Drake slams Young Thug trial judge over released jail call: 'Disgraceful'
Rapper Drake performs onstage during "Lil Baby & Friends Birthday Celebration Concert" at State Farm Arena on December 9, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)
COBB COUNTY, Ga. - Drake and other rappers are calling out Fulton County officials over a recently released video of a call between Young Thug and his girlfriend, Mariah the Scientist, at the Cobb County Jail.
The intimate video recording, which appears to have been recorded after Christmas, went viral on several platforms.
In the recording, Mariah the Scientist, whose given name is Mariah Amani Buckels, talks about the Christmas gifts the rapper gave her and tells him she misses him.
The two-minute clip caught the attention of Drake, who called out Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville over the handling of the YSL RICO case.
On Instagram, Drake shared a post by podcaster DJ Akademiks about the call and responded, "S--t is disgraceful."
"This gotta be some form of jail misconduct," Drake wrote. "You gonna drag this talented man then not be able to control your employees using his personal business for their own gain? Somebody benefitted from this video even existing and that’s shameful whole case is a wash just 3 the guy and let him come home and continue bringing light to Atlanta!"
Drake mentioned the judge by name, asking "Is this a criminal case or Atlanta social media promo Ural Glanville?"
Rapper Meek Mill also responded to the video on X, calling it a "top tier lawsuit."
In a statement to Billboard, the Cobb County Jail said the call had not been leaked.
"The Cobb County Sheriff’s Office routinely receives and fulfills open records requests of phone calls and video visitations for Jeffrey Williams, also known as Young Thug," a spokesperson said. "The Sheriff’s Office is obligated under Georgia law (O.C.G.A 50-18-70) to comply with these requests, except for protected communications between him and his legal team or clergy."
FOX 5 is streaming the Young Thug, YSL Trial live on YouTube. You can watch the replays here.
What are the charges Young Thug faces?
A Fulton County grand jury indicted Young Thug in May 2022, and more charges were added in a subsequent indictment in August of that year. The second indictment accuses Young Thug and 27 other people of conspiring to violate Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO. The rapper is also accused of participation in criminal street gang activity, as well as drug and gun charges.
Prosecutors say Young Thug and two other people co-founded a violent criminal street gang in 2012 called Young Slime Life, or YSL, which they say is associated with the national Bloods gang. The indictment says Young Thug "made YSL a well-known name by referring to it in his songs and on social media."
In addition to specific charges, the August indictment includes a wide-ranging list of 191 acts that prosecutors say were committed between 2013 and 2022 as part of the alleged conspiracy to further the gang’s interests.
Included in that list is an allegation that Young Thug threatened in July 2015 to shoot a security guard who was trying to get him to leave an Atlanta-area mall. The indictment also says Young Thug rented a silver Infiniti sedan that was used in the killing of a rival gang member. And, on numerous occasions, he and others are alleged to have possessed various illegal drugs that they intended to distribute.
What penalties does Young Thug face if he's convicted?
Young Thug’s racketeering conspiracy charge and two gang charges each carry a penalty of five to 20 years in prison. The other five charges also carry potential prison time.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.