Video footage of Young Thug openly showing appreciation for his lyrical flow as one of his tracks played in court during his RICO trial has gone viral online.
Hip-hop star Young Thug, whose legal name is Jeffery Williams, is one of 28 defendants in the Georgia case. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis announced the sweeping indictment in May 2022, accusing Williams of being the kingpin of Young Slime Life (YSL), an Atlanta-based street gang affiliated with the Bloods gang.
One moment from the courtroom went viral on Wednesday, when footage emerged of the state presenting the music video for Williams' 2015 track "Halftime," which is featured on the musician's 2015 mixtape Barter 6. As of press time, the clip has garnered more than 1.5 million views.
Days before Williams' trial began in November 2023, Judge Ural Glanville ruled that lyrics from 17 tracks could be used against the hip-hop star and his YSL co-defendants during the trial.
Countering the defense's argument that the lyrics were protected by the First Amendment, Glanville said: "They're not prosecuting your clients because of the songs they wrote. They're using the songs to prove other things your clients may have been involved in. I don't think it's an attack on free speech."
While the expletive-riddled lyrics rang out in the courtroom, a smiling Williams was seen turning to his defense attorney, Brian Steel, and rhythmically pointing his finger in time with his rap flow.
In turn, a smiling Steel made eye contact with his client and smiled at him before briefly looking around the courtroom.
"I done figured this s*** out / If you think you gone bite on my swag it's a virus," Williams could be heard rapping in the clip. "I don my swag and I pull up on b****** dressed in all white like Miley Cyrus / No, I'm not gay, I f*** b***** on b***** / I whip out she suck on my private / Lil n**** play, I'mma catch her I bet I fold 'em like a wallet."
Footage of the seconds-long interaction has been circulated on X, formerly Twitter, where a caption of a fan account's upload read: "Young Thug and his lawyer vibing to his hit song Halftime in court omg."
Newsweek has contacted a representative of Williams via email for comment.
Elsewhere in the track, Williams raps: "Hit the streets and tear this b**** up like I'm Willie B / No Tennessee but the chain on my neck is a T / No Memphis Bleek, b**** I own the Roc not Jay Z, ya dig? / War Ready like Tracy T, ya dig?
"Racks on racks on racks just might pull up in my Spider / All my diamonds black you can motherf*****' knight 'em / All these p**** n***** whack, I'm a murk 'em every night'll / Pull up screamin' blat, got my motor out a Viper."
Williams' trial, which is expected to continue for the next several months, has garnered a wave of media attention over the past several months.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Ryan Smith is a Newsweek Senior Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on ... Read more
