Grammy-award-winning rapper Young Thug aka Jeffrey Williams, who was arrested on RICO charges back in May, will have his life and current legal struggles chronicled in an audio podcast and documentary series, Variety reports. Williams, along with labelmate and fellow YSL labelmate Gunna, were recently denied bond where a Georgia court alleges the YSL record label acted as a “criminal street gang.”
The tasks will be handled by Alex Gibney’s Jigsaw Productions and Rolling Stone Films. As Variety notes, both projects, which are early in development, will show “the larger Atlanta hip-hop boom, and the ongoing RICO case against YSL that accuses Young Thug and 27 other alleged collaborators of crimes ranging from racketeering to murder.”
The projects seek to separate the fact from the fiction of the criminal charges against YSL members, while also interrogating the controversial practice of prosecutors using rap lyrics as evidence of criminal activity. The result will be a wild, enthralling story of music, money, crime and hip-hop on trial.”
The legal proceedings for Young Thug will be ongoing for a while, but producers want to chronicle all the developments “in real time.” Variety notes both projects are currently untitled, and directors have not been set for either project. Stacey Offman and Richard Perello from Jigsaw Productions will serve as executive producers for the documentary series. Sruthi Pinnamaneni will be in charge of the podcast adaptation.
Also from Variety:
“We’re thrilled to partner with the talented team at Jigsaw to tell this ambitious and important story about one of the most compelling and controversial music scenes of the moment,” said Wenner in a statement. Added Fine, “Rolling Stone’s deep coverage of Atlanta hip-hop gives us unique access and perspective on this story, and we’re excited to tell one of the most fascinating cultural stories today as it unfolds in real time.”