A criminal case that threatened to keep Young Thug behind bars for decades did little to change the way his longtime attorney sees him. Brian Steel still considers Jeffery Williams an example of what people are supposed to be able to become in this country.
“To me, he is America,” Steel told XXL when asked how he views Young Thug outside the courtroom. The attorney pointed to the rapper’s childhood hardships and the enormous career he eventually built, arguing that Williams came from circumstances where few people expected much from him and ultimately performed before audiences numbering in the hundreds of thousands.
Steel’s relationship with Thug predates the YSL RICO case that made the attorney recognizable far beyond legal circles. He told the outlet the two have known each other for roughly 15 years after Williams’ manager first contacted him about an earlier criminal case. Steel said that case was resolved through a pretrial program, beginning a professional relationship that continued as Thug’s career grew.
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That history shaped the way Steel approached the sprawling Fulton County prosecution years later. Williams was among more than two dozen people charged in Georgia’s YSL indictment, with prosecutors arguing that YSL operated as a criminal street gang. Steel maintained that authorities were attempting to turn his client’s music and public image into evidence of criminality. In the XXL interview, he accused prosecutors and law enforcement across the country of unfairly targeting Hip Hop artists through their lyrics and appearance.
Williams ultimately brought his portion of the YSL case to an end in October 2024 with a non-negotiated plea. He pleaded guilty to several gang, drug, and gun charges and was released after receiving a sentence that included 15 years of probation, with additional prison time suspended as long as he complies with its conditions.
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Steel told XXL he was prepared for a very different outcome. He said losing Williams’ case would have made him consider leaving the profession altogether, describing the prosecution as an effort to destroy both his client’s freedom and reputation. His attachment to the case became so personal that, during the contempt dispute, Steel said he was willing to remain in jail rather than reveal his source.
His work with Hip Hop defendants has only expanded since then. Steel joined Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal defense team in 2025 and is currently representing Lil Durk in his federal murder-for-hire trial. In discussing those cases with XXL, Steel returned repeatedly to his belief that prominent Rap artists are treated differently once their music and celebrity enter a courtroom.
