JEFFERY: The full Young Thug story | Brian Steel interview

As part of the four-part Young Thug documentary series, "Jeffery," 11Alive's Neima Abdulahi sat down exclusively with Brian Steel, the lead attorney representing Young Thug in the RICO case.

Watch the full four-part 'Jeffery' documentary when it debuts on YouTube tonight at 6 p.m.

Steel, a longtime attorney with deep experience in high-profile cases, will be one of the central players in the trial when it begins in January as he mounts a defense for Jeffery Williams. Steel opened up about the upcoming trial and what’s at stake. The interview took place in Aug. 2022. 

This is a transcript of the full interview he gave to Neima:

Brian Steel interview transcript

• NEIMA: We are sitting down today with Brian Steel. Thank you so much for making time for us today. How’re you doing?

BRIAN: I’m okay. How are you?

• NEIMA: I'm doing well. Let's start off with the national conversation that's happening right now about rap lyrics, whether they should be allowed in courtrooms during cases and whether they should not be. We know New York is having this discussion. Fulton County is having this discussion. Los Angeles. So many courtrooms nationwide. What are your thoughts on that?

BRIAN: I don't believe that unless the lyric has a direct relation to the supposed crime on trial and there's evidence to support that, the fact that somebody has created words that are in a song or in a book or in a movie, they should not be judged by their work performance because that's storytelling. So, the problem I really have with the lyrics from rap music throughout our country and right here in Fulton County is we don't do that with other types of entertainment or artistry. And that's really my problem because to me, rap music has been birthed by the struggle of the inner city, poverty stricken, oftentimes people of color. Why are we targeting that group rather than a writer who talks about a killing or drug dealing? Or how about the white songwriters?

• NEIMA: Why does rap music oftentimes feel like it's on trial as a genre?

BRIAN: It seems like it's racist. Because I don't know why other forms of violent lyrics in country music or in rock-and-roll don't seem to get this type of attention.

• NEIMA: Where do the lines blur when it comes to lived reality and that storytelling that we speak of - because that's something that's also argued is like, O.K., is this someone's personal diary or is this them telling a story from a lens that they're storytelling through?

BRIAN: Unless there's direct evidence or circumstantial evidence that's credible and that's competent in a courtroom, it's storytelling. Otherwise, if you look at it the other way, it's going to have a chilling effect on creativity. 

• NEIMA: When you got the call to represent Young Thug, as an attorney, what was going through your mind at that time?

BRIAN: I'm concerned with a human being who's wrongly charged. And I've had the pleasure of defending Mr. Williams for approximately a decade, maybe a little more. So to me, I know his family, I've defended him in courtrooms multiple times. I knew right away that he'd been targeted for ten years by the prosecution. So, my feeling was exactly what I said, that this is a wrong prosecution and I will defend him.

• NEIMA: Why do you feel like he's being targeted or that he has been targeted for a decade?

BRIAN: Every time it's a bad stop by the police officer, it's an unlawful search warrant, it is some charges that there were multiple people there, and he had nothing to do with it. So, how many times do you have to be wrongly prosecuted ‘till you realize that he's been wrongly targeted?

• NEIMA: How hopeful is he right now in conversations? We did hear the video that he made to his fans during a concert where he directly talked to his fans. But how is he doing right now with everything that he's going through?

BRIAN: He's an amazing person who comes from hunger, poverty and lack of opportunity. He's extremely strong and he's getting stronger every day now.

• NEIMA: The indictment received new charges recently. Is that new evidence that came about? Where did the six new counts come from?

BRIAN: On the day of Mr. Williams' arrest, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on the home that he stays in, and he stays in many homes. And in that home, allegedly, there was marijuana found, codeine found and guns – one gun, a supposed machine gun. That's the allegations. There were several people in the home at that time. There's multiple people in and out of the house other than Mr. Williams. So what law enforcement officers did was they then charged Mr. Williams with these additional crimes. As you said, the indictment was already out. And now the prosecutor just added those charges to this indictment.

• NEIMA: With the charges that are listed, which are very serious, you're saying your client is completely innocent?

BRIAN: Mr. Williams is wrongly charged on every single count. I think a person like Jeffery Williams is a hero and not a criminal. And January 2023, all of that will be told.

• NEIMA: Can you give us examples of his community service and commitment to his community?

BRIAN: He's done multiple concerts. He donates every single penny to the inner city. He has come to the relief of cities and communities that have been devastated by whatever it is - violence or some sort of flooding or whatever. He'll put on a concert and donate all the money to those communities he has brought into communities, Open House... just go to the store, they will give you all of your food and your clothing and the children's back to school needs. He's come into communities with hundreds of pairs of shoes. Just show up and then find the shoes that fit you. He has given jobs to people only in the inner community. He'll only hire from the inner communities in his studios or his rap label. He has promoted and hired and signed artists only from the inner city to do rap. And he has gone to the children, and not only sponsored the cheerleading and the football team and the basketball team and the baseball team, but he goes and explains to them, “Don't be a rapper. Go to school and go get a degree and be a professional.”

BRIAN: And he tells everyone that. There's this young man named Corey Jackson. Corey J. If you ever Google him, you will see what Mr. Williams does. He does it countless times where he takes a child who's basically homeless and their family and he doesn't want any credit. And that young man today goes around our country. He's 15. He goes around our country and he tells people, “Hustle doesn't mean sell drugs. Hustle means get up every day, put on clean clothing as best you can [and] let’s get an education. This is what you do with your money. Then if you ever are lucky enough to get money, don't gamble it away. Invest it.”

• NEIMA: Tell us about how important it was to hear Corey J's personal experience with Young Thug in the courtroom – that heartfelt message that he shared?

BRIAN: That's just Mr. Williams. I could bring countless people like that.

• NEIMA: And you fought for Corey to be heard, I remember the judge was like,
  "Hey, is this a different kind of voice that we haven't heard yet?" You're like, "Let the kid talk." Like, you know, if he can have an opportunity to be heard, let him get up on the stand and to be heard. How important was that to you?

BRIAN: It's important because the court is hearing the prosecutors say that Mr. Williams is in charge of a criminal street gang and by his word, people can die. And that's just not true. So I thought that everybody that we put up at that bond hearing is important for the court to know about and a jury to know that.

• NEIMA: Why is Mr. Williams so relatable to the youth in Atlanta?

BRIAN: Because he is the hope. And he's trying to get others out of poverty. That's his mission in life.

• NEIMA: What are the negative connotations that come with being a rapper that may not always reflect who the rapper is?

BRIAN: For people like you who are informed, for people in the rap industry it's show business. It's an act. They are performers. They're performing all the time. Much like, I guess, professional wrestlers. We don't even know their real names. They're performing all the time. That's not the human being, though. That's not, you know, them with their family members or with the community members. That's what you're asking. So for people who say there's a tweet about Young Thug that says it all, those people are really misinformed. And, I expect that they will change your opinion if they're interested in learning come January 2023, because Jeffrey Williams... Jeffrey Williams is a father. He's a son. He is a genius. And, he committed none of these crimes.

• NEIMA: When he’s in a courtroom being called "King Slime," that the allegations of YSL are connected to, according to prosecution, street gang activity of crime, of felonies of all these different things. Tell us about what the next few months really means to you.

BRIAN: We spent every day working our case and putting it into an ability with witnesses to tell a truthful story. And the prosecution's theory will not hold up in court because the truth will come out.

• NEIMA: Do you feel like nationwide there should be a standard on lyrics in courtrooms, or should it be handled state by state?

BRIAN: I think it should be handled case by case. The honorable United States Congressman Hank Johnson just presented a bill to Congress and he gives the criteria on when a lyric can be used in a courtroom. And that's what it should be. It should never be used in a courtroom unless the prosecution shows that that lyric is an admission or confession. If the right verdict is rendered, it would show that prosecutors should back off from targeting people who defeated the odds against them and put them in the right context. These people are doing good for the community.

• NEIMA: When you saw the petition for Protect Black Art, what came to your mind?

BRIAN: It's sad that we even need a petition to protect Black art. I can't believe that in 2022 this is where we are in our country. However, with that being said, it's a good thing and people have to realize that we are discriminating when we go after a certain type of music. It is wrong to do. Rap music helps our community and if you don't like it, don't listen to it. But that's for everybody. That's why it's America.

• NEIMA: When was the first time that you met Young Thug? You said you've been representing him for ten years now?

BRIAN: I believe that's an approximation, but, yeah, it's probably true. I'm really proud of him. You know, I know his whole family. I know his brothers and sisters. I know his children. And to see all of his work, he's a workaholic. He will stay 48 hours, 72 hours in a studio and just continually write. He's constantly helping other artists. Jeffrey Williams gets it. He gets it that people need help. And he's in a position, fortunately for him, where he can help other people until recently.

• NEIMA: For someone like him who does mean so much to his community that he came up out of – Why is he under attack? Why is he being targeted?

BRIAN: He's like the easy target. So, somebody gets arrested and gets in trouble and they want to deal. Law enforcement officers are all too eager to say, "Well, tell us about Mr. Williams. Is he involved in this? What do you know about him?" That's the problem with this case. It’s coming from the word of people who are getting deals to say, "Yeah, he was there or I saw him around or he gave the order or I heard from someone else. He gave the order." That's what this case is about. Oh, you're not going to hear any confession of Jeffrey Williams.

• NEIMA: So every time there is a potential link to anything, his name comes up?

BRIAN: When you target a human being who's so well-known, you make it so easy for the other person to say, “Oh, you mean I could be released from this location that I don't want to be? All I have to say is I know some about Jeffrey Williams?” That's pretty scary.