Meek Mill says rappers exchanging lyrics makes it “impossible” to use them in Young Thug/YFN Lucci trials

Meek Mill is the latest voice to speak out against the use of lyrics as evidence against rappers in criminal trials. posting his take on Tuesday (December 11) to X. The Philly rapper specifically mentioned the trials of Young Thug and YFN Lucci — Thug has been hit with RICO charges tied to his alleged leadership role of a criminal gang called Young Slime Life, while Lucci faces RICO and murder charges in a separate trial. In Mill’s mind, lyrics cannot be used as evidence because it can be difficult to know who wrote them.

“It should be impossible to charge thug and lucci for lyrics,” Mill wrote on X, “because in the studio we all give each other lines and don’t remember who said what after a high night in the studio…. I have done it with both of them … they both gave me lyrics b4… we all do this!”

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In Young Thug’s RICO case, excerpts from songs and music videos are listed as “overt acts.” These are defined as actions connecting a criminal defendant to a conspiracy charge. For example, the indictment against Thug and YSL lists his 2014 song “Eww” as an overt act over lyrics such as “Red just like Elmo but I never fuckin giggle,” “YSL won’t fold / Pick his ass off from the balcony,” and “YSL, wipe a n***a nose.”

However, it’s unclear whether or not Meek Mill’s argument would hold up in court. It’s possible that the prosecution could argue that the authorship of the lyrics is immaterial due to Thug releasing them under his name. At the very least, Mill’s statement offers a window into the recording process of top-performing rappers — including, ironically, someone who has previously expressed disdain for rappers who do not write their own lyrics.