All those folks who spent the past couple of years calling Gunna a snitch and saying he sold out Young Thug will need to clean some egg off their faces. As part of his plea deal to secure his release, Thugger specifically asked Judge Paige Reece Whitaker to make an exception to his probation stipulation barring contact with his racketeering co-defendants: Gunna. While noting that Gunna is signed to Thug’s label, YSL Records, Thug’s attorney, Brian Steel, also reminded the court that the two frequently perform together. Thug also requested an exception for his brother Quantavious Grier, also known as Unfoonk, who is serving a nine-year sentence after accepting a plea deal of his own.
YOUNG THUG SPECIFICALLY ASKS TO BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TO MAKE MUSIC WITH GUNNA pic.twitter.com/RFRl6M4TfQ
It was the plea deal accepted by Gunna that prompted suspicions that the younger rapper had “turned rat” on his mentor, with former collaborators like Lil Baby and Lil Durk deeming Gunna a snitch. Gunna addressed such accusations on his 2023 album A Gift & A Curse, while Young Thug’s father stood up for his son’s protégé, asserting that nothing he could say would harm Thug’s defense anyway. Thug’s request suggests that the two rappers are still on good terms — meaning that a follow-up to “Surf,” “Ski,” and “Pushin P” could be on the way soon.
Young Thug will at last be released from custody after accepting a plea deal in his racketeering case. According to Billboard, Thug agreed to plead “no contest” to racketeering and pled guilty to possession of drugs and firearms, and was sentenced to 15 years probation. He will serve no prison time; he was jailed for over two years as his trial dragged on, becoming the longest in Georgia state history.
Thug opted for a non-negotiated guilty plea after several days of closed-door negotiations with prosecutors. This allowed Judge Paige Reese Whitaker to determine the sentence herself after she found herself losing patience with the prosecutions’ antics. The trial, which didn’t even start in earnest until earlier this year, would have called nearly a hundred witnesses, and with just the first handful necessitating days of delays, stalled testimonies, secret ex parte meetings, a criminal contempt charge against the defense (since rescinded), and not just one, but two judges’ recusals, it’s probably fair to say that all parties involved were ready to get this thing over with.
The trial had already drawn heavy backlash for its application of Georgia’s state Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and use of lyrics as evidence, which some observers criticized for racist motivations. Meanwhile, prosecutors wanted Thug sentenced to 25 years in prison, with another 20 on probation, accusing him of leading a criminal organization responsible for a wave of violent crime in the Atlanta area. The District Attorney’s office alleged that Thug’s record label, Young Stoner Life (YSL), was secretly a front for a street gang, Young Slime Life, with a list of violations including murder, attempted murder, robbery, assault, and distribution of drugs.
Several other co-defendants, including YSL rapper Yak Gotti, declined the plea deal, however; they will continue to stand trial for crimes including the alleged 2015 murder of a supposed rival gang leader, Donovan Thomas.
Georgia’s Supreme Court has reversed the criminal contempt of court ruling against Brian Steel, Young Thug’s defense attorney. According to Billboard, after reviewing the June ruling by Judge Ural Glanville, the Supreme Court ruled that Glanville should have recused himself and let another judge determine whether Steel was actually in contempt.
Glanville ordered Steel to 20 days in jail after the attorney refused to disclose how he found out about a secret meeting between the judge and prosecutors. The move sparked an immediate appeal and an outcry from lawyers across the internet once the news broke. Widespread calls for Glanville’s removal from the case were eventually granted, and the case has since proceeded with a new judge, who was none too impressed with the state’s handling of evidence and testimony.
Steel had protested Glanville’s “ex parte” meeting with prosecutors and witness Kenneth Copeland, asking for transcripts of the meeting during the June session. The judge instead demanded to know how Steel came by the information, and after Steel refused, Glanville sentenced him to 20 days in jail to be served on 10 consecutive weekends. Steel accepted the terms asking to be held with his client Thug so they could work on the case. Steele’s appeal put a stay on the sentence, and now that the Supreme Court has reversed Glanville’s ruling, he’s officially off the hook.
The racketeering trial against Young Thug has slogged into its 140th day, and while not much of note has happened for the past 9 months since the last update, in the past month or so, there have been enough updates to fill a new primer. So, here’s everything that’s happened so far in the trial.
What Is Young Thug Charged With In The YSL RICO Trial?
Young Thug is accused of violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. The state argues that Young Stoner Life, Thug’s label, is actually a cover for Young Slime Life, a violent street gang responsible for assault, dealing drugs, and murder in the Atlanta area. Thug was also charged with possession of illegal firearms and possession of drugs with intent to distribute after a raid on his home.
What Are The Updates In Young Thug’s YSL RICO Trial?
In June, Young Thug’s defense attorney, Brian Steel, was charged with criminal contempt of court and taken into custody after refusing to tell Judge Ural Glanville how he found out about a meeting between the judge and the prosecution that took place without the defense present.
The resulting kerfuffle led to a number of attorneys in Georgia banding together to petition for a mistrial while helping Steel prepare his appeal. The uproar prompted a recusal hearing on July 1, resulting in Glanville being removed from the trial. His immediate replacement, Shukura Ingram, also recused herself, citing a situation in which her court deputy was discovered to have had an inappropriate relationship with one of the defendants in the case. She was replaced by Judge Paige Reese Whitaker.
This turned out to be a setback for the prosecution, as on September 30, Whitaker criticized Chief Assistant District Attorney Adriane Love for her handling of the case so far. Whitaker chastised the prosecutor for “hiding the ball” and “throwing this case together as you try it.” While Whitaker did not grant a mistrial — the latest round of motions for mistrial in the longest trial in Georgia history — it’s clear that even the court itself is beginning to lose patience with the case.
That’s where things stand as of this writing. The trial is still expected to continue into 2025, with more than 100 witnesses yet to testify.
Yesterday (September 30), the Young Thug racketeering trial featured yet another explosive twist after the judge presiding over the proceedings lit into the prosecutors for presenting such a sloppy case. However, despite this, the defense’s request for a mistrial has been denied yet again, as the trial enters its 139th day.
Judge Paige Reese Whitaker appeared to be fed up with Chief Assistant District Attorney Adriane Love’s behavior for the past month, saying, “It is baffling to me that somebody with the number of years of experience that you have, time after time after time, continues to seemingly and purposefully hide the ball to the extent you possibly can, for as long as you possibly can.
“I really don’t want to believe that it is purposeful, but honestly, after a certain number of times, you start to wonder how can it be anything but that,” she continued. “Unless it is just that you are so unorganized that you are throwing this case together as you try it.”
The judge in the ongoing racketeering trial against Young Thug appears to have reached the end of her patience with the prosecution. Judge Paige Reese Whitaker upbraided Chief Assistant District Attorney Adriane Love for the presentation of the State of Georgia’s case during court today, just ahead of considering a mistrial motion filed by the defense.
“I don’t want to malign the prosecutor standing in front of me right now, so I’m not going to say the possible things it could be,” Whitaker said. “It is baffling to me that somebody with the number of years of experience that you have, time after time after time, continues to seemingly and purposefully hide the ball to the extent you possibly can, for as long as you possibly can. I really don’t want to believe that it is purposeful, but honestly, after a certain number of times, you start to wonder how can it be anything but that. Unless it is just that you are so unorganized that you are throwing this case together as you try it.”
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the trial has become the longest in Georgia state history as a result of numerous delays, many the direct result of the DA’s office’s presentation of its case, as well as issues with its previous judge, who was removed and replaced by Whitaker earlier this summer. The trial, which was to have begun in 2021, still has over 100 witnesses to get through, and if not declared a mistrial, is expected to continue into next year.
Young Thug is accused of one count of conspiracy to violate Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, possession of a firearm while committing a felony; possession of a machine gun; two counts of participating in criminal street activity; and three counts of violating the Georgia Controlled Substances Act. The DA’s office says Thug was the co-founder and leader of a criminal street gang, Young Slime Life — which not so coincidentally shares initials with his label, Young Stoner Life. The State believes that the label is a cover for and funds the gang’s activities, which include a string of violent crimes such as murder, robbery, and assault.
After months of slowdowns, delays, and controversies, the racketeering trial against Young Thug and alleged gang/record label YSL will restart with a new judge, as Ural Glanville, who had overseen the trial for the past year and a half, has been removed from the case, according to documents filed with the Fulton County Superior Court. Ironically, the news comes from ThuggerDaily, a fan account on Twitter that has been following the case intently, for obvious reasons.
Worth noting that in her order, Judge Krause agrees with Glanville that nothing about the ex parte meeting was inappropriate. She granted the motions to recuse due to the way he denied the motions to recuse and out of necessity to preserve public confidence in the judiciary pic.twitter.com/2erpFUiDkG
According to Judge Rachel Krause, who approved the motion to have Judge Glanville recused, he was not removed over the ex parte meeting with witness Kenneth “Woody” Copeland that prompted Glanville to have Thug’s lawyer Brian Steel held in criminal contempt of court. Rather, she approved Glanville’s recusal due to his prior judgments to deny previously filed motions to recuse, in which he offered his own opinions as justifications, leaving his judgments open to critique. In order to “preserve the public’s confidence in the judicial system,” she deemed it necessary to have Glanville removed from the case.
Steel avoided a sentence of several weeks worth of jail time, as the sentence was suspended until an appeal could be completed. With Glanville removed from the case, Steel will likely be let off the hook.
It has been a little over two months since our last Everything To Know post about the ongoing Young Thug racketeering trial, and a lot has happened since then. We’ll cover the basics, but also everything that we weren’t able to update as the trial continued.
What Is Young Thug Charged With In The YSL RICO Trial?
Young Thug was accused of violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. The RICO law was intended to curtail organized crime — think the “leave the gun, take the cannoli” guys — but a broad application of the law is being used to prosecute this case. The state argues that Young Stoner Life, Thug’s label, is actually a cover for Young Slime Life, a violent street gang responsible for assault, dealing drugs, and murder in the Atlanta area.
28 members of YSL including Gunna, Yak Gotti, and Unfook, Young Thug’s brother, were indicted, with Thug being accused of being the leader of this gang. Although he was only accused of violating the RICO Act at first, a raid of his home added charges of possession of illegal firearms and possession of drugs with intent to distribute.
Young Thug is facing additional felony charges after investigators discover drugs and guns while raiding his Buckhead home. @wsbtvpic.twitter.com/gWDtmYVGza
Veteran Georgia defense attorney Brian Steel is working with Young Thug. Steel claims the use of Young Thug’s lyrics as evidence is racist.
Why Are Young Thug’s Lyrics Being Used As Evidence?
The state’s case against Young Thug hinges on proving his membership and leadership of YSL as a gang. Young Thug’s lyrics made frequent mention of YSL, so they would like to use his own words to prove that he is the YSL shot caller — but they also have to prove that YSL is a gang in the sense of committing organized criminal activity.
Which Young Thug Lyrics Are Being Used As Evidence In The Case?
The lyrics in question come from a variety of songs, including “Just How It Is”:
“I just beat a murder rap, paid my lawyer 30 for that”
2014’s “Eww”:
“Honestly truth be told YSL won’t fold / Pick his ass off from the balcony/ YSL wipe a n**** nose”
“Bad Boy” with Juice WRLD:
“I shot at his mommy, now he no longer mention me”
“Take It To Trial” with Gunna:
“I rep my life for real/For slimes you know I kill”
What Are The Updates In Young Thug’s YSL RICO Trial?
Since the start of the trial, it’s been delayed a number of times. In December, the trial was paused after a co-defendant, Shannon Stilwell, was stabbed in jail.
Meanwhile, video from a jail call between Thug and his girlfriend Mariah The Scientist was leaked online, prompting Drake to call out the authorities for failing to take the case seriously.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The ongoing RICO trial against Young Thug and YSL was unexpectedly suspended due to a stabbing at Fulton County Jail. The victim was one of Young Thug’s co-defendants Shannon Stillwell, according to local news, with Judge Ural Glanville telling the jury, “We had a medical issue come up with one of our participants, so we’re going to recess for the day.”
One of Young Thug’s co-defendants was stabbed in jail. Looks like the RICO trial may not be going today. https://t.co/HiYsxqW0vv
Fulton County Jail has had a well-publicized recent history of violence, with a capacity of just 1,125 inmates and a population nearly three times that at 3,000. A November report counted 10 inmate deaths this year alone, making Fulton one of the nation’s deadliest. In fact, Young Thug and Gunna paid bail for 30 inmates in 2021 so they could go home and be with their families after being held on minor charges but being unable to pay their bonds.
Thug and Gunna both repeatedly requested bond hearings in the lead-up to the trial, only to be denied each time, with prosecutors arguing they were a danger to the community and a flight risk. Gunna eventually accepted a plea deal in which he pled guilty to being part of a gang in exchange for time served. While it’s clear the prosecution wants to use plea deals like Gunna’s as evidence that YSL is a gang rather than a music label, some fans (and peer artists) remain convinced Gunna “snitched” for his reduced sentence — even though they maintain, like the defense, that YSL is not a gang (and thus, Gunna wouldn’t have anything to tell in the first place, right?).
Young Thug is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
As the RICO trial against Young Thug continues, more details about not only Georgia’s case against him but also about the rapper himself have emerged. During his opening statement, Young Thug’s attorney, Brian Steel, explained both how Young Thug and his label got their names in an effort to undermine the state’s characterization of the rapper as leader of a criminal street gang.
With a stage name like Young Thug, you could almost say it’s no surprise that authorities would choose to make an example of Jeffery Williams. But according to Steel, the government has the origins of his name figured all wrong. Thanks to Atlanta-based culture reporter Jewel Wicker (who already figures to be to this high-profile case what Meghann “Thee Reporter” Cuniff was to the Tory Lanez trial), Steel said Thug’s nom de plume was inspired by another revered but controversial rap icon: Tupac Shakur.
Shakur’s 1995 feature appearance on Smooth’s “P.Y.T. (Playa Young Thugs)” inspired Williams to adopt Young Thug as his name, turning the “thug” part into a backronym meaning “truly humbled under God.” Likewise, YSL (short for Young Stoner Life) was “a nod to the tight-fitting designer pants Thug used to see women wear.”
According to Steel, the rapper’s stage name came from the Tupac’s “P.Y.T. (Playa Young Thugs.)” The attorney says Thug’s stage name stands for “truly humbled under God.”
This explanation has been used in the past. Last December, his sister Dora Williams tweeted the same breakdown of his name’s acronym. While the explanation drew some skepticism from the app’s users, it looks like his defense is sticking to that story, which paints a brighter picture of the rapper and probably won’t hurt in the eyes of the jury.
THUG = TRULY. HUMBLE, UNDER. GOD. YOUNG TRULY HUMBLE UNDER GOD. YOUNG-THUG
Chief Judge Ural Glanville has been removed from the YSL trial: 
(@HiDoraah)