ATLANTA (AP) — Rapper Young Thug is a free man after he pleaded guilty for gang, drug and weapons offenses.

About two and a half years after his arrest on charges in a sprawling gang and racketeering indictmentYoung Thug was released from custody on Thursday evening. It was a remarkable development in a process that was drawn out and plagued by problems.

Jury selection at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta started in January 2023 And took almost 10 months. Since then, prosecutors have called dozens of witnesses Opening speech last November in the trial against six defendants.

Here are some things you should know about the plea:

Who is Young Thug?

Young Thug is an Atlanta-based artist whose first name is Jeffery Lamar Williams. He is known for his eccentric style, mumble rap, and screaming, high-pitched vocals. He gained widespread popularity with groundbreaking hits such as “Stoner” and “Best Friend” and co-wrote the hit “This is America” ​​with Childish Gambino, which became the first hip-hop track Win song of the year Grammy in 2019.

Young Thug has collaborated with other top artists including Drake, Chris Brown, TI and Travis Scott. Elton John called collaborating with Young Thug an “amazing moment” after recording the song “Always Love You” with Nicki Minaj and Gunna.

He broke the hip-hop scene's hypermasculine norms by wearing a dress on the cover of his 2016 mixtape “Jeffery” as part of a Calvin Klein campaign and saying that there is no such thing as gender.

Young Thug, 33, grew up in a housing project in suburban Atlanta that was riddled with crime and violence.

What was he accused of?

He was originally charged and arrested on May 9, 2022, and additional charges were added in a later indictment in August. The second indictment charged Young Thug and 27 others with conspiring to violate Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO. The rapper was also accused of involvement in criminal street gang activity as well as drug and weapons offenses.

Prosecutors alleged that Young Thug and two others formed a violent criminal street gang called Young Slime Life (YSL) in 2012, which they said was linked to the nationwide Bloods gang. The indictment says Young Thug “made YSL a household name by referencing it in his songs and on social media.”

Prosecutors portrayed him as a gang leader known as King Slime, someone who calls the shots and directs others to engage in criminal activity.

How did the plea deal come about?

Prosecutors had been negotiating with Young Thug's lawyers to reach a deal that would end his participation in the long-running trial. However, those efforts stalled when the two sides disagreed on terms.

Brian Steel, Young Thug's attorney, spoke to reporters after the verdict and declined to discuss the negotiations. But he said prosecutors were pushing for “outrageous” conditions: “They would release him from custody, but they would tie him down so tightly that it would be unreasonable.”

Instead, the rapper went ahead with a potentially risky non-negotiated or “blind” plea deal, meaning he entered plea deals without having an agreement with prosecutors.

He pleaded guilty to one gang-related charge, three drug charges and two firearm charges. He also entered a no-contest plea to additional gang violence and conspiracy charges, meaning he chose not to contest those charges but could be punished as if he had pleaded guilty.

Will he spend time in prison?

No – as long as he adheres to the terms of his sentence.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker sentenced him to a total of 40 years. The first five years were to be served in prison, but this was commuted to time served. He then has 15 years probation. Ultimately, the “added” 20 years in prison will be commuted to time served if he fulfills all the conditions of his probation. If he does not complete his probation successfully, he will have to serve 20 years in prison.

Prosecutors wanted Young Thug to be sentenced to 45 years in prison, with 25 years in prison and the remaining 20 years on probation. The charges against him carry a potential maximum sentence of 120 years in prison, said prosecutor Adriane Love.

Steel had asked the judge for a 45-year sentence, with five years commuted to time served and 40 years probation.

What did he say to the judge before the verdict was announced?

He apologized to his family, his managers, court officials and “really everyone who had anything to do with this situation” for the time his case was stalled.

“I hope that you will allow me to go home today and just trust that I am doing the right thing,” he told the judge, promising her that he would never be in a situation like this again.

“I learned from my mistakes, you know? I came from nothing and created something without taking full advantage of it. I’m sorry,” he said.

He told her he understands his impact on people and said he has also tried to give back and put millions of dollars back into his community.

Under what conditions will his punishment be imposed?

He must stay away from the metro Atlanta area – as defined by the census – for the first 10 years of his probation, except for weddings, funerals, graduations or a serious illness of an immediate family member. He can arrive 24 hours before the event and must leave within 48 hours afterwards.

However, he must also return to the Atlanta area four times in each year of his probation to give a talk against gangs and gun violence at an elementary school, middle school or high school, or at an organization such as the Boys & Girls Club. These visits may count toward the 100 hours of community service he must complete each year of his probation.

He also must not knowingly have contact with a member of a criminal street gang. The judge said these were other people named in the indictment, with the exception of his brother and rapper Gunna, with whom he had contractual obligations.

He may not participate in street gang criminal activity or promote a gang, including through hand signals.

In addition, he is not allowed to have contact with the victims in the case or their families, is not allowed to possess a weapon, is not allowed to use drugs other than those prescribed to him, is required to undergo random drug tests and must allow searches of his person, property and electronic devices.

What do prosecutors say about the verdict?

“The convictions in this case represent accountability for inducted members of YSL, a violent street gang,” Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ office said in a statement Friday. The statement said prosecutors are committed to continuing to bring charges against the remaining defendants.

What happened during the trial?

The process was lengthy and fraught with problems.

Before the trial began, prosecutors and defense attorneys argued over whether the defendant's rap lyrics should be admitted as evidence. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville, the original judge, allowed prosecutors to introduce certain texts as long as they could prove that the texts were related to crimes accused of Young Thug and others. Defense attorneys had asked the judge to exclude them, arguing that the song lyrics were constitutionally protected expressions of opinion that were unfairly harmful.

Just weeks after prosecutors began presenting evidence, the trial had to be paused because one of Young Thug's co-defendants was stabbed to death in prison.

In June, Steel told Glanville in open court that he learned of a meeting in the judge's chambers between the judge, prosecutors and a prosecution witness. When Steel refused to tell him how he found out about the meeting, Glanville called out found him despised and ordered him to spend 10 weekends in prison. That ruling was stayed while Steel appealed, and more recently before the Georgia Supreme Court overturned the contempt judgment.

Glanville was removed from the housing the following month after defense attorneys sought his recusal, citing the judge's meeting with prosecutors and a state witness. This caused a further delay until Whitaker was appointed take over.

Whitaker was unhappy with Love, the lead prosecutor, in September, saying the case was being presented in an “arbitrary” manner and that she couldn't say “whether this is all intentional or it's just really bad advocacy.”

What about the other defendants?

Three co-defendants had has already pleaded guilty this week after reaching agreements with prosecutors. That leaves only two other co-defendants in court.

Nine people were charged in the indictment, including Gunnaaccepted plea agreements before the trial began. Twelve more are to be examined separately. Prosecutors dropped charges against a defendant after he was convicted of murder in an unrelated case.