This chapter discusses the prosecutor's various forms of evidence, such as clothing, tattoos, Instagram posts, and emojis, to establish affiliation with the criminal street gang called YSL. It also mentions the prosecution's aim to demonstrate that the group committed both minor and major crimes, including armed robbery and murder.
As a racketeering trial begins in Atlanta, much of the focus is on the high-profile defendant, the best-selling rapper Young Thug.
Joe Coscarelli, a culture reporter for The New York Times, explains why, in a sense, hip-hop itself is on trial.
Guest: Joe Coscarelli, a culture reporter for The New York Times.
Background reading:
- A judge ruled in November that at least 17 specific sets of lines from the Atlanta artist and his collaborators could be used by prosecutors in the racketeering trial of YSL, a chart-topping hip-hop label and collective.
- Here’s what to know about the trial.
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