Young Thug is finally going to trial, after a lot of delays, for the infamous RICO indictment from May 2022, alongside other artists in the rap game like Gunna.
According to reports, the rapper was charged with eight out of the 65 total counts against all the defendants involved in the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act in Georgia, commonly referred to as the RICO Act.
Young Thug was named the co-founder of a criminal street gang called YSL, prosecutors noted that the gang is responsible for multiple violent crimes in the state, including murders, shootings, carjackings, and of course, racketeering.
Aside from the alleged gang involvement, Young Thug is also known as a rapper, who runs the Young Slime Life record label; he denies being associated with the YSL gang.
Young Thug, Gunna Pleads Not Guilty to RICO Case
On top of denying being involved in the gang, the "Hot" rapper also pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him.
Meanwhile, his co-defendant and fellow rapper, Gunna, has taken a plea bargain with prosecutors; he formally admits being guilty of the charges, however, maintains his innocence at the same time.
"While I have agreed to always be truthful, I want to make it perfectly clear that I have NOT made any statements, have NOT been interviewed, have NOT cooperated, have NOT agreed to testify or be a witness for or against any party in the case and have absolutely NO intention of being involved in the trial process in any way," Gunna wrote in a statement.
According to reports, Young Thug's trial, on the other hand, began on Monday and is expected to go on for the next several months, as it will include numerous testimonies from various witnesses.
Young Thug's Lyrics Used Against Him in Court
Prosecutors in the RICO case revealed that they will be using Young Thug's music as evidence in court; the lyrics of the following songs "Eww," "Just How It Is," and "Mob Ties" were suggested to be the rapper's admission of being linked to the YSL gang.
Meanwhile, the rapper's lawyers opposed this and took note of the "Protect Black Art" movement, however, the judge allowed at least 17 lines from Young Thug's music admissible in court, People Magazine reported.
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