Gunna Pays Tribute to Young Thug, Asking For His Release at First Performance Since Prison Release
Gunna is rising from the tumultuous past year that saw him entangled in a legal battle for his freedom and facing character attacks, with labels of being a snitch. However, on Saturday (Sept. 9), the crowd at the Barclays Center witnessed him as one of hip hop’s emerging stars, defiantly reclaiming his spotlight.
Dubbed “The Gift,” this performance marked his first in two years, following the release of his latest album, a Gift & a Curse, two months prior. The 30-year-old showcased tracks from his acclaimed DS4Ever album and his latest release, featuring special guests DDG and Flo Milli.
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Against a backdrop that read “Free Jeffery,” he unleashed a medley of tracks like “Hot,” “Ski,” “Oh Okay,” and “Pushin P,” all of which feature Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams. Both artists were among 28 YSL associates indicted in a 56-count RICO case in Atlanta, Georgia, back in May 2022.
Gunna entered an Alford plea deal, pleading guilty to a single charge last December. This move paved the way for his release from the Fulton County Jail, where he had been held for seven months. As part of the plea, a federal judge sentenced him to five years in prison, with four years suspended, and commuted a one-year sentence to time served upon completing 500 hours of community service. Gunna was emphatic in his statement to the Los Angeles Times, asserting that he did not cooperate with authorities or provide any information on Young Thug to secure his freedom.
“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,” stated his release.