Young Thug’s RICO trial continues with his attorney, Brian Steel, employing Snoop Dogg’s Super Bowl performance as evidence that Young Thug is simply an entertainer rather than a gang member. Young Thug stands accused of violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, along with seven related drug and gang felonies.
Trontavious “Tick” Stephens, the rapper’s YSL co-founder, testified on behalf of the prosecution, emphasizing his belief that Young Thug’s name, an acronym for ‘Truly Humble Under God’, illustrates his focus on religion. Despite this claim, Stephens did not recall any specific lines from the song ‘Dropping Jewels’ when pressed.
Steel brought up Snoop Dogg’s crip walk dance, a staple of the Crips, to prove that gang culture is intrinsic to rap culture without it necessarily indicating gang affiliation. Williams, the tennis superstar, also did the same at Wimbledon to prove the same point. The use of lyrics in criminal trials has been broadly criticised as a way to inject racial bias into the criminal justice process.
Notably, Fat Joe argued in defense of Young Thug, claiming that he has lied in “95 per cent” of his lyrics and that the case is a “travesty.” He believed that if prosecutors truly believed Young Thug and his crew were criminals, they would use real evidence to prove it rather than rely on lyrics.
For more context, consider reading about the UK-based movement Art Not Evidence, which is campaigning to restrict rap lyrics as evidence, or analyses from experts Dr Erik Nielsen and other industry insiders who have highlighted how rap lyrics have been used to facilitate centuries of injustice against young Black men.
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