Young Thug: Last News

The trial of Young Thug is due to begin in earnest today, November 27, with opening statements due in court in Atlanta. The rapper is accused of co-founding a criminal street gang and promoting it through his music. Thug was arrested in May 2022 as part of a RICO indictment against his label YSL.

Young Thug case.Young Thug (real name Jeffery Lamar Williams) was arrested back in May 2022 over two gang-related charges, and was later charged with seven additional felonies. He was arrested alongside Gunna, who are both involved with the musical collective YSL (Young Stoner Life).

Young Thug is at a tipping point, maybe a permanent one — for his own music career and for Young Stoner Life, the label he built from the ground up in his hometown of Atlanta. In the spring of 2022, the rapper — full name Jeffrey Lamar Williams — was charged alongside 27 of his alleged affiliates with 56 violations of Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. He’s been cast by prosecutors as the criminal mastermind of Young Slime Life, a gang prosecutors claim was active from 2012.

In the early 2010s, Jeffrey Lamar Williams — the Atlanta rapper known as Young Thug — began building an empire. He founded the YSL collective out of his home in the Jonesboro South projects, enlisting friends, family members, and acquaintances.

Young Thug’s new album Business Is Business dropped on Friday (June 23), marking the rapper's first full-length since his arrest on RICO charges. Mere days after the drop comes a deluxe edition.

The FADER’s “Songs You Need” are the tracks we can’t stop playing. Check back every day for new music and follow along on our Spotify playlist. This past Friday, Young Thug dropped Business Is Business, the first full-length album he’s released since his May 2022 arrest and indictment on RICO charges.

Young Thug‘s new album Business Is Business is out now. The project was officially announced yesterday (June 22) with the cover art, though Thug teased it the previous week with a QR code that led to this site (prior to today, the site was a countdown to June 22 at midnight).

Gunna has released new single ‘Bread & Butter’ – addressing his recent RICO trial and allegations of “snitching”.In May last year, Gunna was arrested and charged – alongside Young Thug and 25 others – with allegedly violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. and more.

Unfoonk, the older brother of Young Thug, has been sentenced to nine years and six months in prison for violating terms of his probation, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and WSB-TV report. The rapper, real name Quantavious Grier, was put on probation after pleading guilty in December 2022 to violating Georgia’s RICO Act plus theft by receiving stolen property. These charges were part of the same case Young Thug is currently on trial for.

Yeat, the rapper whose raw energy and post-lyrical approach to the genre has won him an army of fans and elicited a thoughtful response from Billy Corgan of all people, has dropped a new song. "My Wrist" features Young Thug and is streaming below.

Jeffrey Williams (Young Thug) was transported from Cobb County Jail to a nearby hospital after experiencing chest pain before a scheduled hearing today (May 11). An attorney for Williams told Judge Ural Glanville that he had “no idea what his condition is currently” but that he did not expect him to appear in court today.

ABC News Studios have released a trailer for a forthcoming documentary called Rap Trap: Hip-Hop on Trial. Premiering February 23 on Hulu, the film will focus on the trials of Young Thug and Gunna within the broader indictment targeting their YSL crew.

first approved in August, aims to reduce racial biases in the Californian criminal justice system.

Fulton County district attorney Fanni Willis has confirmed that she will continue to use song lyrics in court, including the forthcoming trial of Young Thug, Gunna, and other members of the YSL collective. Willis spoke during an August 29 press conference in which she stated: "If you decide to admit your crimes over a beat, I’m gonna use it." Willis was asked if she is looking to demonize the Atlanta rap community, to which she responded “I’m not targeting anyone.” She went on, however, to say that people "do not get to commit crimes in my county and then decide to brag on it – which you do… for a form of intimidation, and to further the gain – and not be held responsible." Read Next: Gunna denied bond again in YSL RICO case Earlier this month California legislature passed a bill limiting use of rap lyrics in trial while the state of New York is currently considering a similar bill.

Young Thug and Gunna as evidence during prosecution.Speaking to the press yesterday (August 29), Willis acknowledged that although she has faced criticism for her approach, it will remain unchanged going forward. “If you decide to admit your crimes over a beat, I’m gonna use it,” she said.

Young Thug has been denied bond, as the rapper awaits trial on gang-related charges following his arrest in May.Thug – real name Jeffery Williams – has been in jail since he was arrested on May 9 as one of 28 people named in a 56-count Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) indictment. The rapper’s home was later searched, resulting in him being charged with seven additional felonies relating to weapons and illegal substances.Gunna was also included in the indictment, which alleges that Thug’s YSL record label is actually a “criminal street gang” that Williams is the leader of.

Young Thug is being sued up to $150,000 (£124,608) over a concert he was allegedly set to perform over the summer.The rapper – real name Jeffery Williams – was allegedly due to appear at the State Farm Arena on June 18 in Atlanta but due to his recent arrest, he was unable to attend.According to court documents, Williams was set to receive $300,000 (£249,216) for a 45-minute set half of which had already been paid up front and the rest due to be paid after the event.However, concert promoter A-1 Concert Entertainment has claimed they still have not received the $150,000 advance back, as reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution via HipHopDX.“Due to his arrest and the nature of the felony criminal charges against Williams, it was immediately apparent in May 2022 that he would not be able to perform as required in the agreement,” the filing added. “To date, A-1 Concert has not received any reimbursement of the $150,000 owed to it.”A representative for YSL Touring told the publication a refund will be issued.NME has contacted a spokesperson for Young Thug for comment.The rapper was arrested on May 9 and hit with charges that included taking part in criminal street gang activity.

Drake has shared an official music video for the latest ‘Honestly, Nevermind’ single, ‘Sticky’, in which he shows support for Young Thug and Gunna as they continue to fight against their recent gang-related charges.The song itself makes a brief mention to the plight of Gunna and Thug (real names Sergio Kitchens and Jeffery Williams, respectively), as Drake raps in the second verse: “Bring them girls to the stage / ‘Cause somebody’s getting paid / Free Big Slime out the cage.” Big Slime is one of Williams’ other nicknames (referencing his titular 2020 joint with Chris Brown), and nods to his label, YSL Records, which is heavily implicated in his legal dramas.During the Theo Skudra-directed video for ‘Sticky’, when Drake raps the line in question, the words “FREE YSL” flash on the screen in bold, animated green text. Have a look at the video below:Williams and Kitchens were both arrested in May – the former on May 9, and the latter on May 11 – pinned with charges that include talking part in criminal street gang activity.

Gunna’s chances of pre-trial release are significantly lower after a Georgia judge denied him bond for the second time in a Thursday hearing, Billboard reports and Gunna’s attorney Steve Sadow confirms. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville, who first turned down Sadow’s bond proposal in late May, refused to reconsider his decision, citing his earlier concern that the Atlanta rapper, whose legal name is Sergio Kitchens, would intimidate witnesses if released.

Killer Mike has shared his first song as a solo artist in a decade, with the Run the Jewels rapper recruiting Young Thug and comedian Dave Chappelle for ‘RUN’.The No I.D.-produced song begins with a monologue by Chappelle and features a guest verse from Thugger. It arrives alongside a video directed by Adrian Villagomez that depicts Mike and an army of Black soldiers fighting against white fascists in a warzone.During Young Thug’s verse, a banner reads “Free Thug, Protect Black Art, Free Gunna”.

Young Thug made a surprise statement from jail during New York radio station Hot 97’s annual Summer Jam concert.The rapper was due to be playing the New Jersey show on Sunday (June 12) but was still in jail, having been denied a prison release on bond earlier this month.According to HipHopDX, the show featured a voice message from Thug that played on the Summer Jam screen, preceded by a video in which artists like Polo G and G Herbo pledged their support to the rapper.“I just want to say thank you to all of my friends and my family for coming out and supporting us,” Thug said. “You know, your support during this time means a lot to us, ya know.”He then asked the crowd to support a petition that music executives Kevin Liles and Julie Greenwald launched, asking legislators to prohibit courts from using rap lyrics during cases.Thug continued: “You know, this isn’t just about me or YSL.