LeBron James, Serena Williams Mentioned In YSL RICO Trial For “Gang Sign” Use
The ongoing YSL RICO trial continues to have bizarre twists and turns. LeBron James and Serena Williams recently came up for using “gang signs.”
YSL co-founder Trontavious Stephens, a former co-defendant and now witness, has been on the stand giving his testimony. The prosecution showed him clips of the two legendary athletes playing their respective sports; specifically King James exchanging handshakes with a teammate, wiping his nose, and saying “slime.” The prosecution argued that the hand signals signified when a rival gang member had been killed. The defense countered with the fact that handshakes and gestures are simply part of Hip-Hop culture.
Williams’ clip showed her doing the “Crip Walk” at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. “Have you seen her at Wimbledon doing what’s called the Crip Walk? Do you know what a Crip Walk is, first of all?” the attorney asked Stephens. He replied by saying that he doesn’t watch tennis.
Today in the Young Thug trial:
“Do you know who Serena Williams is?”
“Yeah.”
“Have you seen her at Wimbledon doing what’s called the Crip Walk. Do you know what Crip Walk is, first of all?”
“Um, I don’t really watch tennis.” pic.twitter.com/hZo9eWfzdl
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) January 11, 2024
Young Thug’s 2014 hit “Lifestyle” was also played in court this week. The judge denied its use as evidence but said that it could be submitted by another witness.
In November, Thug’s attorney Brian Steel argued that his lyrics depicted the life he lived and weren’t meant to encourage people to participate in illegal activity. “He’s not sitting there telling people to kill people,” Steel said. “He doesn’t need their money. Jeffery is worth tens of millions of dollars.”
That same month, clips of the trial went viral as the attorney explained what “Thug” and “Pushin’ P” meant. He described the former as an acronym meaning “Truly Humbled Under God” and the latter as shorthand for “Pushin’ Positivity.” He elaborated, saying, “It means, any circumstance you’re in, if you think positively about something, you can make it through. You’re pushing positivity.”
The Young Thug / YSL trial opened today with Rich Gang’s “Lifestyle” playing as the camera panned to the six defendants.
(It’s part of a video Thug’s lawyer wants to play in his cross of Tick today, but the judge doesn’t think it should come in through another witness.) pic.twitter.com/PPmlmq9Sxc
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) January 11, 2024
