Young Thug Praises Lawyer and Inspires Law Students After Jail Release

LeBron & Bronny James talks to Taylor Rooks after the first father son duo in NBA history.

Photo Cred: Harry How/Getty Images

By: Joshua Martin

In arguably one of the most feel-good moments of 2024, Atlanta native and rapper Young Thug is finally home. Thanks to his attorney, Brian Steel, the 33-year-old rapper recently spoke to a group of law students about why their profession is so important. 

“Brian Steel is the best person possible. He should be a professor. You guys should become lawyers. I think it’s very important to help people out of the situations they’re in the best you can. I mean, what side do you want to be on? You want to put people in prison for mistakes? Because everybody makes mistakes, they’re human. ”

— Young Thug

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The Grammy Award winner’s 15-year probation term mandates that he does community service, specifically speaking to students. Steel appeared at Emory University School of Law and called the “Hot” rapper so he could address the potential lawyers.  

““You gotta always look at it like they’re there to put us in prison and you guys are here to keep us from prison.”

— Young Thug

Thugger reminded the students that anyone could have been in his position. Reiterating that they should stick to their paths and offered himself as a resource. 

“And everybody on this phone, in this classroom, you always need to know that you’re one mistake away. I feel like we need more people like Brian Steel on this earth and less people like that. So I think it’s very, very, very important to be a lawyer over anything. Lawyers and doctors are the two greatest things that were ever founded. You actually help people. That’s doing the real God work.”

— Young Thug

Young Thug, real name Jeffrey Lamar Williams, was released from police custody on Wednesday, October 31st, after the longest criminal trial in Georgia history. He pleaded no contest to racketeering conspiracy and guilty to three drug charges, two gun charges and one gang charge. Although the terms of his probation prevents him from speaking with other gang members, He is permitted to speak with and work with fellow label mate Gunna. 

During the final hearing, Thugger’s lawyer Steel broke down why the rap lyrics cited during the trial were misinterpreted and asserted the good that Thug has done for his community.

Rapper Young Thug takes plea deal in RICO case

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Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary: The Gucci Mane Effect

On June 25, 2017, Gucci Mane was present at the BET Awards held at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California.

Credit: Jamie Lamor Thompson/Shutterstock

By: Vince Wilson

As the celebration of Hip Hop’s 50th Anniversary continues, there have been a lot of props paid to various pioneers of the culture. A pioneer I want to pay homage to is Gucci Mane. The East Atlanta native and self-proclaimed TrapGod is for sure an architect of the Trap Music genre. He has helped put on many of the artists in this generation of southern rappers. I look at Gucci Mane as the Red Auerbach of rap. 

Dr. Dre is given a lot of credit for discovering talent, but Snoop Dogg is the only one he made an icon; you can throw Eminem in there, although he was already bubbling and self-made on the battle scene in Detroit. 50 cent was similarly brought to him. There are a lot of instances in Dre's case where young apprentices didn't work out, from Lady of Rage, Hittman, to Bishop Lamont leading to an endless list of promised albums and collabs that never came to fruition.

The complete opposite goes for Gucci Mane, who is not credited to be as influential to Hip Hop as Dr.Dre but is just as intricate in the growth of the culture, particularly in the South. The Lemonade rapper has been the epicenter of the rap game for the last 20 years. 

Gucci Mane - Bricks (Official Video

To understand how and why Gucci is so great at recognizing and cultivating talent, you have to understand his journey. Not wanting to be an artist initally, a natural hustler, Gucci wanted to be like Jermaine Dupri, orchestrating things from behind the scenes. Unlike many label owners of his generation, Gucci Mane did not have to sign an artist to push and support them, which is understated in this industry full of Puff Daddy’s and Bird Mans. If he liked and believed in an artist’s talent he would throw them on a track amplifying their careers. The Gucci Mane effect includes, but is not limited to Young Thug, Waka Flocka Flame, OJ Da JuiceMan, Future, Zaytoven, Mike WIl Made It, Lex Luger, Southside, Nicki Minaj, The Migos, and Pooh Sheisty.

Legend has it that Gucci Mane signed Young Thug to a Bag of Money before ever hearing him rap. Thug was brought to Gucci by the late Atlanta legend, Pee Wee Longway, who told Gucci to sign him on the spot. Only needing Pee Wee's blessing, he signed Thugger that night. Young Thug slept in the studio that night, starting his journey to be the biggest rapper in the game through Gucci’s push. In the same year, the New York Times Best-Selling Author signed The Migos, making collaborative projects with both that helped blow them up. 

The first time Future caught my ear was on a Gucci Mane track called ‘Sometimes,’ on the original TRAP GOD mixtape. A certified banger. Gucci Mane was the first artist to make a collab tape with Future in 2011 titled FREE Bricks. He recognized the potential in the multitalented artist before he started penning records for the biggest pop stars in the game like Beyoncé. 

Gucci Mane and Future

Having difficulty blowing up in New York, Nicki Minaj was steered to Atlanta and Gucci Mane’s 1017 label, providing her opportunities through Waka Flocka’s Manager/Mom. Gucci then connected Nicki with the Trapaholics, who would be the vehicle for her legendary Beam Me Up Scotty Mixtape. This project got her snagged up by Young Money and the rest is history. 

Gucci Mane’s ear for beats is also severely underrated. Zaytoven is Gucci’s first in-house producer, crafting the sound of countless mixtapes and his first two albums, Trap House and Hard 2 Kill. Zaytoven’s awkward piano-heavy sound would be synonymous with Gucci Mane’s awkward slow flow that would become one of the most prolific MC/Producer combos alongside The Guru and Premier. Since then, Zaytoven has become one of the most sought-after producers in the game, producing for The Migos, Drake, and Future’s most classic tape to date, Beast Mode.

Gucci Mane also discovered teenaged Mike Will Made It before he became the biggest producer in the world, producing billboard hits for Miley Cyrus during her urban radio phase. Mike Will produced various tracks for Gucci Mane before blowing up commercially, including the legendary Trap Back series. Featured in that Trap Back series were also Lex Luger and Southside, young producers signed to 1017 that crafted the sound of trap music for the rest of the decade. You can hear Lex Luger on two of Rick Ross’ biggest records BMF and MC Hammer (featuring Gucci Mane). Southside went on to become one of the most popular producers in rap. Producing the majority of Future’s classic mixtape Monster before becoming an integral part of the drill sound.

Despite his upward trajectory in the trap music genre, Gucci Mane was sentenced to three years in prison for a gun charge putting a halt on his fast progression. This was a time of transformation for the Bricks rapper coming to back society clean, sober, and in shape with chiseled abs. Some people believe the glow-up was too unreal and dubbed him a ‘clone’.

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After Gucci Mane was released, the rest of Hip Hop immediately blessed and embraced him with opportunities like the ones he had provided for so many before. The fruits of his labor paid off from the seeds he helped water as the hottest artist in the game immediately paid their blessings to the Trap God upon his return. Drake gifted him a track for his album,’ Back on Road,’ and also hopped on Gucci’s track ‘Both’. Migos pulled in Gucci to be a part of their classic album, Culture for the track ‘Slippery’. Young Thug paid hommage and hopped in the video ‘Guwop’s Home,’ and Mike Will put Gucci on his first Billboard #1 with his group Rae Sremmurd’s smash ‘Black Beatles’. 

Gucci continues to exhibit the work ethic that made him undeniable in the mid-2000s. He dropped 6 albums in 6 years and established a new wave of young artists with his new 1017 imprint, including the currently incarcerated Pooh Sheisty. 

Gucci Mane is a legend who has cemented his place and legacy on the Mount Rushmore of trap music. A Rushmore that features Jeezy, TI, Gucci, and Future, respectively. Unlike TI and Jeezy, you can see the influence Gucci Mane has on the current artists. I can hear Gucci Mane in Young Thug, Young Nudy, and 21 Savage, as he has outlasted his peers on the Trap Rushmore, eclipsing Young Jeezy and TI in musical longevity and relevance. As we celebrate 50 years of Hip Hop and its remarkable and vast story; we must realize that this story could not be told, without Gucci Mane. 

BRRR!

Gucci Mane - There I Go (feat. J. Cole & Mike WiLL Made-It) [Official Music Video]

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Gunna Sells Out Barclays Center in First Show Since Jail Release

Gunna performs in concert in the Netherlands

Credit: Ben Houdijk/Shutterstock

By: Joshua Martin

Gunna set the stage ablaze in his first sold-out show, 'The Gift,' since being released from jail, and the fans loved it. He performed every song off of his new LP from start to finish. The Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, was the site where the YSL affiliate graced the stage for the first time since his release in December 2022.

His set include hits songs like "Hot," "Back At It," and most notably the viral hit "F*kumean."

Gunna performs “fukumean” for the first time pic.twitter.com/YeV1hnkZzb

— YOUNG STONER LIFE (@YoungStonerLife) September 10, 2023

Gunna also showed support for YSL leader Young Thug, opening the show with a large sign that read “Free Jeffrey” according to reports. Young Thug’s legal name is Jeffrey Williams Jr.

Gunna performed Young Thug’s verse on “Hot” during his concert in Brooklyn tonight.

“Free Jeffery” pic.twitter.com/yB29vJCZV9

— XXL Magazine (@XXL) September 10, 2023

Gunna’s performance at the Barclays Center was the first of two shows he has scheduled for this month. His next show, 'The Curse,' will take place at the YouTube Theater in Los Angeles on September 28.

Gunna is currently on tour, promoting his latest project, 'A Gift and A Curse,' which has received mixed reviews due to allegations of him cooperating with his YSL co-defendants last year. This controversy explains why he has never performed the song live. Despite the criticism, the album has earned Gunna his first top-ten single on the Billboard Hot 100 as a solo artist with "F*Kumean," which peaked at number 3 in July.

Gunna also partnered with PLUS! and the nonprofit Goodr for 'The Gift.' $1 from every ticket sold was donated to the Goodr Foundation, an organization that, according to their website, "strives to end world hunger by cultivating countless resources." If his Los Angeles show draws a substantial audience, it wouldn't be surprising to see a full-scale tour in the near future.

YSL RICO Trial Update

While Gunna is free and performing, his YSL peers are looking at a much bleaker situation. Thug and seven other defendants are facing numerous charges relating to the group's operations in Atlanta. Despite the trail starting in January, jury selection is still ongoing. In spite of renewed pleas for Young Thug to receive bond, he and many of his peers remain behind bars. The trail is set to resume in October, with many legal experts projecting that the case could last another six to 8 months.

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Young Thug's Lawyer Looking to Remove YSL Polo From RICO Trial

Young Thug

Photo cred: Frank Schwichtenberg

By: Gentel Sharrie

The RICO trial is still underway for rapper Young Thug. On September 1st, Brian Steel, who is Young Thug's lawyer, filed a motion to have codefendant YSL Polo (Codarius Dorsey) removed from the trial due to his sporadic movement in the courtroom. Attorney Steel feels that YSL Polo was unprofessional and could cause an unfair trial for Young Thug. Ultimately, they want YSL Polo separated from the other co-inductees. Judge Glanville does not believe YSL Polo is seeking attention.

Young Thug was indicted on RICO charges on May 9th, 2022, in Georgia. Gunna and 26 other YSL members were also indicted and charged. If you’re not familiar with YSL, it stands for Young Slime Life. Authorities are accusing YSL of being a violent street gang created by Young Thug. The 56-count indictment includes charges of armed robbery and murder. They are also accusing Young Thug of being involved in attempting to murder YFN Lucci and renting a car that was involved in a 2015 murder.

Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He gained popularity in the early 2010s for his unique musical style and unconventional approach to rap. Young Thug is known for his distinctive voice, genre-blending music, and fashion-forward image.

Born on August 16, 1991, in Atlanta, Georgia, Young Thug began his musical career by releasing a series of mixtapes that gained him a loyal fanbase. His breakthrough came in 2014 with the release of his mixtape "Barter 6," which featured the hit single "Stoner." Since then, he has released numerous successful projects, including albums like "So Much Fun" and "Slime Language."

Young Thug's music is characterized by his versatile rap style, incorporating elements of trap, hip-hop, and melodic singing. He has collaborated with many notable artists across different genres, such as Travis Scott, Future, and Camila Cabello. His unique and innovative approach to music has earned him critical acclaim and a dedicated following.

In addition to his music, Young Thug has made headlines for his fashion choices, often pushing boundaries and challenging traditional gender norms with his style. He has become a fashion icon, influencing trends and breaking barriers in the industry.

Young Thug continues to be a prominent figure in the rap scene, constantly evolving and pushing artistic boundaries. His impact on the music industry and his ability to captivate listeners with his distinct sound make him a highly influential artist in today's music landscape.

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A Look Into Hip Hop's Most Anticipated Artists And Projects In 2021

By: James Teague

As we’re gearing up for an amazing new year (and yes it’s still going to be a great year regardless of everything covid-19 related), more new music is on the horizon for this new year to continue serving as our life soundtrack for the year. Even though there were some great gems that dropped last year, music 2020 was said to not really have a lot of impact due to the world getting altered because of COVID-19.

With everything going on whether it was with COVID, the presidential election, or the protests/riots that were all going on in America, I found lots of music lovers were not necessarily keeping up with all the latest new music that released each and every week. Hence why some of the albums released that I thought were going to do well actually didn't due to COVID-19. Luckily this year is a fresh start and we’re starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel with this entire living situation. Here are some of my most anticipated artists that I'm looking forward to releasing new music this year. 

TDE

The current Best Rap Label Top Dawg Entertainment has had a very quiet 2020 for the most part but it appears since SZA dropped her singles, the label is getting up for another busy year. It wouldn't feel right for me if i did each artist alone so i decided to do the entire roster in its entirety in this section. 

• KENDRICK LAMAR  - Between the numerous rumors surrounding his upcoming album, him moving in silence for the entire year and only popping out to the public on several occasions, there is no telling of what's going to happen with this next Kendrick album. What we can all say is that a lot has gone on since his last album DAMN, which was released in 2017, and everybody is wondering what he has to say for this next go round. This is one of the reasons why I'm going to always be excited for a new Kendrick release. 

• SZA - Just like Kendrick, SZA has also been under radar since her debut album CTRL and pops out seldomly. Her two brand new singles “Hit Different” and “Good Day” have me ready and anxious for SZA’s upcoming album. The people have been very very anxious for SZA to release new music and were to the point of frustration where they were taking things out on Punch through Twitter. Between that and watching SZA through her social media living and experiencing life, I expect the new album to be as amazing as her debut. 

• JAY ROCK - The OG member of the label Jay Rock has been quietly working since his last album Redemption dropped in Summer of 2018. Since the pandemic, he’s grown his hair out and looks like he’s been in the zone with making music and living life. I'm interested in hearing what he has to say this time around whenever it's time to release his new album. 

• SCHOOLBOY Q - Coming off his last album Crash Talk, Schoolboy Q has always been staying busy on the feature tip. It’s either the features or social media whenever we see him, whether it's playing the daddy role with his daughter or if he’s out playing golf. Even though I thoroughly enjoyed Crash Talk as an album from front to back, I can also understand why some of the fans felt like they were let down by this album. Q has said sometime after the album dropped that he was already back to work on his next album. From what I’ve heard through the grapevine, I'm hearing that Groovy Q is back on his Blankface/Habits and Contradictions vibes for the next album. 

• ISAIAH RASHAD - I don't have a clue as to why Zaywop is taking forever with releasing his album but he is the only member on TDE right next to Ab Soul who hasn't released a brand new album since 2016 with The Sun’s Tirade. He’s been previewing brand new music here & there on his instagram live. Whether he drops an album this year or not, I'm looking forward to hearing from Zaywop musically soon. He has been away for far too long. 

DRAKE 

The anticipation for his new album Certified Lover Boy is at an all time high right now. Since last year between all of the Drake leaks and his last project Dark Lane Demo Tapes, Drake has really been in his bag on the music tip. It felt like since his last interview with Elliot Wilson on rap radar, it feels like he’s been more focused than ever making sure the new album is quality material. All of the leaks and his last project have shown me that we haven't seen anything yet for Certified Lover Boy. It’s supposed to be coming out sometime this month but we shall see and find out. 

PARTYNEXTDOOR 

It felt good hearing back from Party after releasing his album PartyMobile, after being on a hiatus from releasing new music. Now that we’ve had time to properly digest the new album, I think it’s time for Party to work on a brand new album and the reason that I say that is because since he was away for so long prior to Partymobile, it feels more appropriate that new music should start dropping.

G-HERBO

I've always been a fan of G-Herbo’s music since the beginning of his career back when he was calling himself Lil Herb. But ever since hearing his new song “Statement”, it’s become my 2021 song for the year. It makes no sense how many times I’ve had this song on repeat. Between the Dipset “I Really Mean It” sample and Herbo rapping forreal, the aura of that entire song sounds so refreshing and focused. I'm looking forward to 25 The Album , the title of his upcoming album. I don't know what's going to happen this coming album, but if he has more song quality sounding like “Statement”, then I'm very excited for this brand new album coming.  

K-CAMP

After releasing Kiss 5, one of the better albums of 2020, K Camp made it clear that in 2021 he was coming for the number one spot. Every year, K Camp drops a new project and every year he always has a hit record kept in the tuck. I expect this year to be no different. 

RODDY RICCH 

I'm very interested to see where Roddy Ricch is going to go with his Sophomore Album. Coming off having such an incredible year in 2020 with his debut album, Please Excuse Me for Being Anti-Social,  Roddy has kept himself busy with doing his features while also staying out of the way during this global pandemic. Roddy said earlier that he was in no rush to put out a brand new album and that he likes to take his time with creating his next album. He was able to win a lot of people over with the music that he was making but I'm interested to see what level is going to be able to take when it comes to the sophomore. He strikes me as a young man who is about his business and wants to make sure that he shows up each day as his best self. I'm looking forward to seeing what lemons that life will give to Roddy in order for him to tell his story on the album. 

FUTURE 

Instagram pictures surfaced  of DJ Esco , Metro Boomin, and 808 Mafia all being back in the studio working together which prompted the rumors of Monster 2 possibly being in the works. Now as far as I know, I cannot say if that’s really going to be true. However, I did see that Future deleted all the pictures off of his Instagram page and whenever you see an artist do something of that magnitude, then that means get in formation because it looks like there’s going to be a new album due to us at any given day/moment. 

YOUNG THUG

Even though Thugger is always active on featured guest tracks abd collaboration projects, it almost feels like forever since we've heard a solo album from him. So Much Fun exceeded my expectations and has been in my album rotation for a while still to this very day. It appears Thugger is getting ready for Slime Language 2 with the lead single Take it to Trial Featuring Gunna and Yak Gotti. This looks like this going to be a Young thug and friends album but i'm glad to hear that Thug will be releasing brand new music this year. 

LIL BABY

Cheers to another rapper who had the best 2020 yet in regards to hip-hop music. Lil Baby has done enough hits, songs, features, all for the year to help him get to where he's supposed to be. Having said that, for some reason it feels like some people are still not giving Baby the respect he truly deserves. From the awards show not properly nominating him as one of the better artists whether the nomination is for the album or him as an artist. He’s already closed off on the features and is back in the lab cooking up brand new music from what i'm hearing. Even with all of the success coming to him, Lil Baby is still hungry to show and prove to the real ones that he’s here to stay.

NIPSEY HUSSLE 

Word has got out through J Stone, one of Nipsey’s close friends and collaborators, confirmed that there will be a brand new Nipsey Hussle album that’s going to be released soon. J Stone had revealed on the The Bootleg Kev podcast that there’s so many verses Nip has done where he thought that he's heard everything. For me personally, as long as Nipsey’s team is involved in the process of making this album, then I'm all for this release. It was messed up knowing that he was in work already with his next album and the collaboration project with Meek only for him to pass away unexpectedly. 

PUSHA-T 

Daytona came out back in 2018 and yet it feels like it's been out for almost half a decade. There’s been rumors of a Pusha/Madlib project for a while now that haven't been confirmed yet. However in another interview, Pusha had confirmed his upcoming album so far is produced by Pharrell and Kanye West. He also said that it should be almost done very soon. We’ve only heard about Pusha’s music ever so often lately. The last time we heard from Pusha was about his drake diss verse on Pop Smoke’s Posthumous deluxe album, Shoot for the Star, Aim for the Moon. I'm already expecting the music to be very superior but I'm just ready for a brand new album coming very soon.

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