In the past month, Jeffrey Lamar Williams, also known as Young Thug, along with 28 others, including rapper Gunna, faced more than 80 pages of charges for gang activities and violating the RICO law.
The “Go Crazy” singer is best known for his mixtapes Jeffrey (2016) and Slime Language 2 (2021), along with features on songs with Drake and Chris Brown. The rapper grew up in Sylvan Hills, a neighborhood on the south side of Atlanta, joining the likes of other south side Atlanta rappers like Ludacris, Lil Wayne, and 2 Chainz.
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Young Thug began his rap career in 2010. In the next few years, he gained the attention of fellow Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane, who signed him to his label
The Music
After signing with Gucci Mane, he released his mixtape 1017 Thug in 2013, which gained critical acclaim. As a more established rapper, he recorded songs with Kanye West, Metro Boomin, and Asap Ferg.
Beginning his major rap career, Young Thug was caught in some controversies. He wanted to release his first mixtape in honor of his hero, Lil Wayne, titling it Carter 6. But, Lil Wayne was not happy about the tribute and threatened Thug with lawsuits. Young Thug, then, changed the name to Barter 6.
He quickly released three more mixtapes in 2016 titled Slime Season, Slime Season 2, and Slime Season 3 to reduce the circulation of his leaked tracks.
The summer of 2016 marked a new era for Young Thug. He released his self-titled mixtape, Jeffrey, which went viral for the album art depicting him clothed in an androgynous dress that Italian designer Alessandro Trincone designed. Young Thug gained a lot of responses on social media from the artwork. In November 2016, he began his own record label known as YSL or Young Slime Life Records.
In 2019, Young Thug finally got around to his first studio album, So Much Fun, which debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200. Two years later, he released a compilation album Slime Language 2, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. In the same year of 2021, his second studio album, Punk, also debuted at number one. The recent release marks Young Thug’s third chart-topping album, and his second number one album of the year. On May 31, despite his arrest, DJ Calvin Harris released the song “Potion” for his upcoming album, which features Young Thug and Dua Lipa.
Recent Arrest
The Fulton County District Attorney in Atlanta charged the group of 28 with 56 counts, including murder, armed robbery, and suspected gang activity. Fulton County police suspect that Young Thug’s rap collective “Young Slime Life” or YSL is, by their definition, a gang.
The counts stem from the past decade, from an offense that allegedly happened on January 24, 2013, to a connected event that occurred on May 12, 2018.
At a press conference, Atlanta District Attorney Fani Willis made the claim “It does not matter what your notoriety is or what your fame is, if you come to Fulton County Georgia, you commit crimes, and certainly if those crimes are in furtherance of a street gang, that you are going to become a target and a focus of this District Attorney’s office, and we are going to prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.” Recently, a judge denied bond for Young Thug.
Much of the debate about Young Thug’s arrest circulates around the fact that he is a famous rapper. Some believe that the police are now calling rap collectives “gangs” by citing their music while others want to see the rapper locked up despite his fame. In a hearing, the prosecutor said about Young Thug, “He’s the one directing traffic, he’s the one we are all afraid of, he’s the one that’s ‘King Slime.’ He’s the one pulling the shots. He is the most dangerous of the 28 charged and I implore you to not grant him a bond. He is dangerous.”
Despite the debate, Young Thug’s legal problems have gained a large number of spectators. But, how large really is this rapper? How much is he worth that drags on the debate around his allegations? Let’s dive into Young Thug’s net worth.
Net Worth
According to celebritynetworth.com, Young Thug has a net worth of $8 million. His source of income is from the sale of music albums, tours, and sponsorship deals.
In a radio interview, he explained that the shutdown from the coronavirus really affected him and other artists. Without shows and festivals, Young Thug lost a source of his income. “The money I get for shows, let’s say I get $500,000. If I don’t play these 10 shows, that’s $5 million,” he explained to radio show host BigBoy.
His assets consist of a car collection that includes his first car, a Chevrolet C8 Convertible priced at $68,000 as well as pricy sports cars such as an $800,000 Rolls Royce Cullinan, a Lamborghini Urus ($300,000), and Mercedes Maybach S650 ($700,000). He also owns a home in the Buckhead area of Atlanta, one of the most predominately wealthy areas of the city.
The rapper recently released an audio statement from jail which aired at the Hot 97 Summer Jam.
“This is Thug. I just want to say thank you to all my friends and my family for coming out and supporting us. You know your support at this time means a lot to us. You know this isn’t about me or YSL, I always use my music as a form of artistic expression, and now I see that black artists and rappers don’t have that, you know, freedom. Everybody, please sign the “Protect Black Art” petition and keep praying for us. I love you all.”
Photo by Amy E. Price/Getty Images
