Fulton County prosecutors are trying to use Young Thug's song lyrics as evidence of crimes

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Young Thug performs at the Lollapalooza Music Festival in Chicago on Aug. 1, 2021. Jury selection has been slow going in the Atlanta racketeering and gang case against rapper Young Thug and others, with many potential jurors trying to get out of serving and alleged attempts to smuggle contraband to defendants also causing delays.

Credit: Photo by Amy Harris/Invision/AP, File

Fulton County prosecutors are using song lyrics as evidence of crimes in the ongoing racketeering case against Atlanta rapper Young Thug.

Jeffery Williams, better known as Young Thug, has been in a Fulton County jail for over a year.

The 56-count gang indictment filed against him in May 2022 references Young Thug's lyrics from his 2018 single “Anybody,” which has themes of murder, guns and war.

Williams' attorney, Keith Adams, said the defense wants to keep lyrics out of evidence because they’re irrelevant.

"On the federal level, courts have been more and more circumspect and suspicious about allowing rap lyrics because it's just so prejudicial," Adams said. "You know, it's an attempt on the part of the Fulton County prosecutors to paint Jeffrey Williams in a particular way."

Adams said the legal team has filed a motion to keep the rapper’s lyrics out of the trial. Jury selection is expected to take another 2 to 3 months before the trial begins.