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YSL RICO Update: Slug Takes Plea Deal, Two Others Decline

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As Young Thug remains behind bars, updates on the future of other YSL members are revealing themselves.

Reports on Thursday (December 29) indicate that three more members were offered plea deals. However, only one of them is reportedly deciding to take it.

Gunna and Young Thug attend 2021 Revolt Summit at 787 Windsor on November 13, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/FilmMagic)

“Trontavious Stephens aka Tick aka Slug takes plea deal in #YoungThug case. He faced 5-20 yrs on the racketeering count. (only count charged),” reports Cathy Russon, the Executive Producer at Law&Crime Network.

“He received 10 years, with 2 yrs time served & remaining 8 yrs on probation. He will be released,” she continues afterward. Stephens becomes the eighth YSL member to take a plea deal.

Stephens also agrees to testify truthfully at the trial. Additionally, he is unable to assert the fifth amendment.

Furthermore, he admits that he does indeed go by Tick as one of his nicknames. In Thugger’s song “You,” the 31-year-old raps, “She gettin’ robbed my Tick.” He acknowledges this as a fact as well.

Although Stephens is taking the plea deal, there are two other YSL members who declined to do so earlier today.

DJ Akademiks has consistently been reporting on the case through his social media accounts and took to his Instagram to provide the update.

“At least thug can say 2 of his members denied getting out of jail instantly and is taking it to trial wit him. The judge warned the defendants that taking the plea would make them free immediately but taking it to trial he would sentence them to the max if they lost the case. Tenquarius is facing 50 years in prison if convicted at trial,” the streamer says in the caption along with the news.

Ever since Gunna became the first person to accept a plea deal in the case, there has been speculation online about whether or not there is snitching involved when taking the deal. Although, Gunna’s attorney, Steve Sadow has consistently stated that there is no truth behind these claims.

“Gunna did not snitch to get out of jail. He has said nothing and is not cooperating. His plea statement cannot be used in court against any other defendant. So please stop spreading lies!!!” he writes in a statement.

Regardless, there continues to be discourse online about what these pleas will mean for Young Thug.

What are your thoughts on the YSL members taking plea deals in order to get released? Comment your thoughts down below. Finally, make sure to stay tuned to HNHH for the latest updates on the trial.

Young Thug Must Take COVID-19 Test After Outbreak Among RICO Defendants

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Young Thug will soon have his day in court after he was indicted in May on RICO charges. Unfortunately, it seems like, along with the court case, he could be facing exposure to COVID-19.

Per TMZ, a judge ordered Thugger to take a COVID-19 test following an outbreak. The tabloid publications claim that several defendants and attorneys in the case already tested positive. At this point, Thug could also be at risk of having COVID-19 and will have to test negative. However, a court order from Dec. 28th doesn’t contain the results of his COVID-19 test.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – AUGUST 01: Young Thug performs during 2021 Lollapalooza at Grant Park on August 01, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Erika Goldring/WireImage,)

It’s been a wild few weeks in the YSL RICO case. Thug scored a minor victory a few weeks back after a judge sided with his attorneys who argued that evidence collected from an illegal raid should be excluded from the case. At the same time, several co-defendants copped plea deals in the case. The revelation left fans concerned about Thug’s future, especially since prosecutors on the case could use the defendants for testimony in the future.

Most notably, Gunna copped an Alford plea, though his attorney insisted that his client was not cooperating with authorities. Gunna’s lawyer, Steve Sadow, said that the rapper won’t take the stand during the YSL trial. However, if prosecutors ask him to testify, he’ll invoke his fifth amendment rights.

Young Thug is facing a litany of charges related to the YSL case. Prosecutors allege that he’s the co-founder and leader of the YSL street gang, while using lyrics, songs, and social media posts as evidence to back their claims. In addition, he recently faced a slew of charges such as street racing, reckless driving, speeding, and more.

Jury selection for Young Thug’s case begins on Jan. 5th. HotNewHipHop will continue to keep you posted on anymore updates surrounding Thug’s upcoming case.

[Via]

The SOURCE’s Top Hip-Hop Stories of the Year

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Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige and More Win Emmys for 2022 Superbowl Halftime Show

2022 was a big year in Hip-Hop, and The SOURCE was along with all the news as it broke. Kanye West, YSL, Tory Lanez, Rap Lyrics, and Super Bowl are just the tip of the iceberg. Below are The SOURCE’s Top Hip-Hop Stories of the year.

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Ye Cancelled in 48 Hours and Loses Billionaire Status

As year-end honors are being handed out, Kanye West may have one that he wishes to sidestep. Ye has been named Antisemite of the Year by a watchdog group. StopAntisemitism named Ye “the most problematic person of 2022” regarding the group’s mission, corraling 10,000 votes from members. For the last half of 2022, Ye found himself in an endless war with the Jewish community, where he hinged his comments in anti-semitic rhetoric. Ye received the dishonor by announcing love for Hitler, launching attacks on the Jewish community, and also having disparaging remarks about George Floyd. What did that get him? Cut from Adidas, Balenciaga, and other deals resulting in the loss of billions.

Hip-Hop on Trial: YSL Rico & Tory Lanez Trial

Thug and the Young Stoner Life record label members are currently awaiting trial or taking plea deals. At the close of 2022, one trial will be over, and another will stretch into the new year. Young Thug is headed to trial in January on a state RICO case. The team is facing accusations of guns, murder, and more, dominating headliners for the better part of the year.

In addition, Tory Lanez also ran headlines for the second straight year as he approached trial for three separate charges concerning the shooting of Megan Thee Stallion. Lanez faces up to 22 years in prison with these pending convictions. His sentencing is set for January, and he is currently behind bars in Los Angeles.

California Restricts the Use of Rap Lyrics in Court

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed The Decriminalizing Artistic Expression Act, prohibiting songs from being used against defendants. The bill, known as AB 2799, was unanimously approved by the California Senate and Assembly in August. Rap lyrics will no longer be able to be used as evidence in court in the state of California. Rappers Killer Mike, Meek Mill, Too $hort, Ty Dolla $ign, YG, E-40, and Tyga spoke at a virtual bill signing ceremony on the significance of the law, along with CEO of the Recording Academy Harvey Mason Jr. Leaders from Songwriters of North America and the Black Music Action Coalition also attended the signing ceremony. More on this here.

Latin Hip-Hop Rises and Bad Bunny is the Artist of the Year

Daddy Yankee did a victory lap retirement tour grossing nearly $198 million, Anuel AA is rising, and then there is the titan of Bad Bunny. To show you why Bad Bunny is the hottest on the planet, his Un Verano Sin Ti album sat at the top of the Billboard 200 for 11 non-consecutive weeks. Bad Bunny has the most week at No. 1 in nearly six years, matching Drake’s Views effort of 2016. Bad Bunny was named the year’s Artist of the Year on Apple Music. Un Verano Sin Ti, Bad Bunny’s sixth project in four years and one of the most streamed albums on Apple Music in 2022. More than 18.5 billion plays of Bad Bunny music have been created on Spotify this year, and his album “Un Verano Sin Ti” was the No. 1 most streamed album globally. In 2022, Bad Bunny’s concerts grossed $393.3 million globally, and his North American tour grossed $356.5 million this year.

Dr. Dre & Hip Hop’s Super Bowl

The Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show was an instant historic moment in Hip-Hop history. The set kicked off with Dr. Dre sitting at an enormous mixing board before “The Next Episode” kicked off, sending the stadium into an uproar. Following his group that featured Mary J. Blige, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, and special guests 50 Cent and Anderson. Paak, Dre received an increase of nearly 185% in the first hour following the game. Tracks from the halftime show also witnessed a significant rise in global Spotify streams after the show. Including in the surge was a nearly 520% increase in Mary J. Blige’s “No More Drama,” more than a 270% increase in Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg’s “The Next Episode,” plus more than a 245% increase in “Still D.R.E.” and 250% increase of Kendrick Lamar’s “Alright.” 

The post The SOURCE’s Top Hip-Hop Stories of the Year appeared first on The Source.

Lil Duke Takes Plea Deal Following Gunna & Other YSL Members

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After Gunna announced his release from jail after a plea deal, authorities freed other members of YSL in quick succession. While many are excited at the news, others have been critical of the conditions of this plea deal. Nevertheless, Lil Duke also took his shot, where defendants pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to violate the RICO act. Since him and other YSL members did not face criminal charges, their sentences have been altered following this negotiation.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 06: Lil Duke and Gunna attend Gunna’s DS4EVER LA Listening Party on January 06, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for DS4EVER Presented by Gunna, Young Stoner Life Records, 300 Entertainment)

In addition to Gunna and Lil Duke, two other members of YSL entered the agreement. YSL co-founder Walter Murphy entered the same plea deal as Gunna’s, known as an Alford plea. Slimelife Shawty recently took to Instagram to share his freedom and snuff out claims of snitching.

“Yea I’m home,” he wrote, “ain have to snitch to get here d***head. I admitted you slime life was a gang cus it ain’t illegal for no group to be a gang look it up that don’t hurt nobody anybody can be a gang, plus the founder already admitted it stupid. What I pose to say if a founder admitted it. What I den do was say Yes it’s a fact people in ysl commit crimes like murder and etc cus ion no nun bout that.”

However, many are still critical of this whole ordeal. 6ix9ine, an alleged “rat” himself, said that Gunna is a snitch no matter what.

“Once you plea guilty, you admit to the crime,” he told Wack 100 in addition to his Instagram post. “Once you plea guilty, that’s it, you admitting. You walking into that courtroom, you gonna admit everything you did wrong. So now anything you said is gonna be used against your man. Once I say yes I’m guilty, I was there, once you go under oath in the courtroom your man is dead. You just hung up your man.”

Meanwhile, Young Thug’s lawyer Brian Steel believes that these plea deals are a huge hindrance to YSL’s RICO case. Since these deals come with at least some form of admission, he believes the court will unjustly pin collective actions squarely against Thugger.

Still, what do you think of Lil Duke’s plea deal and others at YSL? Let us know in the comments below and check back in with HNHH for the latest case updates.

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