Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty
Rapper Gunna will bereleased from prisonafter pleading guilty on Wednesday to one charge of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
The “Pushin P” rapper, who has been behind bars in Georgia since his arrest in May, said that although he was pleading guilty, the entry was an Alford plea, meaning hestill maintains his innocence.
Gunna, 29, and Young Thug, who wasarrested two days beforeGunna, were among 28 people accused of illegal racketeering activity as part of a group called “Young Slime Life” or “Young Stoner Life” (YSL).
“My focus of YSL was entertainment — rap artists who wrote and performed music that exaggerated and ‘glorified’ urban life in the Black community,” he said in his statement. “While I have agreed to always be truthful, I want to make it perfectly clear that I have NOT made any statements, have NOT been interviewed, have NOT cooperated, have NOT agreed to testify or be a witness for or against any party in the case and have absolutely NO intention of being involved in the trial process in any way.”
Young Thug and Gunna.Prince Williams/Wireimage
Gunna’s attorney Steve Sadow confirmed to PEOPLE that per the terms of the plea, the rapper was sentenced to five years, with one served in prison, though that one year was commuted to time served. The other four years were suspended, and Gunna’s sentence will be terminated after he completes 500 hours of community service.
The rapper (whose real name is Sergio Giovanni Kitchens) was denied bond three times since his arrest in May, according toABC News. His trial was scheduled to begin next month.
Hereleased a letter from jailin June in which he declared his innocence, and said he was “being falsely accused and will never stop fighting to clear my name!”
“Nothing will stop me from chasing my dreams, I won’t stop being a good person, even if some unnamed and unknown accuser want the world to see me as a bad person,” he wrote.
Lyrics from multiple music videos were cited as evidence in the indictment, in which alleged YSL members are accused of committing crimes for the protection and promotion of the group.
The case has sparked conversation over whether rap lyrics should be allowed to be used in court. In October, California became the first state tosign into law a landmark billthat restricts their use as evidence in court.
Then in November, more than 100 artists (including Drake, John Legend, Alicia Keys and Megan Thee Stallion)signed an open letter protesting the use. Over the past 20 years, hip-hop lyrics have been used as evidence in more than 500 criminal cases in the U.S., according to the BBC.
source: people.com
