Young Thug Faces Renewed Legal Fight Over 2015 Lil Wayne Tour Bus Shooting

BY Aron A.
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February 10, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Young Thug performs    Havana    during the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 10, 2019
February 10, 2019; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Young Thug performs Havana during the 61st Annual GRAMMY Awards on Feb. 10, 2019 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, Calif. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY NETWORK/USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The fallout from Lil Wayne’s 2015 tour bus shooting hasn’t ended just yet, at least not for Young Thug. A long-running civil lawsuit connected to the incident is back in court, putting Thugger’s finances and associations under scrutiny. Per All Hip Hop, the rapper’s attorneys appeared in Cobb County court this week to challenge a lawsuit by the driver of Wayne’s tour bus, Alvin Lewis, who said he suffered lasting emotional distress because of the shooting.

The dispute centers on the allegation that Thug and Birdman arranged for Peewee Roscoe to attack Wayne’s bus. Lewis’ attorneys have pointed to recorded jail conversations involving Young Thug and Roscoe as evidence that the two men had a relationship connected to the shooting.

However, Young Thug’s legal team disputes that interpretation. His attorneys maintain that a $25,000 payment toward Roscoe’s legal expenses was an act of personal support for someone he had known since childhood instead of compensation for carrying out an attack.

Young Thug's Attorneys Push Back In Alvin Lewis Lawsuit

Moreover, social media activity around the time of the shooting seems to have relevance to the case. Days before the incident, Young Thug seemingly threatened Wayne online in the midst of the New Orleans rapper’s legal battle with Cash Money. Wayne received a handsome payment after reaching a settlement in the case. 

Roscoe’s legal history also provides more context to his particular lawsuit, especially since his original gang-related conviction in 2018 was reversed later that year. He also pleaded guilty to several charges in the YSL RICO prosecution and received credit for time already served.

Judge Eric Brewton must determine whether the evidence presented by Lewis is sufficient for the civil case to proceed to trial, per Courthouse News Service. If it does, it might mean another uphill battle for Young Thug. 

We will keep you posted on any further updates.

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.