ATLANTA — Nearly six months after Gunna walked free from jail after taking a plea deal in the ongoing YSL RICO case, the rapper released a new track on Friday, giving his take on being involved in the case.
Music outlets report it's the rapper's first song since his release from jail last December.
In the song, titled "Bread & Butter," Gunna, whose legal name is Sergio Kitchens, addressed accusations that he snitched against those named in the sprawling indictment - among those, fellow rapper Young Thug, whom the Fulton County District Attorney's Office accused of leading and operating his Young Slime Life (YSL) label as a gang.
Gunna also took Fulton County D.A. Fani Willis to task, accusing Willis and lawyers of acting "sneaky" and that he "fell for it" in the lyrics.
When was Gunna released from prison?
Gunna was released from jail in December 2022 after taking an Alford plea, one in which a defendant pleads innocent but effectively accepts a guilty outcome.
At the time, the rapper said the plea arrangement was "in my best interest, while at the same time maintaining my innocence toward the same charge."
Gunna said in his statement his agreement did not include any cooperation with the case or promise to give testimony in the trial and that he had "absolutely NO intention of being involved in the trial process" - though the copy of the agreement does appear to indicate that if called to testify in the trial "by any party in this case," he "will testify truthfully" but can "reserve your right to assert your 5th Amendment privilege against self-incrimination."
Why was Gunna charged?
Gunna was one of 28 original defendants charged as part of a sweeping indictment that accused Gunna and Young Thug - real name Jeffery Williams - of being involved and participating in the violent "Young Slime Life" street gang.
The sprawling 88-page indictment singled out Williams as the leader of the gang and charged him with racketeering, among other crimes.
Gunna had only officially faced one count of conspiracy to violate RICO - essentially, being a member of the gang. The indictment only mentions Gunna - legal name Sergio Kitchens - a few times, most of them using his social media posts or song lyrics as evidence of gang membership.
Gunna has always maintained his innocence, saying in a statement shared shortly after his arrest, "Nothing will stop me from chasing my dreams, I won't stop being a good person, even if some unnamed and unknown accusers want the world to see me as a bad person," he wrote.
Where does the YSL trial stand?
Jury selection for the case has been ongoing since January 2023, and the process has yet to seat a single juror.
The start of the trial has - so far - been mired in several controversies. Most recently, a deputy was accused of smuggling contraband to one of the defendants on trial.
Several defendants, initially named in the wide-ranging indictment, have also since been dropped from the case.