US rapper Young Thug released after pleading guilty

US rapper Young Thug was released from jail on probation Thursday after he pleaded guilty to several charges, including being involved in a criminal gang and drug and firearms crimes.

Born Jeffery Lamar Williams, the 33-year-old was accused of being the leader of Young Slime Life or YSL, a part of the Bloods street gang. He was among 28 alleged members charged under state racketeering laws, including charges of murder, assault, carjacking, drug dealing and theft.

The Grammy Award winner must stay away from the metro Atlanta area for the first 10 years of his probation, except for weddings, funerals, graduations or serious illness of family members, the judge said.

Rap lyrics linked to events, say prosecutors

In the opening arguments, prosecutors accused the YSL label of being a front for a crime ring with Young Thug as the leader.

Prosecutor Adriane Love read verses from Young Thug's track "Take It To Trial," saying the lyrics the prosecution had identified had "an uncanny similarity to very true, and very real, and quite specific events."

Defense denied these charges and said "rap is the only fictional art form treated this way." Young Thug's lead attorney Brian Steele said it was "offensive" that the state used his lyrics against him

He pleaded guilty to one gang charge, three drug charges and two gun charges, but pleaded no contest to being the leader of a criminal street gang and racketeering charges.

Young Thug was arrested two and a half years ago and charged a year later, in a trial marred by delays. Jury selection began in January 2023 at the Atlanta courthouse and took nearly 10 months.

The original judge was removed in July after two defendants sought his recusal, and the case was taken over by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker.

Fulton County jail records showed Young Thug was released on Thursday, with the disposition of charges listed as "time served" or "probation" on the database.

The judge imposed a sentence of 40 years with the first five to be served in prison, but commuted to time served. He will be on probation for 15 years. On successful completion, another 20 years will be commuted to time served. But if he violates conditions, he will have to serve the 20 years.

tg/kb (AFP, AP)