Young Thug Co-Defendant Yak Gotti Compares Lyrics To Jack Nicholson's "The Shining"

Yak Gotti's defense are trying to get the lyrics dismissed from the case.

BYAron A.
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The judge finally signed off on the lyrics that prosecutors will present during the YSL RICO trial. However, the defense team have been trying hard to have it dismissed. Last week, the prosecutors brought out lyrics from songs like “Bad Boy” and “Take It To Trial.” They claimed that these records include admissions of guilt. However, as the court records indicate, there are a number of inaccuracies with both the lyrics themselves and the attributed credits.

Yak Gotti’s attorneys have pushed back against what the prosecutors are introducing as evidence. The prosecutors brought up lyrics from two songs, “Take It To Trial” and “Mob Ties.” On the former, he raps, “I rep my life for real/ For slimes, you know I kill.” Then, on the latter, he raps, “Knockin’ off your big homie b*tch.” In response, Gotti’s attorney Douglas S. Weinstein stated that the rapper’s performance on the song is no different than Jack Nicholson’s depiction of Jack Torrance In The Shining, per All Hip Hop

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Yak Gotti’s Defense

AUSTIN, TEXAS - MARCH 17: Yak Gotti performs onstage with Young Thug at 'Samsung Galaxy + Billboard' during the 2022 SXSW Conference and Festivals at Waterloo Park on March 17, 2022 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Amy E. Price/Getty Images for SXSW)

Weinstein argued that Yak Gotti’s shouldn’t be held against him legally, similar to how the court would separate Nicholson from Torrance. He added that the lyrics are irrelevant, and would create a prejudice in the trial. Furthermore, Weinstein explained that these lyrics don’t have any connection to the allegations against Gotti. “This video [for ‘Mob Ties’ is a perfect example of the problems with the admission of lyrics, for it takes a single line out of context. Let’s give it context. This particular line is a response, to a call issued by another rapper who says, ‘Knockin’ off yo big homie b***h,’” Gotti’s lawyer said.

This lyric is in a rap video, where Yak Gotti appears and raps almost nothing for the majority of the video…It is in a long tradition of call and response that was brought to America by slaves bringing their tradition with them. It has been used from Cab Calloway to Michael Jackson to Missy Elliot,” Weinstein added. What are your thoughts? Sound off in the comment section below.

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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.