The trial for the racketeering case against Young Thug still has yet to begin in earnest but today, the rapper got some bad news. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville ruled this morning that his lyrics could be used against him in court despite the controversy surrounding that aspect of the case.
While the specific lyrics in question have always been public record thanks to the 88-page indictment against Thug and YSL, prosecutors read those lyrics aloud in court, arguing that they “prove the nature of YSL as a racketeering enterprise [and] the expectations of YSL as a criminal street gang,” according to Assistant District Attorney Mike Carlson.
The lyrics being used against Thug include snippets from songs like 2018’s “Just How It Is”:
“I just beat a murder rap, paid my lawyer 30 for that”
From 2014’s “Eww”:
“Honestly truth be told YSL won’t fold / Pick his ass off from the balcony/ YSL wipe a n**** nose”
From “Bad Boy” with Juice WRLD:
“I shot at his mommy, now he no longer mention me”
“Take It To Trial” with Gunna:
“I rep my life for real/For slimes you know I kill”
Critics of the case say that it discounts the probability of artistic license, that Young Thug is like an actor playing a role in songs like these, or speaking from perspectives not his own. Furthermore, as HipHopDX notes, some of the lyrics are incorrect or misattributed, pointing to shoddy casework on the part of the DA.
Young Thug is accused of being the head of a criminal street gang, YSL, which is collectively accused of crimes including murder, armed robbery, and more. The controversy surrounding the use of lyrics as evidence prompted an array of bills to limit such use, including one federal bill still in Congress. States such as California have already passed their own versions.
