![]() Among the plethora of artists featured in the song were Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx, Ashanti, Eve with standout performances by Jadakiss, Brandy & Jaheim the latter sounding a lot like legendary former lead singer Teddy Pendergrass. The purpose of the song & accompanying music video was to encourage younger generations to go out & vote make their voices heard. Bush (R) & Senator John Kerry (D), Babyface & Russell Simmons got together to produce the remake of the Bluenotes classic written by the writing team McFadden & Whitehead & Victor Carstarphen. He was charged with a single count of racketeering conspiracy and entered an Alford plea last December, meaning he maintains his innocence but recognizes that it’s in his best interest to plead guilty.Various Artists – Wake Up Everybody (2004) / Original Artist – Harold Melvin & the Bluenotes (1975)ĭuring the time of the 2004 Presidential Election between President George W. Only six of the original 28 defendants are on trial after others either took plea deals or were separated to be tried later.Īmong those who took a plea deal was rapper Gunna, whose given name is Sergio Kitchens. ![]() Opening statements began Monday and continued Tuesday before a jury that took nearly 10 months to select. They also hammered the state’s use of song lyrics, saying the art that helped their clients better their circumstances is now being improperly used against them. He and other defense attorneys tried during opening statements to poke holes in the state’s case, saying that police relied on jailhouse informants who had every reason to tell them what they wanted to hear. Many of the lyrics, social media posts, text conversations and online messages cited in the indictment have been taken out of context and misrepresented to seem sinister when they are not, Steel said. Two of the six people currently on trial are charged with murder in his killing, and Young Thug is accused of renting the car used in the drive-by shooting. One of those murders that is expected to feature heavily during the trial is the January 2015 killing of Donovan Thomas, who prosecutors say was a major figure in a rival gang and whose death is said to have sparked an escalation in violence. ![]() “We chased the murders and, as the evidence will show, in the process, we found the lyrics.” “We didn’t chase the lyrics to solve the murders,” Love said. Prosecutors have said they’re not pursuing Young Thug and others because of violent lyrics. This is a controversial tactic, but Fulton County Superior Court Chief Judge Ural Glanville earlier this month said he’d conditionally allow certain lyrics as long as prosecutors can show they’re linked to the crimes alleged in the indictment. Prosecutors have made clear that they intend to use rap lyrics from songs by the defendants to help make their case. “They endeavored to do some illegal stuff to get a bunch of stuff that didn’t belong to them,” Love said. Those actions and others that aren’t crimes - rap lyrics, social media posts, flashing gang signs - combined to form a pattern of illegal activity, she said. The members of the gang committed crimes, including murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault and theft to further the gang’s mission, she said. Love acknowledged that may sound complicated but told the jurors it’s actually quite simple. The indictment charges all the defendants with conspiring to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO. He’s trying to pull people out of poverty,” Steel said. But he didn’t forget his roots and has been extremely generous with his good fortune, Steel said. His family moved to the Cleveland Avenue area when he was 16, and he got out through hard work and talent, Steel said. Young Thug was born into poverty in a crime-ridden housing project where he developed a strong distrust of the criminal justice system, Steel said. The people who have been affected directly and indirectly by the gang’s violence represent the lives “swallowed up by that crater created by YSL in the Cleveland Avenue community,” Love said. The gang’s members were “associated in fact” - using common identifiers, language, symbols and colors - and they “knew who their leader was and they knew the repercussions of not obeying their leader,” she said. The gang began about a decade ago in Atlanta’s Cleveland Avenue neighborhood, born of an internal rift in a preceding gang, and Young Thug emerged as its leader, Love said. Steel noted that YSL is the name of Young Thug’s successful record label, but Love said the actions outlined in the indictment “have nothing to do with a recording label.” Jeffrey’s worth tens of millions of dollars.” “He is not sitting there telling people to kill people,” he said.
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