Rapper Young Thug’s long-awaited racketeering trial will begin soon. Here’s what to know about the issue

ATLANTA (AP) — Opening statements are expected next week in Atlanta in the rapper’s trial Young thugaccused of participating in establishing a violent criminal street gang and using his music to promote it.

The Atlanta-based artist, whose given name is Jeffrey Lamar Williams, is accused of violating Georgia’s anti-racketeering and gang laws, among other things. He was accused last year Along with more than twenty other people, five of whom are scheduled to stand trial with him.

The trial is expected to last months and is likely to include testimony from a number of prominent figures in the music industry. The prosecution is expected to take the controversial step of Using Young Thug’s rap lyrics As evidence against him.

Here are some things to know as you start your trial:

Who is the young thug?

Young Thug’s eccentric style and mumble rapping — along with hits like “Stoner” and “Best Friend” — made him hugely popular. His high-pitched vocals can be heard in the background of Childish Gambino’s “This is America,” a hit social and political song that became the first hip-hop song to win a Grammy Award for Song of the Year.

Young Thug won a Grammy Award in 2019 for his co-writing efforts on the track, which featured 21 Savage, Quavo, BlocBoy JB, and Slim Jxmmi from the duo Rae Sremmurd. He has had several mixtapes and three studio albums including his latest music project “Business is Business” released in June.

Young Thug has collaborated with some of the best musicians including Drake, Chris Brown, T.I., and Travis Scott. Elton John described working with Young Thug as an “amazing moment” after recording the song “Always Love You” featuring Nicki Minaj and Gunna.

Young Thug has three chart-topping songs including “Havana” with Camila Cabello, “Way 2 Sexy” with Drake and Future, and “Franchise” with Travis Scott and M.I.A.

He signed with Gucci Mane’s 1017 Records in 2013.

In the hyper-masculine hip-hop scene, Young Thug refused to play by traditional gender rules. 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.

On social media, some have noticed Young Thug referring to his male friends as “bae,” “boyfriend,” and “hubby.”

Young Thug grew up in a tough housing project in an Atlanta suburb where crime was the norm. He became a father at the age of 17 and currently has six children.

Prosecutors portrayed Young Thug as a gang leader known as King Slime, someone who made decisions and directed others to engage in criminal activity.

What charges do young thugs face?

Young Thug was indicted by a Fulton County grand jury in May 2022, and more charges were added in a subsequent indictment in August of that year. The second indictment accuses Young Thug and 27 other people of conspiring to violate Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO. The rapper is also accused of participating in criminal street gang activity, in addition to drug and weapons charges.

Prosecutors say Young Thug and two other people co-founded a violent criminal street gang in 2012 called Young Slime Life, or YSL, which they say is linked to the national Bloods gang. Young Thug “made YSL a household name by referring to him in his songs and on social media,” the indictment says.

In addition to the specific charges, the August indictment includes a wide-ranging list of 191 acts that prosecutors say were committed between 2013 and 2022 as part of an alleged conspiracy to advance the gang’s interests.

This list includes an allegation that Young Thug in July 2015 threatened to shoot a security guard who was trying to convince him to leave an Atlanta-area mall. The indictment also says Young Thug rented a silver Infiniti sedan that was used in the murder of a rival gang member. On numerous occasions, he and others allegedly possessed numerous illegal drugs that they intended to distribute.

What do youth defense lawyers say?

Young Thug’s lawyers have said in several court filings that he is innocent of all crimes charged in the indictment. They argue that YSL is just a record company. The rapper pleaded not guilty.

Several defense attorneys in the case said prosecutors were overzealous in their use of the RICO statute and the anti-gang statute, both of which carry stiff penalties.

Who else is responsible?

Rapper Gunna, whose given name is Sergio Kitchens, was charged with one count of racketeering conspiracy. He entered an Alford plea in December, meaning he maintains his innocence but realizes it is in his best interest to plead guilty.

During Gunna’s hearing, the rapper responded, “Yes, ma’am” when the prosecutor said that “YSL is a music company and a gang” and that he was aware that its members or associates had committed crimes to further the gang.

The other two people accused of co-founding the YSL gang – Walter Murphy and Trontavious Stevens – were also charged. They each pleaded guilty in December to one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-racketeering law.

What has the young thug been doing since his arrest?

Young Thug has been in jail since his arrest on May 9, 2022, having been denied bail multiple times since then.

More than a year after his imprisonment, Young Thug surprisingly released his third studio album “Business is Business,” which was executive produced by Metro Boomin. The album — which featured appearances by Drake, Future and Lil Uzi Vert — debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Young Thug’s album dropped a week after Gunna released his new project.

What penalties does a young thug face if he is convicted?

The racketeering conspiracy charge and two Young Thug gang charges each carry a prison sentence of five to 20 years. The other five charges also carry potential prison time.

What is the next step in the young thug’s case?

Jury selection I started in January. At that time, 14 of the 28 people charged in the indictment were scheduled to be tried together. That number dwindled to six after some defendants accepted plea deals or were dismissed for later trial.

purpose It took almost 10 months To hold a jury position, which is very unusual. It took a long time for several reasons. First, the trial is expected to last several months, meaning that many potential jurors have legitimate excuses for hardship that allowed them to evade hearing the case. There were also numerous complications that caused delays, including challenges in getting defendants in different prisons to court each day, bringing contraband to court, and arresting the defense attorney and courtroom deputy.

A jury of 12 people — nine women and three men — and six alternates was finally selected on November 1. Opening statements are scheduled to begin Monday and the trial is expected to last several months to a year.