According to the 88-page indictment obtained by CNN, lyrics from the rapper’s popular songs — including “Slime Sh*t”, “Original Slime Sh*t” and “Anybody” — were used as examples of “overt acts, “Some of them constitute blackmail. Prosecutors allege that Young Thug, real name Jeffery Williams, founded the Young Slime Life gang in late 2012 and was a key figure in many of YSL’s activities. Rapper Juna, real name Sergio Giovanni Kitchens, was also accused in the document. Police said Williams was arrested at his home in Atlanta on Monday.
In particular, prosecutors said that in 2015, Williams rented an Infiniti Q50 sedan from Hertz, which was later used to kill a member of a rival gang. There are also references that paint Williams as the leader of the YSL gang, with two of his aides discussing how to obtain his permission to attempt to kill rapper YFN Lucci while in prison.
“I’m ready to take them down,” “Murder Gang,” and “I’ve never killed anyone but have something to do with this body” are just a few of the dozens of lines referenced in the indictment.
The indictment also featured words from other famous rappers that mention links with Young Slime Life, along with social media posts.
Williams was booked into the Fulton County Jail and charged with conspiracy to violate the Innovator’s Influential and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and participating in criminal street gang activity.
“If left unchecked, it will likely silence a generation of artists exercising their First Amendment right to express themselves,” he wrote. “These are voices we should encourage, but our criminal justice system is constantly looking for ways to punish them.”
Mike Keeler also noted that other artists of genres other than rap are often celebrated for their bold lyrics, while rappers are vilified.
But Fulton County District Attorney Fannie Willis sees it differently.
“I believe in the First Amendment; it is one of our most valuable rights. However, the First Amendment does not protect people from plaintiffs using (words) as evidence if that is the case,” Willis said during a press conference on Tuesday. “In this case, we’re putting it as public business and a predicate in the RICO number because we think that’s exactly what it is.”
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