Young Thug's Witness List Includes Killer Mike, Lyor Cohen & More

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ATLANTA, GEORGIA - NOVEMBER 17: Rapper Young Thug performs at halftime during the Boston Celtics v Atlanta Hawks game at State Farm Arena on November 17, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

Killer Mike, Lyor Cohen, Kevin Liles, and Jerrika Karlae could be called to the stand to testify on Young Thug's behalf.

Young Thug's defense team submitted a list of witnesses in the YSL RICO trial, which begins this month.

With the trial beginning on Jan. 9th, WSB-TV reports Young Thug has nearly 30 people listed who could potentially take the stand. The 28 individuals include high-profile names such as record executives to city councilmembers.

ATLANTA, GA - NOVEMBER 17: Young Thug attends The Future: A Gentlemans Club at a private location on November 17, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia.(Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)

Killer Mike could be called to the stand if asked as one of Young Thug's witnesses, as well as Kevin Liles and Lyor Cohen. The two executives have worked with Thugger for years at this point with Liles previously appearing in front of a judge during the rapper's bail hearing in 2022.

Additionally, the defense's list includes Thug's fiancée, Jerrika Karlae, and his father, Jeffrey Williams. The defense also said that any co-defendants in the original indictment could also take the stand if asked.

Check out a few of the names below via WSB-TV.

  1. Michael Render, a.k.a. Atlanta rapper Killer Mike
  2. Kevin Liles, co-founder of Young Stoner Life records and current 300 ENT COE
  3. Lyor Cohen, YouTube’s Global Head of Music
  4. Atlanta City Councilman Antonio Lewis
  5. Corey Jackson, a.k.a. rapper Lil C-Note, and protégé of Young Thug
  6. Jerrika Karlae, Williams’ fiancé since 2015
  7. Jeffrey Williams, Young Thug’s father
  8. Attorney Ashleigh Merchant, criminal defense attorney hired by Ross Harris, accused in the hot car death of his son, Cooper; and Ryan Duke, one of the men accused in south Georgia beauty queen Tara Grinstead’s murder.

Young Thug is one of 14 defendants to face RICO conspiracy charges later this month on Jan. 9th. Prosecutors previously indicted 28 individuals they said were part of YSL. However, eight co-defendants, including Gunna, copped deals while six are either without lawyers or remain fugitives.

Following the holidays, the jury selection process begins today (Jan. 3rd) in front of Judge Ural Glanville.

We'll keep you posted on anymore updates surrounding the YSL RICO case.

[Via]

About The Author
Aron A.
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.