A judge ruled that Young Thug’s lyrics can be used in the upcoming RICO trial against members of alleged gang YSL. Brian Steel, an attorney representing Thug (born Jeffrey Williams), argued extensively against allowing lyrics in the courtroom, citing free-speech concerns. But the Atlanta judge presiding over the case, Ural Glanville, ruled against a ban on lyrics, according to Billboard. “They’re not prosecuting your clients because of the songs they wrote,†he said after a November 8 hearing, denying those free-speech concerns. Prosecutors will still have to make a case for using specific lyrics, and Steel can still object during the trial. “These are party admissions,†said Michael Carson, a prosecutor, during the hearing. “They just happen come in the form of lyrics.â€
Thug’s lyrics were already cited extensively in the 2022 indictment against him and other members of YSL — the rap collective Young Stoner Life, which prosecutors claim is a front for a gang called Young Slime Life. Prosecution has claimed that Thug and other YSL members alluded to crimes, including killings, in lyrics. But advocates and rappers have long maintained that hip-hop lyrics are creative expression and don’t belong in court trials. Last year, dozens of rappers signed an open letter against using rap lyrics in court that specifically noted the YSL trial.
The hearing on lyrics was one of the final steps before the trial, against Thug and five other defendants, could begin on November 27. A jury was seated last week after a months-long selection process.