Atlanta activists are speaking up for the incarcerated members of YSL.
YSL, Young Slime Life, is allegedly an Atlanta gang that prosecutors contend is led by superstar rappers Young Thug and Gunna who have been charged with operating a criminal enterprise. YSL is also a corporation and music label. The acronym stands for Young Stoner Life. The star rap duo and 26 other individuals have been arrested on Georgia’s RICO Act charges. The group is accused of being responsible for 50 murders. Young Thug and Gunna have both been denied bond, and both are scheduled for trials beginning in January 2023.
Gunna has publicly maintained his innocence, while Young Thug insists that Black art is under attack. Song lyrics from Young Thug will reportedly be used during the trial by the prosecution. Group text message threads dating back to 2015 will also be used as evidence in court.
For Street Groomers president and first lady L.A. Pink, Cultural Tribes Peace Network chairman Al Bartell and the father of Jimmy Atchison, a 21-year-old Black man killed by a former Atlanta police officer, want all YSL detainees facing trial to receive due and fair process, rather than making them examples because of their social and political leanings. Achison’s father agrees with Pink’s argument that Fulton County, the City of Atlanta and State of Georgia officials have larger fish to fry and other cases to consider besides persecuting big-time rappers.
Outside of the Richard B. Russell Federal Building in downtown Atlanta on June 6, a number of supporters spoke to rolling out about why they answered the call to show up and speak out on behalf of members of the group.
Why are you here today?
L.A. Pink: We have gotten several calls. It’s not just YSL, we have gotten calls from them as well, but we have gotten calls from other people that are involved. What people don’t understand is that it’s not just YSL that is being charged, it’s other individuals that were still incarcerated, that are being indicted for this. We have gotten several calls from them as well because we deal with the inmates and prisoners. We help them find out about their cases, their caseload, and all types of things that are involved with them from even sending commissary. So when they reached out to us, we felt like it was in our interest for us to go ahead and bring some attention and awareness to the false narratives [that are] being brought forth.
YSL is being accused of some violent crimes. Why did you choose this case to speak out?
Al Bartell: We’re all about the accountability for people who commit crimes and crimes of violence, but this politics of prosecution has to stop. We can’t take the language that somebody puts on the Internet or slang around accusations, and then use that for an indictment with no justification being put forth to deny bond.
