Young Thug's Freedom Sparks Debate on Black Role Models

Young Thug pleaded guilty to participating in criminal street gang activity today (October 31), ending his role in the longest trial in Georgia history, reports The New York Times. The infamous YSL (Young Slime Life) trial began back on Monday, November 27, 2023, roughly 18 months after the musician’s arrest on charges of racketeering and gang conspiracy. He admitted to six counts, including possession of drugs and firearms.

After receiving recommendations from both sides, Judge Paige Reese Whitaker sentenced Young Thug to time served plus 15 years of probation, meaning he has now also been released from jail. If unable to complete the probation time, he could be made to serve an additional 20 years in custody. Young Thug’s sentence also comes with certain stipulations: He must stay away from the metro Atlanta area for the first 10 years of his probation; give four anti-gang presentations to children and perform 100 hours of community service per year; be subject to random drug tests; and avoid being around known gang members, with the exceptions of his brother, Quintavis Grier, and Gunna, who is signed to Thug’s Young Stoner Life label.

In the courtroom, Judge Whitaker asked Young Thug if he was ready to accept a non-negotiated plea because, due to an impasse over sentencing, a negotiated deal with prosecutors was no longer possible. (A non-negotiated plea allows the judge to decide on the sentence, based on recommendations from both parties.) Eventually, after a recess, Young Thug accepted the blind plea, and pleaded no contest to two additional counts: conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act and leading a criminal street gang. The state proceeded to recommend a sentence of 45 years, with 25 served in custody and 20 years on probation.

Back at the start of the case, prosecutors argued the rapper born Jeffrey Lamar Williams engaged in street gang activity and conspired to violate the RICO Act—charges that can lead to decades-long sentences. The defense, led by lawyer Brian Steel, told The New York Times that Young Thug “came from an incredibly horrible upbringing, and he has conducted himself throughout his life in a way that is just to marvel at. He has committed no crime whatsoever.”

before his arrest, in May 2023, Young Thug was named alongside 27 other people, including Gunna, in a 56-count gang indictment alleging murder, assault, robbery, theft, illegal gun possession, and illegal drug possession and sales along the Cleveland Avenue area since 2012. Prosecutors claim Thug is the leader of a violent gang called Young Slime Life, or YSL, with ties to the national Bloods organization. Young Thug’s team says YSL refers only to the record label Young Stoner Life, an imprint of 300 Entertainment that has released rap music from a collective helmed by Thug and Gunna.

Controversy began even before the trial, notably when Judge Ural Glanville, who has since been recused, allowed lyrics from YSL releases to be submitted as evidence—a highly contested legal practice that critics say discriminates against rappers and violates freedom of speech. In a pre-recorded message screened at Hot 97’s Summer Jam, in 2022, Thug said, “I always use my music as a form of artistic expression, and I see now that Black artists and rappers don’t have that freedom.” He urged people to sign a petition called “Art on Trial: Protect Black Art,” started by 300 Entertainment co-founder Kevin Liles, one of many campaigns to limit the use of lyrics as evidence when rap is put on trial.

(Liles, in a statement following Young Thug’s plea, said: “Words can’t express the incredible happiness and relief I feel to learn of Jeffery’s freedom. There will be a time to discuss the criminalization of hip-hop lyrics and the use of bond denial as a weapon against defendants, but in this moment everyone should feel nothing but joy that this amazing artist and even better man can hug his children, parents, siblings, and other loved ones tonight.” He continued, “We must always remember artists aren’t fictional characters. They’re human beings first. God bless Jeffery and his family.”)

Many of the 28 people named in the original indictment have since walked free. Among them is Gunna, who, in late 2022, made an Alford plea: pleading guilty to obtain a favorable sentence, while maintaining his innocence. That resulted in his five-year sentence being commuted to time served and 500 hours of community service. The plea acknowledged his association with YSL but maintained that it was purely musical. Seven more defendants took plea deals soon after, the conditions of which required them to say that YSL is both a music collective and a criminal street gang.