French Montana is following the steps of the YSL attorneys and giving meaning to a name commonly associated with his rap brand. Montana has commonly represented the Coke Boyz, speaking on Fame & Flavor, stating “Coke” is an acronym.
Speaking with influencer Cugine, Montana revealed the meaning: “Coke Boyz stands for ‘Creation Of Kings Everywhere.”
You can see the moment below.
French Montana reveals that the “Coke” in Coke Boys means “creation of kings everywhere” pic.twitter.com/vv8namxbXq
Day two of the YSL Rico trial brought a trending moment as a member of Young Thug’s legal team broke down his rap name.
Speaking to the jury, the attorney stated the moniker is not associated with what is commonly associated; instead, Thug means “Truly Humbled Under God.”
In a separate moment from court, an attorney dissected Thug’s hit record with Gunna, “Pushin P,” to mean “Pushing Positivity.”
“It means, any circumstance you’re in, if you think positively about something, you can make it through,” the attorney said. “You’re pushing positivity.”
Young Thug’s lawyer explains what “Young Thug” means: “Truly Humbled Under God. That’s what Thug means.” pic.twitter.com/MCf04Rn5m4
Earlier: Young Thug’s lawyer explained that the meaning of “P” in Young Thug & Gunna’s hit track “Pushin P” is “Pushing Positivity.”
“It means, any circumstance you’re in, if you think positively about something, you can make it through. You’re pushing positivity.” pic.twitter.com/2WRI5Lc7JQ
Young Thug’s RICO trial finally began earlier this week following months of delays. The performer’s been behind bars for some time now following his 2022 arrest. Fans are speculating that his prison stay has been taking quite a toll on him, based on a new photo of him in court. In the photo, which is making its rounds online, the YSL founder is seen dressed to the nines. His suit isn’t what has gotten fans talking, however, as they’re instead focused on his apparent weight gain.
While countless social media users are chiming in with jokes, others note how weight gain can be an indicator of poor mental health. Young Thug’s likely to be under a great amount of stress right now due to the trial, and his attorneys have been open about the poor conditions he has allegedly been kept under. Earlier this year, Brian Steel called out the prison for allegedly failing to give inmates access to healthy food options.
At the time, Steel claimed that Thugger was surviving off of nothing but chips and chocolate. Obviously, those foods could lead one to pack on a few pounds if not eaten in moderation. Aside from his diet consisting of “zero health benefits,” the attorney also called attention to an alleged lack of sleep and access to sunlight that the performer was subjected to behind bars. “The jokes are funny, but in reality this man is likely severely depressed and may be eating to cope,” one social media users speculates. “Drugs play a role, but so does one’s mental state.”
What do you think of Young Thug’s apparent weight gain? Do you think it’s a result of his prison stay? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.
Day two of the YSL Rico trial brought a trending moment as a member of Young Thug’s legal team broke down his rap name.
Speaking to the jury, the attorney stated the moniker is not associated with what is commonly associated; instead, Thug means “Truly Humbled Under God.”
In a separate moment from court, an attorney dissected Thug’s hit record with Gunna, “Pushin P,” to mean “Pushing Positivity.”
“It means, any circumstance you’re in, if you think positively about something, you can make it through,” the attorney said. “You’re pushing positivity.”
Young Thug’s lawyer explains what “Young Thug” means: “Truly Humbled Under God. That’s what Thug means.” pic.twitter.com/MCf04Rn5m4
Earlier: Young Thug’s lawyer explained that the meaning of “P” in Young Thug & Gunna’s hit track “Pushin P” is “Pushing Positivity.”
“It means, any circumstance you’re in, if you think positively about something, you can make it through. You’re pushing positivity.” pic.twitter.com/2WRI5Lc7JQ
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
The Young Thug/YSL RICO trial has officially begun. On Monday, November 27, the trial kicked off after months of delays with the opening statement from the prosecution, which was delivered by Fulton County Chief Deputy District Attorney Adriane Love. Love reiterated the state’s assertion that Young Thug — real name Jeffery Williams — was the leader of a criminal street gang, Young Slime Life, operating under the cover of a record label. The evidence against him largely comes in the form of lyrics from his hit songs, prompting a public outcry over the use of art as evidence.
Here is everything you need to know about Young Thug’s RICO trial.
What Are The Updates In Young Thug’s YSL RICO Trial?
So far, only the prosecution’s opening statement has been given, although Thug’s attorney, Brian Steel, moved for a mistrial after Love presented evidence during the statement that had already been banned. Judge Ural Glanville denied the motion but did warn the state to play things by the book from here on out. Attorneys for Young Thug’s codefendants also argued that Love’s statement attempted to shift the burden of proof from the state to the defense, which goes against trial protocol (the burden of proof always rests on the prosecution).
Only one defense attorney presented an opening statement, while the rest are due to do so on Tuesday, November 28.
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 and participating in criminal street gang activity in the original indictment, which named 28 members of YSL including Gunna, Yak Gotti, and Unfook, Young Thug’s brother. After a raid on his home, additional charges of possession of illegal firearms and possession of drugs with intent to distribute were added with gang enhancements, making for a total of eight charges.
Young Thug is facing additional felony charges after investigators discover drugs and guns while raiding his Buckhead home. @wsbtvpic.twitter.com/gWDtmYVGza
Thug’s codefendants, including Marquavius Huey (known as Qua), Deamonte Kendrick (Yak Gotti), Quamarvious Nichols, Rodalius Ryan, and Shannon Stillwell, are all also charged with violating the RICO law. Kendrick, Nichols, and Stillwell are charged with murder. 13 of the original 28 defendants had their cases separated, while nine, including Gunna and Unfoonk, pled guilty to violations of RICO and were released on suspended sentences with time served.
Who Is Young Thug’s Lawyer In The YSL RICO Trial?
Young Thug is being represented by veteran Georgia defense attorney Brian Steel. Steel was recently named one of Billboard‘s Top Music Lawyers, and handles “cases ranging from RICO, wire fraud, immigration fraud and money laundering to murder, armed robbery, drug offenses,” and more, according to his firm’s website.
Who Are The Prosecutors In The YSL RICO Trial?
Fani Taifa Willis is the district attorney of Fulton County, Georgia, the first woman to hold the office. She’s made it a point to go after Atlanta gangs, but first rose to prominence for her 2021 investigation of former Oval Office holder Donald Trump, which resulted in 19 indictments earlier this year. Her actions also prompted Trump to make some truly wild claims about the public servant, who shot them down in short order. Willis has drawn criticism for using lyrics as evidence in Young Thug’s case, with detractors arguing that it constitutes a racist understanding of hip-hop and rap (despite Willis also being Black).
How Long Will Young Thug’s YSL RICO Trial Last?
The trial is expected to run up to nine months (with six defendants, which isn’t unusual). After the jury selection process lasted nearly 10 due to various disruptions and delays, don’t be surprised if it takes even longer.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Yesterday (November 27), the racketeering trial against Young Thug officially began with the Fulton County District Attorney’s prosecutor delivering their opening statement. Young Thug is charged with violating the Georgia state Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and engaging in criminal street gang activity. According to the state, Thug is the leader of a violent street gang, YSL, which has been responsible for dozens of crimes including murder and armed robbery.
However, Thug’s defense attorney, Brian Steel, has argued that the state’s case is flimsy and based on a literal reading of the rapper’s song lyrics with no benefit of the doubt for creative license. According to the New York Times, Steel said, “Despite the unthinkable oppressive, impoverished and cruel conditions of his upbringing, [Thug] has been able to cultivate his creative genius to lawfully and ethically attain phenomenal worldwide success.”
Steel is a veteran defense attorney who runs a firm alongside his wife, Colette, after spending the earliest part of his career as a public defender. Earlier this year, Steel tried unsuccessfully to get Thug granted bond, calling his life in jail “torture.”
So far, Steel has already tried for a mistrial, noting that Assistant DA Adriane Love showed evidence during her opening statements that had already been banned from the case. While Judge Ural Glanville rejected that proposal, he did admonish the prosecutor for including the off-limits material.
If convicted, Young Thug could be sentenced to up to 120 years in prison (although it would likely be much less).
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
After over a year of delays, the racketeering trial against Young Thug and YSL began yesterday with opening statements. Fulton County Chief Deputy District Attorney Adriane Love reiterated the state’s assertion that the rapper was the leader of a violent criminal gang that “created a crater in the middle of Fulton County’s Cleveland Avenue community that sucked in the youth, the innocence and even the lives of some of its youngest members.”
For his alleged role in the creation and leadership of said gang, Young Thug could end up facing up to 120 years in prison if convicted. Initially only charged with conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and participation in criminal street gang activity, Thug was also charged with possession of an illegal machine gun and possession of a firearm by a felon after a raid of his home.
Due to the way Georgia’s state RICO law is structured, the state does not actually have to prove that Thug ordered or even knew about criminal activities carried out by the gang, only that he held a leadership position within it. To that end, the Fulton County DA’s office has decided that Thug’s lyrics are all the evidence they need — a decision that has proven controversial and been characterized as racist by a number of observers.
Young Thug is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Gunna has seemingly returned to Atlanta, with the rapper posting a video from the city on Saturday. It sees Gunna return to his primary base of operations for the first time (at least publicly) since being released from jail late last year. Furthermore, Gunna’s return coincides with the start of Young Thug’s trial, which is finally set to begin on Monday.
It’s a bold move for Gunna, as many people believe that the city is “off-limits” to him. There are many who still believe that Gunna’s plea deal included Gunna snitching on Thug. Evidence of this belief includes Gunna being one of the few people to admit under oath that YSL was a criminal gang. As a result, many believe Gunna should be right there alongside Thug. Despite this, Gunna has been vocal about his support of Thug, flashing a “Free Jeffrey” sign at several of his recent concerts.
Meanwhile, the start of Young Thug’s trial had social media reflecting on everything that has gone down since Thug was arrested nearly two years ago. The X account ThuggerDaily posted a long list of every wild thing that has happened. Highlights include Donald Trump accusing Fani Willis of sleeping with YSL Mondo, one defendant being found to be in a relationship with his jail guard, and someone hacking the courtroom screens to play porn.
However, after nearly a year of jury selection, Thug’s trial will start on Monday. After over 20 indictments, just six men will go to trial, Thug included. Despite this, there was still plenty of drama to go around. Thug’s lawyer was formally warned by the judge. The attorney was heard calling one of the prosecution’s pre-trial witnesses a “farce”. Similarly, Yak Gotti’s lawyer was warned after a verbal altercation. It stemmed from Gotti being denied his right to have a clear line of sight to the jury.
The judge finally signed off on the lyrics that prosecutors will present during the YSL RICO trial. However, the defense team have been trying hard to have it dismissed. Last week, the prosecutors brought out lyrics from songs like “Bad Boy” and “Take It To Trial.” They claimed that these records include admissions of guilt. However, as the court records indicate, there are a number of inaccuracies with both the lyrics themselves and the attributed credits.
Yak Gotti’s attorneys have pushed back against what the prosecutors are introducing as evidence. The prosecutors brought up lyrics from two songs, “Take It To Trial” and “Mob Ties.” On the former, he raps, “I rep my life for real/ For slimes, you know I kill.” Then, on the latter, he raps, “Knockin’ off your big homie b*tch.” In response, Gotti’s attorney Douglas S. Weinstein stated that the rapper’s performance on the song is no different than Jack Nicholson’s depiction of Jack Torrance In The Shining, per All Hip Hop.
AUSTIN, TEXAS – MARCH 17: Yak Gotti performs onstage with Young Thug at ‘Samsung Galaxy + Billboard’ during the 2022 SXSW Conference and Festivals at Waterloo Park on March 17, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Amy E. Price/Getty Images for SXSW)
Weinstein argued that Yak Gotti’s shouldn’t be held against him legally, similar to how the court would separate Nicholson from Torrance. He added that the lyrics are irrelevant, and would create a prejudice in the trial. Furthermore, Weinstein explained that these lyrics don’t have any connection to the allegations against Gotti. “This video [for ‘Mob Ties’ is a perfect example of the problems with the admission of lyrics, for it takes a single line out of context. Let’s give it context. This particular line is a response, to a call issued by another rapper who says, ‘Knockin’ off yo big homie b***h,’” Gotti’s lawyer said.
This lyric is in a rap video, where Yak Gotti appears and raps almost nothing for the majority of the video…It is in a long tradition of call and response that was brought to America by slaves bringing their tradition with them. It has been used from Cab Calloway to Michael Jackson to Missy Elliot,” Weinstein added. What are your thoughts? Sound off in the comment section below.
Among the many controversies surrounding Young Thug’s YSL RICO Case is the use of lyrics in the trial. Thug’s legal team made several attempts to dismiss the lyrics in court. However, the prosecutors adamantly claim their lyrics contain admissions of guilt. On Wednesday, the specific lyrics that District Attorney Fani Willis wants to use in the case surfaced online. However, HipHopDX notes several inaccuracies in the lyrics.
Here are some of the lyrics prosecutors want to introduce as evidence in the #YSL trial against #YoungThug and other co-defendants (including Deamonte Kendrick). @ajcpic.twitter.com/ovoZxSLTS0
Jozsef Papp, a journalist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, took to X to share the precise lyrics that prosecutors presented to the court as evidence in the YSL RICO case, which they claim proves that YSL committed criminal acts as a gang.
“I just beat a murder rap, paid my lawyer 30 for that/ Me and my slimes above the law.” – “Just How It Is” – 2018
“Honestly truth be told YSL won’t fold/ Pick his ass off from the balcony/ YSL wipe a n***a nose.” – “Eww” – 2014
“I shot at his mommy, now he no longer mention me.” – “Bad Boy” ft. Juice WRLD – 2021
“I rep my life for real/ For slimes you know I kill!” – “Take It To Trial” ft. Gunna – 2020
“Hey, how you doing? I’m Yak Gotti/ I got bodies on bodies!”- “Dream” – 2015
Documents obtained by HHDX reveal several instances of inaccuracies in the lyrics and the artists attributed to said lyrics. The documents revealed that Yak Gotti’s lyrics on Unfoonk’s “Mob Ties” (“knocking off your big homie b**ch”) didn’t appear in the song. However, there is a similar iteration found on 24Heavy’s hook. Even so, Yak Gotti doesn’t appear on the song at all. Elsewhere, another error was flagged on the lyrics to “Anybody.” The documents claim the lyrics are “Ready for war like I’m Russia/ I get all types of cash, I’m a general,” when it’s actually, “Ready for war like I’m Russia/ Latest Chanel for the luggage.”
Judge Glanville: We’re not bringing in Cardi B, Meek Mill, Drake, or Post Malone….in response to Steel saying each of these artists has lyrics that say they are the “boss”. #YSL#YoungThug
The use of rap lyrics on trial has been a contentious topic since the arrest of Young Thug. As the state asked Judge Glanville to make a preliminary ruling on the case, he noted “that during trial the lyrics are going to be subject to relevancy and objections,” if allowed, per Law & Crime’s Cathy Russo. Thug’s lawyer Brian Steel also argued that the trial would last a year if lyrics and music videos were introduced as evidence. Steel also mentioned how major artists, including those that Thug has worked with, have referred to themselves as “boss” in their music. ”We’re not bringing in Cardi B, Meek Mill, Drake, or Post Malone,” Glanville responded. We’ll keep you posted on updates surrounding the YSL case.
(@HiDoraah) 
