Young Thug has been denied bail for a third time as the Atlanta-based rapper’s attorneys continue to claim that violent rap lyrics were misattributed to him, though prosecutors insist he was one of the two co-founders of the Young Slime Gang.
The Fulton County Superior Court Judge, Ural Glanville, previously denied requests to reconsider bail for Young Thug, whose first name is Jeffrey Williams.
At a filing hearing held in court Thursday, the rapper waived concerns about conflicts of interest for one of his attorneys, Brian Steele.
The ‘This is America’ singer now faces a whopping total of 62 charges relating to his involvement in street gang criminal activity, possession of multiple firearms, including a machine gun, and violating the United States Controlled Substances Act relate Georgia.
At Thursday’s hearing, Young Thug’s attorneys also argued that prosecutors had created a false narrative in previous bond hearings, including crediting the rapper for specific lyrics in 2014 songs in which he appears. They said their client did not write them.
“I believe the court was misled in that regard when it said Mr. Williams made those statements – he just didn’t, that’s not correct,” his attorney Keith Adams said in court. These songs mentioned in the hearing were not published.
Young Thug, also known as Jeffrey Williams, who appeared in court via Zoom call on Thursday, has been denied bail for the third time since his arrest in May on gang-related charges
The 30-year-old Atlanta rapper now faces 62 charges relating to his involvement in street gang criminal activity, possession of multiple firearms, including a machine gun, and violating Georgia’s controlled substances law
Young Thug’s attorneys argued in court Thursday (Picture D) that prosecutors created a false narrative and attributed the rapper to certain lyrics he did not write, in which he claims to be the main operator of the Young Slime Life gang be
This booking photo, provided by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, features a booking photo of Atlanta rapper Young Thug. The Atlanta rapper, whose name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, was one of 28 people charged in Georgia on Monday, May 9, 2022 with conspiracy to violate the state’s RICO statute and street gang charges, according to prison records
Prosecutors retaliated, saying the rapper was still publicly credited with those controversial lyrics, even though he didn’t write them, and played no role in claims that Young Thug was the “general” of the Young Slime Life gang .
“He says in the songs he’s the general. He runs a very violent street gang that has committed numerous murders…if he is released I would expect it to continue. That’s the real deal, these are violent people, dangerous people,” a prosecutor said.
Young Thug has been behind bars since his arrest earlier this year in May along with fellow rapper Gunna and 28 other YSL-connected people in a state on a first charge under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). 56 charges were indicted court.
Following a May 9 raid on his home, Young Thug was charged with six other felonies related to possession of illegal substances and illegal firearms.
He is scheduled to remain incarcerated in the Cobb County Jail pending the start of the RICO trial, with a possible court date expected in early January.
The YSL gang, which Young Thug has been accused by prosecutors of calling themselves a boss, has committed multiple murders, shootings and auto thefts over the past decade and has publicized their activities in songs and on social media, prosecutors said in the original indictment claimed.
Young Thug’s attorney, Brian Steele, has consistently maintained his client’s innocence and looks forward to fighting the charges in court.
‘Mister. Williams has committed absolutely no crimes,” Steele told the Atlanta Journal Constitution Aug. 10. “We cannot wait for a trial date.”
Rapper Gunna was also on trial Thursday as he also faces gang charges over his participation in Young Slime Life
Young Thug, who is accused of being the “general” of criminal street gang Young Slime Life (YSL), faces six other felonies related to possession of illegal substances and illegal firearms linked to the case. The original indictment contained 56 counts against 28 people, including rapper Gunna, for their alleged involvement in nearly 200 crimes. Pictured: Young Thug and Gunna in 2019
The Atlanta rapper will now most likely remain behind bars until his first court appearance, which is expected to be sometime in January 2023
The ‘Hot’ rapper was also hit with a new lawsuit this week after he was unable to perform at an Atlanta concert scheduled for June. Thug is being sued for $150,000 in damages and attorneys’ fees over the show’s cancellation. Around this time, the rapper was denied one of his previous two Bond releases.
According to Complex, he was set to receive $300,000 for a 45-minute show, half of which has already been paid for in advance. A-1 Concert Entertainment, which operates out of Atlanta, went on to tell the outlet that a refund is pending, although a spokesman for Young Slime Life Touring replied that a refund would eventually be sent out.
“Because of his arrest and the nature of the felony charge against Williams in May 2022, it was immediately clear that he would not be able to perform the services required by the agreement,” the complaint filing reads. “To date, A-1 Concert has not received a refund of the $150,000 owed to it.”
Young Thug’s home in Buckhead, a northern Atlanta suburb, was raided May 9 before the rapper was arrested on gang charges. Since then, requests to release the bond have twice been denied
Meanwhile, Martinez Arnold, aka Duke, and Deamonte Kendrick, aka Yak Gotti, face additional charges including involvement in street gang criminal activity, violating Georgia’s Controlled Substances Act, possession of a firearm during the Committing a crime and possessing a machine gun.
Kendrick was also charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Shannon Stillwell and Quamarvious Nichols were arrested by a convicted felon in connection with the death of Shymel Drinks on March 18.
Arnold’s attorney, Ashleigh Merchant, told WSB-TV she is confident her client will not be convicted. She said he will not plead guilty to the new charges, as he did to the original charges.
The indictments center on Young Slime Life, an alleged gang prosecutor set up by Williams and two others in Atlanta with ties to the national Bloods gang.
Young Thug co-wrote the hit “This is America” with Childish Gambino and made history by becoming the first hip-hop track to win Grammy Song of the Year in 2019.