
Young Thug is the ruthless leader of a violent street gang that terrorized Atlanta neighborhoods or he's an inspiring success who pulled himself out of poverty to rap stardom through hard work and determination. Those are the competing narratives presented to the jury as the rapper's trial got underway this week.
The Grammy winner, whose given name is Jeffery Williams, was charged last year in a sprawling indictment that accused him and more than two dozen others of conspiring to violate Georgia's anti-racketeering law. He also is charged with gang, drug and gun crimes and is standing trial with five of the others indicted with him.