In a shocking development on Wednesday, the YSL Records artist pleaded guilty to a single charge in his RICO case. According to Billboard, Gunna took an Alford plea, which allowed him to formally admit his guilt while maintaining his innocence. As a result, the 29-year-old artist was released from jail on Wednesday afternoon.
Per the terms of his release, Gunna was sentenced to five years with one year to serve in prison, according to Fox 5 Atlanta. However, his time was reportedly commuted to time served and 500 hours of community service. All in all, it looks like a win for Gunna, but naturally, some fans have become skeptical of his release. However, Gunna has clarified that he was not flipped into a witness.
“When I became affiliated with YSL in 2016, I did not consider it a "gang"; more like a group of people from metro Atlanta who had common interests and artistic aspirations,” Gunna said in a statement. “My focus of YSL was entertainment - rap artists who wrote and performed music that exaggerated and "glorified" urban life in the Black community.”
He continued, saying, “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.”
Rappers and music industry professionals celebrate Gunna’s release on social media.
Following all of the tragedies that hit the Southern capital this year, the Hip-Hop community prayed for Atlanta. Without a doubt, some of those prayers have been answered. Gunna’s release from jail marks the first win for Atlanta’s rap scene in a while. As a result, several Hip-Hop artists and industry professionals hit social media to react joyously to the news about Gunna.
See reactions from Kid Cudi, DJ Scheme, Roddy Ricch, and more below.
December has now brought with it the releases of Brittney Griner and Gunna. Do you think there’s any hope for Young Thug, too? Let us know your thoughts on this major update to Atlanta’s YSL RICO Case in the comment section below.