The Young Thug trial has had no shortage of captivating chaos in the last week. And if you were hoping for celebrity name drops, courtroom drama and unexpected delays, you were not disappointed.

The award-winning and chart-topping rapper Young Thug, legal name Jeffery Lamar Williams, is currently being prosecuted alongside five co-defendants in a wide-ranging racketeering trial in which he’s accused of being the mastermind of a murderous criminal gang. He is being prosecuted by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who’s also prosecuting President Trump even as she fights accusations that she improperly hired her “boyfriend” to help in the Trump case. 

In both cases, Ms. Willis is relying on a novel prosecution tool,  Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations statute, or RICO. This statute, which was originally created to target the mafia, allows prosecutors to win a case by showing that defendants are guilty by association even if they didn’t personally commit any crimes..

In Young Thug’s case, prosecutors allege the rapper and two others founded Young Slime Life – a violent Atlanta-based street gang connected to the Bloods. They also say the  artist rented a car that was used in the murder of a rival gang member in 2015, threatened to shoot a security guard that same year, and possessed various illegal drugs he intended to distribute. 

Mr. Williams’ team, however, says the only ‘YSL’ their client is associated with is his Atlanta-based record label, Young Stoner Life Records, and that the “Thug” in his name stands for “Truly Humble Under God,.” 

Young Thug has pleaded not guilty to all charges, but he faces quite a bit of jail time if convicted. Each racketerring and gang charge could bring a penalty of five to 20 years in prison. Mr. Williams also has five other charges against him that carry the potential for prison time.

After a week-long break, the trial resumed on Monday with more testimony from Trontavious Stephens – a former defendant who signed a December 2022 plea deal claiming he was one of the founding members of the YSL gang. During cross examination, Mr. Stephens was shown videos of none other than NBA star LeBron James and rap legend Snoop Dogg. 

Stephens, who goes by the nicknames “Tick” and “Slug,” was shown videos of the two celebrities allegedly using hand gestures and so-called “gang slang” that could be seen as a reference to gang culture.  

“Have you been asked by the prosecution about the use of the same word LeBron James used?” defense attorney Brian Steel asked.

Stephens was also asked about Snoop Dogg’s 2022 Super Bowl performance because the rapper wore a blue bandanna-print outfit – an alleged nod to the California-based Crips gang – while doing the “crip walk” dance.

The defense’s goal in all of this is to argue that hip hop and sports celebrities dressing like a gang member or giving gang signs and talking in gang slang is purely performative, an effort to convince fans of their authenticity. Ms. Willis is using Young Thug’s music lyrics, which are full of gangster bravado, in an attempt to convince the jury he’s a real life gang leader. 

Celebrity cameos have not been uncommon during the trial. Mr. Steel asked Stephens about the Mr. James “wiping his nose saying slime to his teammates.” The defense attorney also asked Stephens about one of the world’s most famous tennis stars.

“Do you know who Serena Williams is?” Mr. Steel asked.

Mr. Stephens answer was a simple “yeah” before the attorney went on to ask if he had seen the tennis pro “doing what’s called the Crip Walk” at Wimbledon. 

“I don’t really watch tennis,” he replied.

Mr. Stephens returned to the stand on Tuesday, but not much progress was made once prosecutors and defense attorneys started arguing over whether the jury should see a video of Stephens’ plea deal. The matter has yet to be resolved.

Another unnamed witness took the stand on Tuesday to testify about witnessing an alleged 2016 carjacking that prosecutors say was orchestrated by a gang run by Mr. Williams. But defense attorney Keith Adams tried to show that Mr. Williams was not responsible and the crime was not connected to a gang.

“You didn’t see anyone doing any gestures or throwing up any signs or anything like that?” Mr. Adams asked the witness.

After hearing a simple “no” in reply, Mr. Adams asked the following: “Okay, what you’re observing, and I hate to say it, ordinary is not the right word, it was a carjacking, you saw someone being carjacked?”

“Yes,” the witness responded.

For unknown reasons, the trial was put on hold, yet again, after just two days of testimony this week. All the while, social media surrounding Young Thug was abuzz after audio of a personal jailhouse call between the rapper and his girlfriend, who is known as “Mariah the Scientist,” was released online late Wednesday afternoon.

“S–t is disgraceful,” superstar Drake wrote on Instagram of the audio, which was just some blandishments and discussion of Christmas gifts. 

“This gotta be some form of jail misconduct,” he continued, in support of his fellow rapper. “You gonna drag this talented man then not be able to control your employees using his personal business for their own gain? Somebody benefitted from this video even existing and that’s shameful whole case is a wash just 3 the guy and let him come home and continue bringing light to Atlanta!”

Drake even called out Chief Judge Ural Glanville in asking, “Is this a criminal case or Atlanta social media promo Ural Glanville?”

Rapper Meek Mill also came to Young Thug defense in a post to X, formerly known as Twitter:

“This a top tier lawsuit your personal call not suppose to be on the street!”

In response, the Cobb County Jail – where Williams is being detained – shared a statement with Billboard explaining that the call was not leaked; rather it was released as part of an open records request.

“The Cobb County Sheriff’s Office routinely receives and fulfills open records requests of phone calls and video visitations for Jeffery Williams, also known as Young Thug,” a spokesperson  said. “The Sheriff’s Office is obligated under Georgia law (O.C.G.A 50-18-70) to comply with these requests, except for protected communications between him and his legal team or clergy.”

Court is set to resume on Monday, Jan. 29., and many more court days are expected to follow. The trial is anticipated to last for a half a year, at minimum, and prosecutors are expected to call upon at least 400 witnesses.