Young Thug Attorney's Definition of 'Thug' Sparks Avalanche of Jokes

An attorney for rapper Young Thug provided a definition of what "Thug" stands for in court on Tuesday, sparking an array of jokes across social media.

During a court appearance in Atlanta, Georgia, Brian Steel, representing Young Thug (Jeffery Lamar Williams) said that "Thug" stands for "Truly Humbled Under God."

"'Thug' meant and means to Jeffery something very personal. It was his pact, if he could ever make it as a musical artist and help his family, himself and many others, out of this endless cycle," Steel said. "He would be truly humbled under God. That's what 'Thug' means."

Many social media users reacted to Steel's remarks with jokes and memes, such as @JEM_el_tarasco, who shared a photo of Young Thug on X, formerly Twitter, saying, "Young Thug's Face after hearing what his lawyer said."

In May 2022, Young Thug was arrested in Georgia, accused of being a member of street gang Young Slime Life (YSL). He was named in the indictment that included 27 co-defendants, some of whom were charged with attempted robbery and murder. Young Thug and others were also accused of violating the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Former President Donald Trump also faces RICO charges in Georgia, accused of attempting to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state to President Joe Biden.

Newsweek reached out to Steel's law firm via email for comment on Tuesday.

Young Thug has pleaded not guilty and his lawyers have said that the YSL name is for his record label, Young Stoner Life, not code for the street gang.

A number of other social media users also joked about Steel's comments defining "Thug."

"LMFAOO??? yeah he's getting life in prison," X user @kirawontmiss wrote.

Another user, @ForeverAshT, said, "This man just shooting for the stars. He didn't even believe anything that came out of his own mouth ..."

The X account @SneakerPhetish made a joke about what "Slime" stands for, saying, "And 'Slime' means 'Someone Loves Ice Cream Marshmallows & Everything.'"

In the opening statements of Monday's trial, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said, "What you will not hear any evidence of is that the defendants were not involved in a criminal street gang."

USA Today also reported that the judge overseeing the case allowed for prosecutors to present Young Thug's song lyrics as evidence.