Young Thug

2022 - 5 - 10

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Image courtesy of "The New York Times"

Young Thug, Atlanta Rap Star, Is Arrested on Gang-Related Charges (The New York Times)

He was indicted with about two dozen others, including some accused of murder and attempted armed robbery. The county's district attorney has vowed to crack ...

She has also raised the possibility that Mr. Trump and some of his allies may have violated state RICO law in their alleged efforts to subvert the results of the 2020 presidential election. The rapper, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, was charged in a sweeping grand jury indictment that identified him and 27 other people as members of the same criminal street gang and charged some of them with violent crimes including murder and attempted armed robbery. His arrest comes as District Attorney Fani Willis of Fulton County — a Democrat best known for investigating whether former President Donald J. Trump and his allies committed election fraud in Georgia — has vowed to crack down on street gangs in Atlanta, a city reeling from violent crime.

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Image courtesy of "NBC News"

Rapper Young Thug arrested on gang-related charges (NBC News)

Atlanta rapper Young Thug was booked into jail Monday in Georgia and accused of criminal gang activity.

Atlanta police, the Fulton County District Attorney's Office and federal prosecutors in Atlanta did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Young Thug, 30, whose real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, is a native of the city. He earned a songwriting Grammy for Childish Gambino’s “This Is America.”

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Image courtesy of "Reuters"

American rapper Young Thug arrested on gang-related charges (Reuters)

Police in Atlanta arrested rapper Young Thug, who won a Grammy for his co-written hit "This Is America" in 2019, on Monday on charges including ...

Some were charged with violent crimes including murder and attempted armed robbery. He also earned a Grammy nomination for his rap hit "The London", in 2020. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com

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Image courtesy of "NPR"

Rapper Young Thug is arrested on gang-related charges (NPR)

The Atlanta-based singer is one of more than 20 people indicted on conspiracy and street gang charges.

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Image courtesy of "Daily Mail"

Rappers Young Thug and Gunna among 28 defendants charged ... (Daily Mail)

Rapper Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, 30, was arrested alongside 27 others in Atlanta on gang charges Monday, including murder and armed ...

Young Thug's Young Stoner Life (YSL) record label had been doing well over the past couple of years. According to the indictment, Williams is accused of renting a 2014 Infiniti sedan Hertz that was allegedly used in the 2015 murder of Donovan Thomas Jr., who was killed in a drive-by shooting. - Maintaining armed individuals ready and willing to preserve, protect and enhance the reputation, power and territory of the enterprise through the use of violence; - The rapper whose real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, 30, is accused of attempted murder and of being a member of a street gang in Atlanta - Williams is accused of renting a car that was used in 2015 murder of 26-year-old Donovan Thomas that also saw two others wounded in the drive-by shooting Williams is accused of conspiring to associate with others for the common purposes of illegally obtaining money and property through a pattern of racketeering activity, according to the Fulton County District Attorney's office.

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Image courtesy of "Tone Deaf"

Young Thug and Gunna arrested and facing RICO charges (Tone Deaf)

The RICO Act is a wide-ranging act that applies to 35 criminal offences. It covers crimes frequently associated with organised crime, including illegal gambling ...

— Michael Seiden (@SeidenWSBTV)May 10, 2022 — Michael Seiden (@SeidenWSBTV)May 10, 2022 — Michael Seiden (@SeidenWSBTV)May 10, 2022 — Michael Seiden (@SeidenWSBTV)May 10, 2022 Seiden also posted a picture captured by a colleague of police arresting Young Thug and taking him into custody (see below). He continued by stating that Young Thug in particular has some “very serious allegations” against his name. The indictment includes charges of conspiring to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations (RICO) Act, murder, armed robbery, and participation in criminal street activity.

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Image courtesy of "Rolling Stone"

Young Thug Arrested on Gang-Related Charges (Rolling Stone)

The “Go Crazy” rapper, legal name Jeffery Lamar Williams, is accused of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and ...

The “Go Crazy” rapper, legal name Jeffery Lamar Williams, is accused of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and participation in criminal street gang activity. The 88-page grand jury indictment reveals Young Thug is accused of renting 2014 Infiniti Q50 sedan from Hertz, which was later used in connection with the murder of rival gang member Donovan Thomas, Jr. on Jan. 10, 2015. Young Thug’s arrest comes in the wake of a 56-count grand jury indictment filed in Georgia’s Fulton County that names 28 members or associates of YSL — including fellow rapper Gunna, legal name Sergio Giavanni Kitchens, who is also charged with one count of conspiring to violate RICO. The indictment refers to YSL — which also shares the same initials as Young Thug’s YSL Records imprint — as a “criminal street gang that started in late 2012” that “claims affiliation with the national Bloods gang.”

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Image courtesy of "Vulture"

Young Thug, Gunna Reportedly Charged in 56-Count Indictment (Vulture)

Rappers Young Thug and Gunna are reportedly among 28 members and associates of YSL facing RICO charges in a 56-count indictment.

Prosecutors reportedly also alleged that two YSL associates sought Young Thug’s permission to make a second murder attempt on YFN Lucci. Two months ago, YFN Lucci (real name Rashawn Bennett) alleged that he had been stabbed by an inmate at the Fulton County Jail, where he awaits trial for a murder case. Young Thug (real name Jeffery Lamar Williams) was reportedly arrested and booked into Georgia’s Fulton County Jail on charges of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and participation in criminal street gang activity. Young Thug and Gunna are among 28 defendants connected to YSL who are facing charges in a 56-count indictment, according to WSB-TV reporter Michael Seiden. The 88-page grand jury indictment released Monday describes YSL, the label and artists’ collective founded by Young Thug, as a “criminal street gang” affiliated with the national Bloods gang.

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Image courtesy of "Sky News"

Rapper Young Thug arrested on gang-related charges (Sky News)

The hip hop artist, whose real name is Jeffrey Lamar Williams, was one of 28 people charged in a sweeping indictment that focuses on "Young Slime Life," an ...

The hip hop artist, whose real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, was one of 28 people charged in a sweeping indictment that focuses on YSL, or "Young Slime Life", an alleged street gang that formed in Atlanta in 2012. Young Thug is charged with two counts: conspiracy to violate the state of Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organisations (RICO) Act, and participating in criminal street gang activity. The hip hop artist, whose real name is Jeffrey Lamar Williams, was one of 28 people charged in a sweeping indictment that focuses on "Young Slime Life," an alleged street gang.

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Image courtesy of "The Guardian"

US rapper Young Thug arrested on gang-related charges, Gunna ... (The Guardian)

Twenty-eight associates of rapper's Young Stoner Life label indicted with various allegations that range from murder to robbery and drug dealing.

Celebrated for his expressive, inventively melodic flow, Young Thug is a musical figurehead in Atlanta, the city that has become arguably the centre of US rap in recent years. He has also twice topped the US album chart, most recently in January with his album DS4Ever. The citing of lyrics as evidence of criminality is controversial.

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Image courtesy of "The Washington Post"

Rapper Young Thug arrested on gang-related charges (The Washington Post)

Grammy-award winning rap artist Young Thug was arrested Monday in Atlanta and indicted on conspiracy and gang charges.

Kitchens is also among the defendants to be named in the indictment filed Monday. Performing as Young Thug, Williams has been hailed as one of the most influential hop-hop artists to emerge in the past two decades. Williams pleaded not guilty, and the case is ongoing, according to court records.

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Image courtesy of "ABC News"

Rappers Young Thug, Gunna hit with gang-related charges in ... (ABC News)

Rapper Young Thug was arrested in Atlanta on alleged gang-related charges after being named among 28 people, including rapper Gunna, in a 56-count grand ...

It is unclear if he has been arrested. Record label Young Stoner Life was announced in 2016 by Young Thug and is an imprint of 300 Entertainment. More than a dozen artists are signed to the Young Stoner Life label, including Gunna. ABC News has reached out to representatives of the music label but a request for comment was not immediately returned. Atlanta-based rapper Gunna, whose real name is Sergio Giavanni Kitchens, was also named in the indictment on one count of conspiring to violate the RICO Act. ABC News has reached out to representatives for Gunna but a request for comment was not immediately returned. “Mr. Williams has committed no violation of law, whatsoever. Steel said that Young Thug is currently in custody and the court will set a hearing in the near future to consider bond. The rapper was among 28 people allegedly associated with the Atlanta-based Young Slime Life (YSL) gang, which authorities say he founded in 2012, who were charged with conspiring to violate the state’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) act, according to charging documents obtained by ABC News. YSL is also the name of his record imprint, Young Stoner Life, and a number of those charged are associated with the label.

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Image courtesy of "wflx"

Atlanta rapper Young Thug arrested on RICO, gang charges (wflx)

The rapper was one of 28 people indicted on conspiracy to violate Georgia's RICO act and street gang charges, according to jail records.

He wore a dress on the cover of his 2016 mixtape “Jeffery” and said there’s no such thing as gender as part of a Calvin Klein campaign. YSL is mainly active in southeast Atlanta and the Cleveland Avenue area but is expanding its activity into the surrounding metro area, prosecutors say. Fulton County prosecutors say that in late 2012, he and two others founded Young Slime Life, a violent criminal street gang that’s commonly known as YSL and is affiliated with the national Bloods gang. With his squeaky high-pitched rap vocals, Young Thug became best known for his hits including “Stoner” and “Best Friend.” In a hyper-masculine hip-hop scene, Thug refused to play by traditional gender rules. Its members are identifiable by their green or red bandanas — red for Bloods and green for Slime — and clothes with the letters “YSL” or the word “Slime,” the indictment says. The indictment accuses members of the gang of trying to kill rival gang member and rapper YFN Lucci, whose given name is Rayshawn Bennett, by “stabbing and stabbing at” him with a shank in the Fulton County Jail. YFN Lucci was among a dozen people charged in another gang-related RICO indictment in Fulton County a year ago.

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Image courtesy of "Rolling Stone"

Prosecutors Want to Use Young Thug's Lyrics Against Him in RICO ... (Rolling Stone)

In total, Young Thug lyrics from nine different songs were listed in the indictment, the earliest being 2014's “Eww,” and the most recent being last year's ...

One of the most infamous examples of this tactic involves the late rapper Drakeo the Ruler, who spent three years in prison as prosecutors tried to build a case against him for the 2016 murder of a man outside a party. Last year, lawmakers in New York introduced the “Rap Music on Trial” bill, which would prevent prosecutors from using rap lyrics in court. When asked about the use of music and lyrics in the indictment, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said at a press conference, “This issue’s been ruled on by the courts — I knew that that question was coming. Using rappers’ lyrics against them in court has become a popular tactic among prosecutors, and it’s been utilized against everyone from successful artists to aspiring or part-time MCs. For instance, in 2008, a New Jersey man named Vonte Skinner was found guilty of attempted murder after prosecutors used an array of old lyrics as evidence. The indictment contains allegations that Williams was in possession of stolen weapons, and that he possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine, hydrocodone, and marijuana. (Williams wasn’t the only person prosecutors used this tactic on; social media photos of other alleged YSL associates holding up gang signs and/or wearing red clothing — as YSL is allegedly associated with the Bloods — were peppered throughout.)

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Image courtesy of "CNN"

Young Thug among 28 people indicted on gang-related charges in ... (CNN)

Grammy-winning rapper Young Thug has been named in a sweeping 56-count gang indictment, according to court documents obtained by CNN.

Other alleged members of the YSL enterprise are accused of violent offenses in the indictment, including murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and armed robbery. As of Tuesday morning, Kitchens was not in police custody, police said. Jeffery Lamar Williams, who performs as Young Thug, was arrested at his home in Atlanta on Monday, according to police.

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Image courtesy of "The A.V. Club"

Young Thug and Gunna indicted on racketeering charges (The A.V. Club)

Young Thug, birth name Jeffery Lamar Williams, was arrested in Atlanta on May 9.

The indictment claims Williams is one of the three founding members of YSL or “Young Slime Life,” a rap collective that the court alleges operates as a guise for a Bloods-affiliated gang. “Mr. Williams has committed no violation of law, whatsoever. The “Pushin P” rapper has not been booked yet.

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Image courtesy of "The Guardian"

Rappers Young Thug and Gunna charged with racketeering in Atlanta (The Guardian)

Indictment quotes multiple music videos as evidence and accuses alleged gang members of targeting other high-profile rap artists.

YFN Lucci was among a dozen people charged in another gang-related Rico indictment in Fulton county a year ago. For at least some of them, that could mean life in prison. Fulton county prosecutors say that in late 2012, he and two others founded Young Slime Life, a violent criminal street gang that’s commonly known as YSL and is affiliated with the national Bloods gang.

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Image courtesy of "Coast Reporter"

Rappers Young Thug, Gunna charged with racketeering (Coast Reporter)

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta rapper Young Thug co-founded a violent street gang that committed multiple murders, shootings and carjackings over roughly a decade ...

In April 2021, Young Thug and Gunna posted bail for 30 low-level inmates who were unable to afford the costs themselves. He wore a dress on the cover of his 2016 mixtape “Jeffery” and said there’s no such thing as gender as part of a Calvin Klein campaign. Gunna, who is signed to Thug’s Young Stoner Life record label, scored his second No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart with “DS4Ever” this year. Fulton County prosecutors say that in late 2012, he and two others founded Young Slime Life, a violent criminal street gang that's commonly known as YSL and is affiliated with the national Bloods gang. For at least some of them, that could mean life in prison. The indictment also accuses members of the gang of trying to kill rapper YFN Lucci, whose given name is Rayshawn Bennett, by "stabbing and stabbing at" him with a shank in the Fulton County Jail. YFN Lucci was among a dozen people charged in another gang-related RICO indictment in Fulton County a year ago.

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Image courtesy of "Los Angeles Times"

Prosecutors say Young Thug's lyrics are evidence in RICO case (Los Angeles Times)

Over the last decade, the Atlanta rapper Young Thug has dropped a steady barrage of tracks about pistols and snipers, mob life and gangsters.

A Black Democrat who was elected in 2020 and swiftly found herself in the center of the firestorm over whether former President Trump and his associates committed election fraud in Georgia, Willis has consistently said her number one focus is targeting gangs. “However, the 1st Amendment does not protect people from prosecutors using it as evidence if it is such,” she said. “These artists often express dramatizations of stories and events that persist in their communities,” he said. After spending two years in jail, Drakeo was acquitted of the murder charge and later released on a plea deal. The indictment charges Williams with renting a silver Infiniti Q50 sedan that was used in the commission of Donovan’s murder. Then they have to demonstrate that those crimes were carried out by two or more people as part of a broader enterprise of racketeering activity that the defendant controlled or was employed by. “The indictment is frivolous,” he said. Under RICO, a complicated statute closely modeled on the 1970 federal law that was used to convict top mobsters and gangsters who engaged in organized crime, a defendant need not have committed a crime to be found guilty. Mr. Williams will be cleared of any wrongdoing.” “It does not matter what your notoriety is, what your fame is,” she said. They also shot at the tour bus of Dwayne Carter, Jr., the New Orleans hip-hop star also known as Lil Wayne. On Monday, Georgia prosecutors arrested Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, on felony charges of participating in gang activity and violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statute.

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Image courtesy of "Coast Reporter"

Rappers Young Thug, Gunna arrested on RICO charges (Coast Reporter)

ATLANTA (AP) — Rapper Young Thug co-founded a violent street gang and promoted it in his songs and on social media, prosecutors allege in a sprawling ...

In April 2021, Young Thug and Gunna posted bail for 30 low-level inmates who were unable to afford the costs themselves. He wore a dress on the cover of his 2016 mixtape “Jeffery” and said there’s no such thing as gender as part of a Calvin Klein campaign. Gunna, who is signed to Thug’s Young Stoner Life record label, scored his second No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart with “DS4Ever” this year. Fulton County prosecutors say that in late 2012, he and two others founded Young Slime Life, a violent criminal street gang that's commonly known as YSL and is affiliated with the national Bloods gang. For at least some of them, that could mean life in prison. The indictment also accuses members of the gang of trying to kill rapper YFN Lucci, whose given name is Rayshawn Bennett, by "stabbing and stabbing at" him with a shank in the Fulton County Jail. YFN Lucci was among a dozen people charged in another gang-related RICO indictment in Fulton County a year ago.

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