Gunna, the acclaimed rapper, has reportedly been identified as a member of the Crips during the ongoing RICO trial against Young Thug and his YSL collective. Trontavious “Slug” Stephens, a co-founder of YSL, provided the testimony on Monday (January 22) as part of a plea deal requiring his cooperation with prosecutors.
While the prosecution contends that YSL is a subset of the Bloods gang, Stephens, under questioning, acknowledged the presence of Crips within the collective. When asked specifically if Gunna is a Crip, Stephens promptly responded, “Yeah.”
This revelation isn’t the first time Gunna’s alleged association with the Crips has surfaced. In 2022, the rapper was denied bond following his arrest in the YSL RICO case, partly due to alleged ties to the Shady Park Crips in Atlanta. Gunna’s attorney, however, refuted the claims in court, asserting that his client “is not involved in any of the so-called Shady Park Crips matters.”
Stephens, on the stand for several weeks, has generally been an uncooperative witness. In a viral moment earlier this month, he was questioned about LeBron James and Serena Williams allegedly emulating gang gestures. Stephens, when asked about Serena Williams doing the Crip Walk, humorously responded, “I don’t watch tennis.”
Young Thug’s attorney, Brian Steel, argued during the trial that the handshakes and gestures in question are simply part of Hip Hop culture. The prosecution countered, alleging that the handshake is a signal between gang members indicating the killing of a rival.
Stevens had previously identified Young Thug and five other YSL co-defendants as gang members. Young Thug and his legal team maintain that YSL stands for Young Stoner Life and is merely a record label, disputing the gang affiliation allegations.
