Rap on Trial

L A I R T N O RAP H O W LA W EN FO R C EM EN T IS T U R N IN G ’ Y O U N G T H U G S LY R IC S IN T O C O N FE S S IO N S

P U T E S E H T When news surfaced on May 9 that Young Thug and Gunna had been taken into custody, they hoped it would be another forgettable, quickly-resolved incident that would end in a leaked mugshot and bail.

Then more details began to emerge, and it didn’t look good at all.

28 associates of Young Thug’s label Young Slime Life (YSL) had been arrested as part of a 56-count indictment for allegedly violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. AND THEN THERE WAS ONE DAMNING FACTOR: THE RAPPERS’ LYRICS WOULD BE USED AS EVIDENCE IN COURT. While this is clearly in violation of constitutional free speech, it’s only the latest in a growing number of criminal proceedings targeting artistic expression in hip-hop.

Weaponizing lyrics to convict and incarcerate artists is a legal onslaught that is unique to rap; if this precedent stands, no one who has ever rhymed on a beat is safe.

Young Thug’s charges date back to 2013. The indictment paints a picture of the YSL label as a cover for criminal activities and gang recruitment, reigned over by Thug.

He is accused of over 30 RICO violations.

Meanwhile, Gunna has one single RICO charge pinned on him that his lawyers described as “so thin as to be transparent.” And with District Attorney Fani T. Willis looking to pursue the “maximum penalties,” Thug and Gunna could be facing 20 years each.

In the indictment, alleged crimes ranging from gang murders to making “terroristic threats” depict Young Thug as a ruthless crime boss rather than a generation defining artist, his entire career and flourishing label twisted to resemble nothing but a front for a criminal masterplan. And Thug’s associates, childhood friends – many of whom are Black and grew up in the same impoverished neighborhoods, are lumped into the “gang” narrative and held responsible for its activities.

Prosecutors claim they can prove all of this based on YSL’s lyrics and social media presence.

THE ICON Jeffery Lamar Williams was born in Atlanta, the tenth of eleven children.

He is from Sylvan Hills, a neighborhood in Atlanta and grew up in the Jonesboro South projects.

Thug bought his first home in September 2016 after the release of his mixtape Jeffery. The home, based in Buckhead, Atlanta, is more than 11,000 square-feet, has six bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, a full bar, a theater room and a four-car garage.

During his childhood, one of Thug’s older brothers was shot and killed in front of the family home.

Other rappers from the neighborhood include Waka Flocka Flame, 2 Chainz, Ludacris and Williams’s childhood friend PeeWee Longway, from whom Williams lived four doors down.

Vibe Magazine called Young Thug “one of the most unpredictable, charismatic, and outlandish personalities in hip hop today.” Rovi called him a “fashion icon.” His wardrobe has been described as eccentric and consists predominantly of women’s clothing, which he has preferred to wear since age 12.

Young Thug has told interviewers that he was expelled in the sixth grade for breaking a teacher’s arm. He was sent to juvenile prison for four years.

In an advertisement for Calvin Klein, Thug proclaimed “In my world, you can be a gangsta with a dress or you can be a gangsta with baggy pants.”

Young Thug has six children by four women (three sons and three daughters). He became a father at the age of 17.

Fusion described him as “defying gender stereotypes and agitating the way hip-hop defines black masculinity, through his eccentric sense of style.” He has been compared to David Bowie, Prince, and Little Richard.

The media has called him gender fluid and androgynous. GQ called him “at once a hero and an outsider and a leader of the psychedelic fashion movement of rap hippies.”

In April 2015, he became engaged to Jerrika Karlae, who runs a swimsuit line and whose mother managed the late Young Dolph.

THE WORK Young Thug has received both praise and criticism for his eccentric and unique vocal style, which has been described as departing from traditional rap lyricism and sometimes intelligible meaning. Jeff Weiss of BBC called him the “most influential rapper of the 21st century.” According to The Fader, “in a typical Young Thug verse, he slurs, shouts, whines and sings, feverishly contorting his voice into a series of odd timbres like a beautifully played but broken wind instrument.”

Pitchfork called his style “extraordinarily distinctive” and “a weird, experimental approach to rapping” while praising his “presence, persona, mystique, and, potentially, star power.”

XXL called him a “rap weirdo”, stating that “Thug’s charisma, unhinged flow and hooks make his music intriguing.”

Critic Sheldon Pearce wrote that “Thug understands the modern pop song construction better than anyone: anything and everything can be a hook.”

Young Thug has been noted for his fast working method, with several collaborators observing his tendency to freestyle tracks live in the studio or quickly develop lyrics on the spot.

He doesn’t write down lyrics on paper, but has been known to plan lyrics by drawing shapes and signs.

Consequence of Sound stated that “his work is constantly rooted in improvisation, an inherently thrilling concept that’s embedded itself in black music.”

Billboard wrote that “Thug uses this multiplicative vocal delivery to his advantage: where another rapper might lapse into repetition, he finds a new way to distress and warp his tone, to burrow resourcefully into rhythmic cracks and crevices.”

Discussing his work, Williams has claimed the ability to write a hit song in ten minutes, and said “I’m in the studio so much, I’ll just try stuff. I just think and try, think and try. I don’t really know how to sing, but I’ve been trying for years.” Young Thug has cited American rapper Lil Wayne, as his biggest idol and influence.

Complex noted his aptitude for creating catchy, melodic hooks.

He has also cited mentor Gucci Mane and Kanye West as influences.

T N E M T C I D N I THE The once-triumphant world of Atlanta hip-hop is in a state of emergency due to a, 56-count indictment named Young Thug, Gunna, and more than two dozen other artists from YSL’s roster as alleged conspirators in a well-organized criminal organization.

The indictment paints a picture of the YSL label as a cover for criminal activities and gang recruitment, reigned over by Thug. He is accused of over 30 RICO violations.

The use of Thug’s lyrics in the indictment fits into broader legal trends that have been decried by scholars.

The indictment alleges a massive RICO conspiracy and offers up multiple pages of so-called “predicate acts” in support of said conspiracy.

In looking to connect YSL to the Bloods, prosecutors are using social media posts. “The tactics of using gang conspiracy charges and social media posts is all too common. “We all know social media isn’t real life, so it is quite dangerous to use a format known for image-making and status building as a mirror for real life.”

In the indictment, alleged crimes ranging from gang murders to making “terroristic threats” depict Young Thug as a ruthless crime boss rather than a generation-defining artist, his entire career to resemble nothing but a front for a criminal masterplan.

And Thug’s associates, childhood friends – many of whom are Black and grew up in the same impoverished neighborhoods, are lumped into the “gang” narrative and held responsible for its alleged activities.

The indictment’s hinge on Thug’s alleged position as the leader of the supposedly gang-affiliated YSL.

Prosecutors claim they can prove all of this based on YSL’s lyrics and social media presence.

Meanwhile, Gunna has one single RICO charge pinned on him that his lawyers described as “so thin as to be transparent.” And with District Attorney Fani T. Willis looking to pursue the “maximum penalties,” Thug and Gunna could be facing 20 years each.

In their case against Thug and Gunna, the prosecution presented a selection of lyrics from some of their most popular songs. The irony is that the precise art form that’s been used as a means to rise out of violent systemic oppression is the same thing law enforcement is appropriating to put successful Black men behind bars.