ICYMI: Gunna Releases Open Letter to Fans and the Public: “I Am Being False Accused and Will Never Stop Fighting”

Gunna Gives Out His Number On Twitter: (470) 206-3380

Gunna has released his first statement since being jailed on a 56-count indictment in Georgia along with Young Thug and the rest of YSL Records.

Currently being held in Fulton County Jail, Gunna spoke about the opportunity that he provided for other professionals and his loved ones.

The statement, in part, reads:

“The picture that is being painted of me is ugly and untrue. My fans know I love to celebrate life, I love my family, I love travel, I love music, I love my fans. I have all faith that God will grant me justice for the purity in my heart and the innocence of my actions.”

Gunna also spoke to the constraints on his art as a freedom of expression:

“My art is now allowed to stand alone as entertainment, I’m not allowed that freedom as a Black Man in America. It is a sad reality that slavery is still alive in America today and still affecting my people. In 12 states more than half of the prison population is Black, one of those states is Georgia.”

Last week, Kevin Liles, the co-founder of 300 Entertainment, teamed up with Julie Greenwald, COO of Atlantic Records, for a petition to cease the use of rap lyrics in court. Liles also testified on behalf of Young Thug and YSL.

You can see Gunna’s full letter to the fans and public below.

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The post ICYMI: Gunna Releases Open Letter to Fans and the Public: “I Am Being False Accused and Will Never Stop Fighting” appeared first on The Source.

A YSL Co-Founder’s Attorney Thinks The Whole RICO Case Is About Catching Young Thug

Among the 28 members of Young Thug’s YSL crew who were scooped up in the wide-ranging RICO indictment against them was Walter Murphy, who is accused of co-founding YSL as a “hybrid street gang” along with Thug himself. Murphy turned himself in when the indictment went public, appearing in court on Tuesday for a bond hearing in which his lawyer Jacoby Hudson “went off” after the judge denied Murphy bond. According to WSB-TV Atlanta, Hudson condemned the Fulton County DA’s case against his client, blaming it on the high-profile status of its rapper targets.

“The whole case is about Young Thug — Jeffrey Lamar Williams,” he said. “That’s who they want. My client don’t want to talk about Jeffery Williams.” Murphy, who was sent to prison in 2016 for multiple charges including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in 2013 and attempted murder involving four different victims in 2015, said he changed while in prison on those offenses. “I spent seven years in prison,” he said. “While I was in prison, you know, I stayed out the way and I just got my GED, completed all my classes.” Hudson says that since then, Murphy has not associated with YSL or engaged in any crimes.

Meanwhile, many observers have criticized Thug’s inclusion in the case as well, as it was reported that the evidence against him was based on his lyrics shouting out YSL — which could mean Young Slime Life, the alleged gang, or Young Stoner Life, his label. Gunna, another rapper on the label, was also accused of being a lieutenant in the alleged gang, despite the evidence largely amounting to mentions in his lyrics. Kevin Liles, the founder of YSL’s parent label 300 Entertainment, posted a petition on Change.org decrying the case and calling for the federalization of so-called “rap on trial” laws that would limit the use of lyrics in criminal investigations.

Both Thug and Gunna are set for trial in 2023 after being denied bond. Presumably, so is Walter Murphy.

Gunna Releases Open Letter to Fans and the Public: “I Am Being False Accused and Will Never Stop Fighting”

Gunna Gives Out His Number On Twitter: (470) 206-3380

Gunna has released his first statement since being jailed on a 56-count indictment in Georgia along with Young Thug and the rest of YSL Records.

Currently being held in Fulton County Jail, Gunna spoke about the opportunity that he provided for other professionals and his loved ones.

The statement, in part, reads:

“The picture that is being painted of me is ugly and untrue. My fans know I love to celebrate life, I love my family, I love travel, I love music, I love my fans. I have all faith that God will grant me justice for the purity in my heart and the innocence of my actions.”

Gunna also spoke to the constraints on his art as a freedom of expression:

“My art is now allowed to stand alone as entertainment, I’m not allowed that freedom as a Black Man in America. It is a sad reality that slavery is still alive in America today and still affecting my people. In 12 states more than half of the prison population is Black, one of those states is Georgia.”

Last week, Kevin Liles, the co-founder of 300 Entertainment, teamed up with Julie Greenwald, COO of Atlantic Records, for a petition to cease the use of rap lyrics in court. Liles also testified on behalf of Young Thug and YSL.

You can see Gunna’s full letter to the fans and public below.

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The post Gunna Releases Open Letter to Fans and the Public: “I Am Being False Accused and Will Never Stop Fighting” appeared first on The Source.

Gunna Shares An Open Letter From Jail Calling 2022 ‘One Of The Best Years Of My Life, Despite This’

The ongoing racketeering case against Young Thug, Gunna, and YSL Records has drawn increased scrutiny to the use of organized crime laws to prosecute musicians — especially rappers — using their lyrics as evidence of supposed criminal activity. While many have spoken out against this practice, including rival rappers like The Game and YFN Lucci, and YSL’s parent label 300 Entertainment’s founder Kevin Liles has posted a petition on Change.org, the people fans likely most want to hear from are the ones who are currently locked up in Fulton County Jail without bond.

To that end, Gunna has shared an open letter through his publicist asserting his innocence. You can read the letter in full below.

June 14th
2022 has been one of the best years of my life, despite this
difficult situation.
This year I had the whole world pushing P.
Growing up from where I come from in a marginalized neighborhood, I never dreamt my art would change my life and the lives of, my loved ones. My entire life, I’ve seen Black Men, Black Women, and Black Children constantly attacked, hated, murdered, berated, belittled, silenced, judged, used, and held captive.
I used my art form, my gift from God, to change my circumstance. I worked, I honed my craft, I worked, I empowered Black Women in my industry, I worked, I lived in the recording studio, I worked, I lived on the road, I worked. I worked every day to show God how grateful I am for my gift, for my art, for, life and to be able to provide for my loved ones.
For 110, I don’t have my freedom. But I am innocent. I am being
falsely accused and will never stop fighting to clear my name:

The picture that is being painted of me is ugly and untrue. My fans know I love to celebrate life, I love my family, I love travel, I love music, I love my fans. I have all faith that God will grant me justice for the purity in my heart and the innocence of my actions.
Ass Black Man in America, it seems as though my art is only acceptable when Is a source of entertainment for the masses. My art is not allowed to stand alone as entertainment, I’m not allowed that freedom as a Black Man in America. It is a sad reality that slavery is still alive in America today and still affecting my people. In 12 states more than half of the prison population is Black, one of those states is Georgia.
Nothing will stop me from chasing my dreams, I won’t stop being a good person, even if some unnamed and unknown accusers want the world to see me as a bad person. When I was free, I tried to be good and kind to the community around me and, when I am released, I will do the same thing all over again.
We still pushing P: Power, Prayer, Progress, Passion, Productivity, Praise, Precision, Peace, Prosperity, Patience, Pride, and Persistence.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

300 Entertainment Posts A Petition To End The Use Of Rap Lyrics In Criminal Trials Like The YSL RICO Case

Last month, Atlanta rappers Young Thug and Gunna were arrested in a racketeering case blaming them and their label, YSL, for gang activity in the Atlanta area. In total, 28 members of YSL were charged with crimes including attempted murder and possession of illegal firearms. However, a point of contention has arisen among those in the rap community: the State’s use of Thug and Gunna’s lyrics as the principal evidence against them.

Prosecutors say that their lyrics mentioning YSL prove their membership in a gang, and under the terms of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, they can be charged as part of a criminal organization, rather than for any specific crime. However, the rappers’ contemporaries have spoken out against the use of lyrics against them, citing the creativity in hip-hop and the artist’s right to free speech. Even rivals such as The Game and YFN Lucci have criticized the prosecution’s strategy, and now, YSL’s parent label, 300 Entertainment is getting involved as well.

300, which was founded in 2012 by Kevin Liles, Lyor Cohen, Roger Gold, and Todd Moscowitz, launched a petition on Change.org calling for the protection of Black art and laws to codify rappers’ freedom of expression. The petition is inspired in part by the success of New York State Bill S7527, nicknamed the “Rap On Trial” law, which would limit the use of lyrics in criminal trials unless prosecutors can prove that they are based in fact and relevant to the case. The state’s Senate passed the bill in May; it must pass the Assembly and be signed by the Governor to be ratified into law.

While the petition doesn’t say exactly what changes its author Liles is seeking, a good start would be the nationalization of a law like S7527, which would ensure that artists nationwide are protected, not just in New York. As noted in the petition, YSL aren’t the only ones who’ve been scooped up by such broad interpretations of the law and their lyrics. And while the RICO law is intended to keep America’s streets safer, it should take more than a hit on the radio to prove someone guilty of a crime.

You can view the petition here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Lil Baby Says Young Thug Is ‘In Great Spirits’ Despite Being Denied Bail In The YSL RICO Case

Young Thug has had a rough go of it in recent weeks. He was arrested and charged as part of a huge criminal conspiracy involving his Atlanta-based crew, YSL (Young Slime Life), and label, YSL (Young Stoner Life) Records, along with 27 others, including labelmates Gunna and Yak Gotti. Prosecutors called him one of the group’s commanders along with Gunna, despite mostly having lyrics by way of evidence. A search of his home yielded additional charges, though, and last week, a judge denied him bond, citing flight risk and potential witness tampering.

In spite of all that, though, Thug seems optimistic, according to one of his Atlanta-based contemporaries. Lil Baby, who has previously said he owes his entire rap career to Thug’s encouragement (and generous payments, which convinced Lil Baby to leave the trap behind for good), tweeted that he was recently in touch with his former benefactor and has good news to report. “I talked to @youngthug,” he wrote. “He in great spirits.” Unfortunately, he didn’t — and probably couldn’t — say much more than that, but it’s nice to hear that being stuck in jail hasn’t brought the “Ski” rapper down too much.

Meanwhile, the Fulton County District Attorney’s office has drawn criticism for its use of lyrics as evidence of crimes. Even rival rapper YFN Lucci’s lawyer called the application of the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act “racist,” despite those lyrics also suggesting that Thug had Lucci’s mother shot. That’s solidarity.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

A Teen Young Thug Fan Was Arrested For Making Death Threats Against The Fulton County Sheriff’s Department

When 28 members of Young Thug’s Atlanta-based YSL crew were arrested for racketeering — including Gunna and Young Thug himself — fans were understandably distraught. However, one fan, in particular, took things a little too far according to the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department, which told FOX5 that it had arrested the teenaged offender after he made death threats against the Sheriff and the Fulton County Clerk.

18-year-old Quartavius Mender was taken into custody on May 26 after commenting on Sheriff Pat Labat’s Instagram posts, saying that he would kill Labat, Labat’s wife Jackie, and Atlanta Public Schools Police Chief Ronald Applin unless the defendants in the case were set free. While Fox’s report is vague about just which defendant Mender was referring to, it’s probably safe enough to guess who the “high-profile defendant” was. Mender has been charged with 23 counts of terrorist threats, which are all felonies, and he has not been granted bond as yet.

“We take these kinds of brazen threats seriously,” Labat told the local news. “Social media cyberbullying, and hiding behind a keyboard will not protect someone from criminal prosecution. Our investigators are diligent in seeking individuals who mean to do harm to anybody, and I am grateful to them for ensuring the safety of myself, my wife, and all citizens of Fulton County.”

Young Thug, Gunna, and their YSL cohorts were all arrested and charged under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act for being a hybrid street gang responsible for dozens of counts of violent crimes, from armed robbery to murder. However, the case has also drawn criticism for including the two rappers, as the majority of the evidence listed against them in the 88-page indictment came in the form of their own lyrics, which prosecutors used to draw the connection between them and the alleged gang. Most recently, Young Thug and Gunna were both denied bond, as the judge felt they could both be flight risks or even tamper with witnesses.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Gunna’s Trial Date In The YSL Racketeering Case Set As He’s Accused Of ‘Command’ Role In The Gang

According to Billboard, Atlanta rapper Gunna is being accused of directing gang members to commit violent acts in the ongoing racketeering case against Gunna’s label, YSL Records. Prosecutors have called the label part of a hybrid street gang, blaming dozens of incidents of violence on the gang’s activity.

Billboard‘s Jewel Wicker reported on the case from the Fulton County court via Twitter, writing that a judge denied Gunna’s bond request as prosecutors described his alleged role in the suspected gang as a “command” role in which he’d “direct their troops” to commit violent acts. Wickers reports, “The judge said his biggest concern was witness tampering.”

In addition to denying Gunna’s bond request, the judge also set the rapper’s trial date: January 9, 2023.

Gunna, real name Sergio Kitchens, was one of 28 suspected gang members arrested, along with fellow rapper and YSL Records founder Young Thug. The 88-page indictment against YSL cites 56 counts of various offenses ranging from armed robbery to murder, with both big-name rappers accused of conspiracy to violate the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, explicitly using lyrics from their records to show their ties to the group.

The case has been criticized by YSL associates like Metro Boomin, who insisted that “YSL is not a gang and never been a gang.” The arrests came weeks before New York’s State Senate passed a bill that would limit the use of lyrics in criminal trials. The bill is currently awaiting approval of the State Assembly before going to the state’s Governor to be signed into law.

New York’s ‘Rap On Trial’ Law Passes The State Senate

As the Fulton County racketeering case against Young Thug and YSL Records continues to draw scrutiny for its use of the Atlanta rapper’s lyrics in its 88-page indictment, the movement to reform criminal law to limit this controversial practice made significant progress this week. Pitchfork reports that the New York State Senate has approved Senate Bill S7527 — aka known as the “Rap On Trial” law.

Sponsored by Senators Jamaal Bailey and Brad Hoylman and receiving support from rappers like Fat Joe, Jay-Z, Killer Mike, and Meek Mill, the Rap On Trial law would limit the use of artists’ lyrics as evidence unless prosecutors can prove that the raps are “literal, rather than figurative or fictional.” This could make it much more difficult for RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) cases to simply pull lyrics that mention suspected criminal organizations, such as the ones used against Young Thug. According to the State Senate website:

The purpose of this legislation is to protect freedom of speech and artistic expression in New York State. This bill effectuates the enhanced free speech protections provided by the New York State Constitution, ensuring that criminal defendants are tried based upon evidence of criminal conduct, not the provocative nature of their artistic works and tastes.

The bill must still pass the State Assembly to become law — love that bicameral Congress — and would require a signature from the Governor to become law, but should it do both, it would set a precedent for other states to follow to stop prosecutors from overreaching when it comes to rappers and their expression.

Young Thug-Protege Lil Keed Dead At 24, Hip-Hop Mourns

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Young Thug-protege and 300 Entertainment/YSL Records-signed recording artist Lil Keed passed away at Burbank Hospital in Los Angeles on Friday (May 13) — according to the artist’s family members, girlfriend and reps.

The cause of death is currently unknown at this time. More on the passing as information becomes available. Lil Keed’s brother and Atlanta rapper Lil Gotit and longtime girlfriend Quana Bandz, who also shares a child with Keed, shared tearful tribute messages with fans via Instagram on Saturday morning (May 14)

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“Can’t believe I seened u die today bro I did all my cries I know what u want me to do and that’s go hard for Mama Daddy Our Brothers Naychur and Whiteboy,” wrote Lil Gotit in an Instagram post early Saturday morning (May 14).

“I love you sooooo much baby what I’m post to do with out you I can’t breathe right sleep right nothing I don’t even wanna talk to nobody Keed I can’t take this,” shared Quana Bandz in the captions of a tribute post on Instagram with a series of photos and videos with Lil Keed and her together. “What am I supposed to tell Naychur? What am I gone tell our new baby ? Keed I just told you the other day if you left me with these two kids I was gone loose my mind my Mind is lost baby. You told me everything I’m sooooo sorry I didn’t fly to LA I know I could’ve saved you baby you really showed me all you needed was MY LOVE you gave me that I gave you that. IM SORRY please just tell me this a dream come home. YOU PROTECTED US. Whyyyy DADDY. You a fighter bru I was on my way I was RAQHID …..these 8 years you been in my life you showed me nothing but love I’m sorry baby I’m sorry for whatever I did anything I did I’m sorry let me make it better You my backbone you my spine you my heart baby IF I DONT KNOW ANYTHING I KNOW YOU LOVE ME & MY BABY MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THIS WORLD 💚😢 WE fight we argue but you know we was what each other needed… YOU GAVE ME THE WORLDDDDDDDDD. Anything I wanted …. Needed you got it / did it for me with no questions ask! BABY you was just on the phone with me in the bed HOW you leave like that without saying that was gone be your last goodbye your last I love you our last FaceTime ! SMH baby please tell me I’m dreaming I wanna wake up and this shit be a dream. CALL ME BACK DADDY. My head spinning 😵💫 my body numb I don’t even feel myself typing Raqhid you know I’m so weak for you baby WEAK AS HELL for you . SOOOOOOO WEAK SO WEAKKKK SO FUCKINNNN WEAK FOR U BRO THIS SHIT HERE HIT HARD. WHO IM GONE MAKE LOVE TO NOW ???? WHO GONE KISS ME IN MY SLEEP ALL NIGHT? Who gone rub my Belly ? RAQHID WHY U LEAVEEEEE ME MAN. You was my boyfriend my best friend my slime my twin my ride or die! WHATEVER u on you know I was on it 10x Worst. THESE FUCK ASS NIGGA KNOW THEY COULDNT FUCK WITH U AND THEY HATE THEY. MY BD NEVER LACK YALL PUSSY ASS NIGGAS DONT NEED TO BE ACTIN LIKE THIS YALL BODY EITHER. GOD WANTED MY BOY HOME he had better plans. SLAT IN PEACE PRINCE SLIME 💚 WE LOVE U FOREVER I hope I have a son he gone be your 1st JR🤰🏽👨‍👧 #LONGLIVEPRINCESLIME ❤

Hailing from Atlanta, Lil Keed broke onto mainstream hip hop with his trio of breakout mixtapes in the Trapped in Cleveland series. After catching the attention of Young Thug, Keed signed with 300/YSL in 2020 and appeared on the YSL compilation albums Slim Language and Slim Language 2. Keed recently appeared on his brother and Ty Dolla Sign’s collaboration “Rich $hit.”

Along with Lil Gotit and Quana, other hip hop stars paid tribute to the late-artist, including Lil Yachty, Trippie Redd and Westside Gunn. “Damn Keed” tweet Gunn on Twitter with sad face and hand in front of his face emojis. Trippie Redd shared a video of him and Keed on stage with the caption, “Me and Keed talking to ummmm…”

See more tributes below:

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Lil Keed was working on his upcoming album before his passing. No official word on the forthcoming Lil Keed project’s status or release schedule at press time.

Lil Keed is survived by his daughter, Naychur. He was 24-years-old.

We at The Source would like to send our prayers and condolences to the family, friends and fans of Lil Keed. Rest in peace.

The post Young Thug-Protege Lil Keed Dead At 24, Hip-Hop Mourns appeared first on The Source.