But Williams entered his plea amid ongoing conflict with Fulton County prosecutors.
She accused Williams of helping orchestrate a murder and recommended he spend 25 years in prison.
Mr. Williams is actually innocent, he said.
Atlanta rapper Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, left, speaks with his attorney Brian Steel at the Fulton County Courthouse in Atlanta on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2022. He was indicted in a RICO case earlier this year.Arvin Temkar/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/AP
And its a giant risk to talk too much during a plea.
it’s possible for you to talk a judge out of doing what you want.
The fact that the state has put in Mr. Williams lyrics is offensive.
Mr. Williams has tens of thousands of recordings, Steel told the court Thursday.
Some of the lyrics you just heard are not even uttered by Mr. Williams.
The state has no idea when these lyrics were made.
The statement about, I never killed nobody, but I got something to do with that body.
He added that authorities had zero evidence Williams gave any assistance to Winfrey.
24m on a n- head.
Steel attacked this accusation in his statement to the court even though Love didnt bring it up.
That is a lot of money.
And that is awful.
Thats what Mr. Williams was talking about.
Thats the punch in of evidence coming from the state of Georgia in this case.
This is all wrong.
It is holding this man hostage.
Williams grimaced in protest Thursday when Love made the allegations related to Thomas.
Mr. Williams has nothing but empathy, sympathy, and sorrow.
It is a lie.
He said other evidence would show Williams was friends with Thomas as well and grieved his death.
They were very close, he said.
In the indictment, this Aug. 2019 post was described as an overt act in furtherance of the conspiracy.
Mr. Williams responds by saying, We can do an album together if you want.
That is the context that they dont tell you about.
Mr. Williams did nothing to Mr. Bennett.
After Love and Steel presented their dueling versions of the facts, Williams, 33, addressed the court.
Ive learned from my mistakes.
I come from nothing, and Ive made something, and I didnt take full advantage of it.
Im sorry, he said.
I know what I bring to the table.
I know what I am.
I know the heights Ive reached.
I know the impact I got on people in the community.
Look at him, hes a millionaire.
I can do that by being a gangster in the streets.
And thats not true.
And those are by far the most likely outcomes.
And you be one of those people who sets a good example.
