interrupted- which reporter Meghan Cuniff noted is bizarre for legal proceedings- and called for a mistrial in this case. This is due to his claim that the information in these slides wasn’t disclosed, and the defense lawyer said that these revelations were barred in court. All this is according to Cuniff, who added that the District Attorney’s team acknowledged that they messed up by proposing a curative jury instruction. Of course, they still objected to a mistrial motion.

Furthermore, Cuniff also quoted a prosecutor in the Young Thug trial whose inflammatory take provided objection. “‘What you will not hear any evidence of is that the defendants were not involved in a criminal street gang,’” she wrote. “Unreal burden shifting from a prosecutor here. Stunning that she said this and seemed surprised when there was an objection. ‘If that’s the case, then she’s just lying to the court.’” It’s unclear who the journalist quoted with that last sentence, but we can assume it’s the defense’s opposition to the prosecutor.

Young Thug’s Lawyer Brian Steele Keeps Pushing For Mistrial: See Updates

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However, this isn’t a win on either side, as the court denied previous motions to dismiss this case and no one is any happier with what prosecutors have been doing. As such, it’s harder than ever to tell what will happen with this case moving forward, which is ironic considering that it’s finally underway after so long. What’s most worrisome about these developments, though, is how they obfuscate what Young Thug and YSL’s tru culpability is in all this. With so many differing procedures, contested approaches, and lack of informational organization, it’s clear that both sides are struggling to reckon with the breadth, scope, and visibility of this case.

Regardless, this rocky start to this RICO trial prompted many to look back at what happened with Thugger and YSL up until this point. There’s a lot to sum up and consider, without even accounting for the details and developments that didn’t make it to the media cycle. Nevertheless, hopefully this trial aims to concern itself with the evidence and the arguments at hand in a clear, fair, equitable, and effective way for the sake of all those involved. On that note, stay up to date on HNHH for the latest news and updates on Young Thug and the YSL RICO trial.

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Mariah The Scientist Sports A Suit And Tie To Day One Of Young Thug’s Trial

November 27, 2023 by newhiphopnews

Nobody can claim that Mariah The Scientist doesn’t stick by her man. Her commitment to Young Thug hasn’t wavered a bit since he was arrested all the way back in May of last year. Now after all the time he’s spent in police custody and months of jury selection, his trial finally got underway today. Opening statements began this morning and Thug was unsurprisingly present in court. But Mariah was also in attendance.

She took to her Instagram story to share a sneak peek at her attire for day one of the trial with fans. She’s sporting a sleek black suit and tie combo that had fans comparing her to Janelle Monae. But it was her white undershirt that many fans honed in on. They took to the comments to crack jokes about Mariah wearing a YSL-branded shirt to the trial of a gang that’s also called YSL, even though they’re different YSLs. “Wearing a YSL shirt to a Rico case for YSL is crazy,” and “Wearing that name brand don’t really help the case” two fans joke. Check out her story posts in the comment section below.

Mariah The Scientist At Young Thug’s Trial

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Even before the trial began there was already tension between the parties involved. Reports earlier in the month claimed that the prosecutions methodology for turning in evidence was upsetting the judge overseeing the case. Later on he had a tense moment with Young Thug’s lawyer. It happened after the lawyer called one particular witness evaluation a farce. The judge instructed him not to describe the trial in those terms again.

Fans and fellow rappers are divided on whether they believe Young Thug can beat his case. Many fans online are taking a more pessimistic approach. But rappers like Meek Mill have looked at the messiness of the trial and decided that it actually favors Thugger. What do you think of Mariah The Scientist’s courtroom attire for day one of Young Thug’s trial? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Young Thug Appears In Court For Opening Arguments In YSL RICO Trial

November 27, 2023 by newhiphopnews

After an incredibly long wait, it’s officially day 1 in Young Thug’s YSL RICO trial. The rapper has been in police custody for over a year and a half awaiting trial since the sweeping arrest of more than two dozen YSL affiliates shocked the rap world last year. Earlier this month, the exhaustive jury selection process finally came to a close and the trial was officially scheduled to get underway today. Thugger is one of just 6 remaining defendants left in the indictment after others took plea deals to avoid trial or were tried separately.

Earlier today, opening statements in the case began. That meant that the newest images of Young Thug in court hit the internet a fans had a chance to react to the start of the trial. While hundreds are still calling for his release, there are many who doubt his chances to beat the case against him. The massive indictment suggests that Thug was the de-facto leader of a gang, which the prosecution alleges was also called YSL just like his music label. Unsurprisingly, Thugger has denied all charges. Check out a new photo of the rapper on day one of his trial below.

Young Thug’s Trial Officially Underway

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Earlier this month, the judge in the case made a controversial ruling. Lyrics from various Young Thug songs will be allowed to be entered as evidence in the trial. Debates over whether or not rap lyrics should be allowed in court have raged for years. Some states even passed laws to ensure that they aren’t admissible. The hip-hop world reacted with loud objections when the ruling was made public earlier this month. Artists like Killer Mike and Meek Mill came to Thug’s defense and spoke out about using rap lyrics in court.

Earlier this year, Young Thug released his new album Business Is Business. The project was largely assembled from already existing material recorded prior to his arrest. What do you think of Young Thug in court for the first day of his YSL RICO trial? Let us know in the comment section below.

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