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Young Thug recently reacted to his YSL associate Gunna seemingly covering his YSL tattoo after the two rappers were involved in the long-spanning YSL RICO trial between 2022 and 2024. For context, both rappers had been arrested following a 56-count RICO indictment against several members of Thug's YSL Records (Young Stoner Life Records) in 2022.
In December of that year, Gunna took an Alford plea deal and was released. The following trial, which became the longest criminal trial in Georgia's history, ended after Thug was released from prison after he pled guilty to "gang, drug and gun charges" in October 2024.
However, Gunna has faced accusations of snitching on Young Thug and the other YSL associates after he accepted the Alford plea, which allowed him to plead guilty despite claiming his innocence. The conversation about snitching resurfaced after fans noticed that Gunna had seemingly covered up his YSL tattoo with a new design in a recent social media photo.
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The picture, posted on the Instagram page @ourgenerationmusic, earned a reaction from Young Thug in the comments on May 19, with the rapper writing:
"I mean.. he said it must end lol."
Thug's comments are seemingly a reference to Gunna's statement during his plea hearing in December 2022, which was read out loud by the prosecution. The statement said:
“I recognize, acknowledge and deeply regret that my talent and music indirectly furthered YSL the gang to the detriment of my community. YSL as a gang must end.”
According to Billboard, Gunna also acknowledged that YSL was both “a music label and a gang” and that he had “personal knowledge that members or associates of YSL have committed crimes and in furtherance of the gang.”
Young Thug ponders his relationship with Gunna
Young Thug pondered on his current relationship with fellow YSL associate Gunna during an April interview with GQ. Thug did not provide a clear answer when asked about it, adding,
“I know everybody wonders [what our relationship is like now]. I don’t know.”
That same day, he also released his new song, Money On Money, featuring Future, from his upcoming album, Uy Scuti. According to HipHop DX, several fans claimed that Thug was seemingly dissing Gunna on the track with the lyrics, “These f**k n***as tellin’ for nothin’, and I gotta be the one callin’ ’em friends,” “Brother, you a rat (My brother),” and “Twin, you a rat, you smoked, uh.” However, Thug has not confirmed whether the lyrics are meant to be about Gunna as of this article.
Meanwhile, Gunna has reportedly been scrubbed from all YSL social media accounts as of April 2025, causing further speculationsof a rift between the two rappers. Following his release in October 2024, Young Thug also took to X to post and quickly delete a cryptic tweet seemingly calling out Gunna. According to Complex, the tweet read:
“Gunna stop acting like we friends on the internet. I don’t know you my guy.”
According to Billboard, Gunna is still signed to YSL as of this article. However, he still faces accusations of snitching on Young Thug during the trial, which he has denied multiple times. Following his plea deal in December 2022, he issued a statement via his lawyer, Steve Sadow, saying:
“While I have agreed to always be truthful, I want to make it perfectly clear that I have NOT made any statements, have NOT been interviewed, have NOT cooperated, have NOT agreed to testify or be a witness for or against any party in the case and have absolutely NO intention of being involved in the trial process in any way."
Exploring Young Thug's release
The YSL RICO case involving Young Thug, Gunna, and several YSL associates saw the prosecutors allege that YSL Records (Young Stoner Life Records) operated as a violent Atlanta gang under the name Young Slime Life. The prosecution claimed the gang was involved in murder, armed robbery, and drug dealing, among other charges.
The trial came to an end in October 2024 following Young Thug's release after he had served over 900 days in prison since his arrest in May 2022. Thug agreed to a "non-negotiated guilty plea deal," saying in a statement during the trial:
“I am a smart guy. I am a good guy. I really got a good heart. I find myself in a lot of stuff because, because I was just nice or cool, you know, and I understand that you can’t be that way when you reach a certain height because it could end (badly).”
The rapper potentially faced a maximum 120-year prison sentence if convicted. However, Thug's plea deal saw his sentence commuted to time served if he fulfilled the probation term. He is also ordered to serve a 15-year probation, 100 hours of community service each probation year, and have zero contact with any associates affiliated with criminal gangs.
