Gunna
ATLANTA - Atlanta rapper Gunna has released the dates for his 2024 Bittersweet Tour featuring special guest Flo Milli and, of course, his hometown made the short list.
The 16-date North American tour opens in Columbus, Ohio on May 4 and ends at State Farm Arena on June 11. Gunna is also expected to make a solo appearance at Philly's 2024 Roots Picnic Festival.
Tickets will be available through resale on Feb. 21 and will open to the general public via LiveNation on Feb. 23 at 10 a.m.
Bittersweet Tour Announce
Who is Gunna?
Gunna was born in College Park as Sergio Kitchens. He's a Grammy Award-winning rapper signed to Young Stoner Life Records (YSL) known for hits like "Drip Too Hard" feat. Lil Baby and "fukumean."
In May 2022, Jeffery Lamar Williams, Gunna and 26 other people, were indicted using Georgia’s RICO Act. The 88-page indictment claimed the duo led a subset of the Bloods street gang called Young Slime Life, or YSL for short. Prosecutors allege those named in the indictment have engaged in violent criminal activity in the city since 2012.
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Rapper Gunna released from Fulton County Jail
Atlanta rapper Gunna walks out of the Fulton County Jail after pleading guilty in a RICO case on Dec. 14, 2022.
On Dec. 14, 2022, Gunna walked free from the Fulton County Jail after pleading guilty to a charge in the RICO Act case filed against him and dozens of other alleged associates.
In exchange for his Alford plea, Gunna's attorneys announced he would not serve any time in prison. His original sentence was commuted to time served, and the balance was suspended. At the time, he still needed to complete 500 hours of community service, with 350 of those hours speaking to young men and women in the community about the dangers of gangs and gang violence.
What is an Alford plea?
An Alford plea, also sometimes known as the Kennedy plea, Alford guilty plea, Alford doctrine, and "best-interests plea," is a type of guilty plea in criminal court that gives weight to evidence. It allows a defendant to continue to assert their innocence and not admit to a criminal act, while conceding the evidence against them would likely lead to a conviction.
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Rapper Gunna out of jail after pleading guilty in RICO case
Rapper Gunna walked out of the Fulton County Jail after pleading guilty to a racketeering conspiracy charge. Authorities arrested him and fellow rapper Young Thug along with more than two dozen others earlier this year. Gunna's guilty plea does not necessarily mean he's admitting guilt.
The plea also allows the defendant to skip a trial and just accept the consequences associated with a guilty plea.
This plea is unlike a nolo contendere plea in that I can be used against a defendant in civil actions and future court proceedings.
What happened to Gunna after he pleaded guilty?
Many people turned on Gunna when news broke of his Alford plea.
Fans and artists, including Lil Durk, Lil Baby and Meek Mill, shunned the rapper. One of the most vocal celebrities against him, Boosie Badazz, has consistently called him a ‘snitch’ and a ‘rat.’
In June 2023, Gunna broke his silence by dropping a new song called "Bread and Butter." In it, he admitted he lost a lot of friends and money after taking the deal.
Prior to that, he and his attorneys released a statement maintaining that he didn't "snitch" and did not agree "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."
What is YSL?
Fulton County prosecutors say Young "Slime" Life is a violent criminal street gang that’s commonly known as YSL and is affiliated with the national Bloods gang. They said it was founded in 2012.
Defendants in the case claim that YSL is not a criminal entity, and not to be confused with Young "Stoner" Life Records, the music label rapper Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffrey Lamar Williams founded.
Gunna said in a statement he didn’t consider it a gang but rather "a group of people from metro Atlanta who had common interests and artistic aspirations." His focus was entertainment, he said, "rap artists who wrote and performed music that exaggerated and ‘glorified’ urban life in the Black community."
What is the RICO Act?
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, was developed to fight organized crime.
The U.S. Department of Justice has used RICO to take down multiple crime families and street gangs.
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GA Trump Indictment: What is a RICO charge?
While former President Donald Trump and 18 of his allies all face multiple charges in the Fulton County grand jury's indictment, the most serious count is the only one they all share: violation of the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. FOX 5 took a look at the seriousness of that charge and how much experience District Attorney Fani Willis has with it.
Violating RICO carries a maximum of 20 years and a fine that is "greater of $25,000 or three times the amount of pecuniary gain."
Under RICO, victims impacted can seek civil recourse without the defendant being able to hide behind bankruptcy to skirt judgment or restitution.
Why are some members of YSL on trial?
Prosecutors claim Young Slime Life is a violent street gang behind a series of heinous crimes including murders, shootings, and carjackings. They say the crimes were committed to raise money for the gang, enhance its reputation, and extend its influence and territory.
Initially, 28 people were charged with conspiracy to violate Georgia's Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law, with numerous other charges also filed against many of the accused.
Gunna was one of the accused.
What are the latest updates in the YSL RICO Trial?
Trial is slowly trudging forward for Young Thug and his associates. Here's the latest news from the courtroom as followed by FOX 5 Atlanta:
- Young Thug Trial: Attorney for defendant Rodalius Ryan will remain on the case
- Young Thug Trial: Defense attorney asks judge to let her withdraw from case
- Young Thug, YSL Trial Day 29: DA drops motion to ban cameras from courtroom
- Young Thug, YSL Trial Day 28: Rapper's old social media posts, videos examined in court
- Young Thug, YSL Trial Day 27: Attorneys fight over 2012 video of Young Thug
- Young Thug, YSL Trial Day 26: Detective continues to testify about rapper's alleged gang ties
- Young Thug, YSL Trial Day 25: Attorneys argue over potential evidence
The Associated Press contributed to this report.