Did The Popular Phrase "Slime" Get Young Thug & Gunna Arrested For RICO Charges?
| LAST UPDATE 05/25/2022
In the 88-page indictment against Young Thug, Gunna and 26 YSL affiliates alleging "criminal street gang activity," one word holds more weight than all the others: "slime." Here's why prosecutors are so focused on this phrase.
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Few rappers are as popular as Young Thug and Gunna in 2022, from dropping #1 albums to sparking the "pushin' P" craze. But the future of their careers is uncertain, as they're being accused of violating Georgia's anti-racketeering laws and operating a gang under the YSL or "Young Slime Life" moniker.
While many fans will know "slime" from Thug's lyrics and iconic mixtapes like 'Slime Season' and 'Slime Language 2,' authorities are using the term to draw a link between 28 alleged members of YSL dating back to 2012. Thug has explained (kind of) what the term means to him.
Plus, they're underscoring "slime" to try and tie YSL to the larger Bloods gang. Thug altered the official YSL acronym when he founded Young Stoner Life Records in 2016 in partnership with 300 Entertainment. They just posted the below note signaling YSL's legitimacy as a business.
"Protect Black Art. Young Stoner Life Records Is A Music Label. Stop Putting Music On Trial," 300 wrote.
In Gunna's case, his YSL chains have reportedly been identified as a potential piece of evidence to highlight his status in the group and relationship with Thug and others. Prosecutors are pointing to several IG posts and the 2020 music video for "Fox 5," his collab with the late Lil Keed.
Something else prosecutors are hoping to use as evidence is Gunna and Thug's lyrics, pointing to more than 10 total songs including Thug's 2018 collab with Nicki Minaj and the 2021 track "Slatty."
On the first track, Thug raps, "I never killed anybody / But I got somethin' to do with that body / I got the streets on my back / Carry it like I'm movin' a body."
However, critics have argued that using rap lines in court is racially biased.
In fact, New York's state Senate just passed a new "Rap Music on Trial" bill to limit the way lyrics can be used in criminal cases, stating they must be "literal, rather than figurative or fictional."
With Gunna facing up to 20 years and Thug facing more, only time will tell how everything plays out. But one thing Thug has made clear is his view on cooperating with police – watch above.
