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As tensions between Young Thug and Gunna seem to have been renewed, DJ Akademiks shares details that potentially explain the situation better.
Since his release, Young Thug has made it clear to former collaborator and Atlanta rapper Gunna that the two aren’t cool, and DJ Akademiks has shed some light on what’s going on behind the scenes. The rapper shared his thoughts on Gunna in a post on X, formerly Twitter, writing: “Gunna stop acting like we friends on the internet. I don’t know you, my guy.” The post has since been deleted.
Akademiks took to X to share his perspective on Young Thug’s post in a thread. “I been told y’all.. Thug told Durk, Baby and a few other rappers that Gunna was no good while he was incarcerated… meaning.. it ain’t no way he can come back out and justify rockin’ wit Gunna when he told n—s not to rock wit Gunna when he was locked,” he wrote.
I been told yall.. Thug told durk baby and a few other rappers that Gunna was no good while he was incarcerated… meaning.. it aint no way he can come back out and justify rockin wit gunna when he told niggas not to rock wit gunna when he was locked.
— DJ Akademiks (@Akademiks) November 9, 2024
“Thug originally wanted to Drop on Gunna release date and was gonna have Baby and Durk as features,” DJ Akademiks continued. “Those features didn’t end up on his project but he literally sent the message to them saying ‘I Don’t Fk w that f–k n—a.. and I wanna drop on his date’ … he also didn’t drop on his date.”
Thug originally wanted to Drop on Gunna release date and was gonna have Baby and Durk as features. Those features didn’t end up on his project but he literally sent the message to them saying ‘I Don’t F*ck w that f*ck nigga.. and I wanna drop on his date’ … he also didn’t drop…
— DJ Akademiks (@Akademiks) November 9, 2024
Lastly, the media personality closed out with this thought: “Thug had to carve out communicating w/ Gunna in the plea deal because there is biz still to be done. He has Gunna in contracts that aren’t completed. If he was barred from having any communication with Gunna.. that would have gave Gunna a legal out in trying to get out the deal.”
Thug had to carve out communicating w/ Gunna in the plea deal because there is biz still to be done. He has Gunna in contracts that aren’t completed. If he was barred from having any communication with Gunna.. that would have gave Gunna a legal out in trying to get out the deal.
— DJ Akademiks (@Akademiks) November 9, 2024
Gunna hasn’t publicly made any comment on the now-deleted post by Young Thug. The explanation could make a lot of sense to those who’ve noted how Lil Baby, Lil Durk, Future, and 21 Savage have kept their distance from him. Young Thug is currently serving a lengthy probationary sentence after being released by Fulton County days ago. He’s been busy working on the community service element, speaking to Emory University students along with his lawyer, Brian Steel, recently.
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Future and Metro Boomin set off an explosive back-and-forth war via their recent collaborative album, WE DON’T TRUST YOU and he’s coming back this weekend with more heat. With the announcement of a new mixtape dropping on the same day, Gunna plans to drop an album some fans believe the Freebandz honcho dissed the former YSL affiliate.
Gunna, who is currently on his “Bittersweet” tour and prepping for the release of his new album, ONE OF WUN, slated to drop this Friday (May 10). The Young Stoner Life X account tweeted the news of the ew album, which the “pushin P” rapper reshared on his timeline.
Eagle-eyed fans took notice of Future tweeting about his upcoming untitled mixtape and some believe it’s an attempt to step on Wunna’s release date.
“F*ck yo album Sh*t ain’t slappin like my MIXTAPE, read the first of a series of tweets. He followed with replies that read “MAY TENTH” and “MIXTAPE PLUTO” before ending his salvo.
Gunna, perhaps in response to those lines, wrote, “F*c What These boys talkin bout” and left the cryptic message at that.
We haven’t been able to determine if a connection between the replies on X is inspired by beef but considering Hip-Hop’s current climate, fans are making up their theories. We’ve got reactions from all sides below.
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For years now Gunna has been fending off allegations that he went Tekashi 6ix9ine on Young Thug and his YSL family and though he isn’t going to be taking the stand against his former crew in their upcoming RICO trial, fans are still torn on whether or not the rapper did allegedly snitch when he took a plea deal.
Now the rapper is looking to clear up any misconceptions about how he was able to dodge a five-year prison stint and regain his freedom in 2022 and in a recent interview with XXL, Gunna tried to explain that the general public has been misled about his Alfred plea which caused a few of his rap peers such as 21 Savage, Lil Baby and others throw darts at him for allegedly dropping dime.
Per XXL:
“None of those rappers, they’re not on the case,” Gunna told XXL. “They don’t know legally what’s going on.”
He added that he has talked “peacefully” to about “three or four of those guys,” but wouldn’t elaborate further.
“I definitely feel like everybody’s been misled,” Gunna added. “And like, you know, when you’re being misled, you got a choice to follow or make your own decisions. And that’s what is being shown right now. You’re being a follower or you’re being neutral to be like, ‘I don’t know what their business is or what they really got goin’ on.’”
Regardless of how his fellow Hip-Hop peers and fans might feel about his current street status, Gunna went on to release his first post-prison album, A Gift & A Curse in 2023 which further divided fans as many loved the album while others refused to listen to it based off principal. Still, the album went on to debut at number 3 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart and garnered more than 100 million streams for records off the album.
Obviously he still has support out on these streets.
With that being the case, Gunna went on Instagram to announce that his next album One Of Wun is on the way and though he didn’t give a release date, the reception in the comments have been mostly positive as his day-ones will remain in his corner. At least until someone like Young Thug comes out and confirms that Gunna did indeed become a turncoat. Should something like that that happen, who knows how the Hip-Hop community would react.
What do y’all think about Gunna saying people have been “misled” about his plea deal? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Gunna has seemingly moved on from his connection to Young Thug and the wider YSL collective, and a new development in the ongoing RICO case has emerged. According to a fan account on X, formerly Twitter, Gunna will not take the stand in the case.
@ThuggerDaily, an account on X that has been following the YSL RICO trial and offering up-close accounts of the matter, shared the latest news around Gunna via the social media network. The account noted that prosecutors will not call the A Gift & a Curse artist to the stand.
“The State has CONFIRMED that Gunna will NOT be called to the witness stand in the Young Thug & YSL RICO Trial,” @ThuggerDaily wrote. “The judge ordered the state to cut down their list of 700+ witnesses to the ones that they currently intend to call.”
They added,” Their new list of ~200 witnesses names multiple co-defendants who took pleas as witnesses they want to call, but no Gunna. The state not calling him shouldn’t come as a surprise to people who were following the case, but the confirmation is good to have. Will tweet the full list later today.”
The full list of the state’s witnesses can be viewed in the tweet below. As far as we can tell, this is as accurate a report as there can be although we are looking into the details on our end as well. There are several notable names on the list, including Birdman, Rich Homie Quan, YFN Lucci, and more.
Gunna into an Alford plea in 2022 which signaled that he solely plead guilty to one racketeering conspiracy charge but remaining steadfast in his innocence.
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Gunna has been dealing with detractors since his release from jail, but that didn’t stop him from getting major love in the form of a sold-out New York City concert.
The Atlanta rapper performed at Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Saturday (Sept. 9) at a headlining concert, The Gift, named partly for his latest album, a Gift & a Curse. The arena was packed with a sold-out crowd eager to hear Gunna, who was performing live after being incarcerated due to the RICO indictment involving him and other YSL label mates including Young Thug. Part of the proceeds from the ticket sales went to The Goodr Foundation, a nonprofit group that “strives to end world hunger by cultivating countless resources.”
Gunna had been dealing with a barrage of comments from people who felt he snitched on Young Thug to be in a position to get a deal with Fulton County, Georgia prosecutors earlier this year. He received a four-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to one racketeering conspiracy charge last December.
The “Drip or Drown” rapper has vehemently denied doing anything of that nature and has expressed his support for Young Thug since being released. Another example occurred at the concert, with one of the stage monitors displaying a “Free Jeffrey” message on the screen. Gunna also included a video interlude which showed a montage of clips showing him in various moments of reflection and despair interspersed with snippets of conversations with his mother and others.
The concert featured a bevy of his greatest hits from his Billboard No.1 album DS4Ever such as “Poochie Gown” and “South To West,” all with Greek-inspired imagery throughout. Gunna also stimulated the crowd by performing tracks from his new album, ending with “Fukumean,” which made the crowd explode, capping off his first major show in two years. “I love the f— out of y’all, I swear to God,” he said to the audience. “This s— is crazy.” He’s set to do another headlining concert in Los Angeles in the coming weeks.
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The Contenders is a midweek column that looks at artists aiming for the top of the Billboard charts, and the strategies behind their efforts. This week (for the upcoming charts dated July 1), a star rapper looks to continue his hot streak, while hard rock veterans and K-poppers also put the top spot in their sights.
Gunna, A Gift and a Curse (YSL/300): Though Gunna has been under attack on social media since last December for his supposed “snitching” in accepting an Alford plea — a formal admission of guilt while also maintaining innocence — for his part in the YSL RICO trial, it appears that he remains a prolific performer on streaming. (He denied any cooperation with the prosecution.) His new album A Gift and a Curse has littered the Spotify and Apple Music real-time charts since its release last Friday (June 16), with the shout-along “fukumean” already seeming like a breakout hit from the set.
The rapper born Sergio Giavanni Kitchens has been a regular visitor to the top spot of the Billboard 200 since his late-’10s rise to stardom. And he’s already been there three times this decade – with his own Wunna (2020) and DS4Ever (2022) albums, and as a co-lead on the YSL showcase compilation Slime Language 2 (2021). DS4Ever, Gunna’s most recent set, was also his most popular, moving 150,000 first-week units and topping even The Weeknd’s new Dawn FM to claim the top spot.
To unseat Morgan Wallen – who returns to No. 1 for a 13th frame with his One Thing at a Time blockbuster this chart week – he’ll need to do it almost entirely with streaming (with help from digital sales), as the album is not yet for sale in any physical format. Wallen posted 115,000 units in its most recent week, so if Gunna can approach his DS4ever debut performance with his new set, he should have a pretty good shot of becoming the latest act to interrupt the country star’s months-long reign.
Ateez, The World Ep.2: Outlaw (KQ/RCA/Legacy): It’s going to be a classic case of sales vs. streams in next week’s competition for top debut on the Billboard 200. Eight-piece Korean boy band Ateez has yet to establish a big stateside presence on streaming services, but like many popular K-pop acts, the act sells physical copies by the truckload – which has already helped their Spin Off: From the Witness set hit No. 7 earlier this year, and their The World Ep.1: Movement EP get all the way to No. 3 on the Billboard 200 last August.
The sequel to that latter EP, The World Ep. 2: Outlaw is also expected to make a pretty big chart splash next week, again thanks to robust physical sales. To maximize that opportunity, the octet has released 21 different collectible CD editions of Outlaw, including some signed variants, all containing branded merchandise and randomized items (action cards, partner cards, photo cards) — as well as a Target-exclusive edition.
Queens of the Stone Age, In Times New Roman… (Matador): Queens of the Stone Age albums are becoming increasingly infrequent – it’s been six years since the band’s Villains – but the veteran hard rock band has historically been a strong performer on the Billboard 200, and it even topped the chart two albums ago with 2013’s …Like Clockwork. This month’s In Times New Roman… will be helped by a series of different-colored vinyl variants, though thus far the album lacks a hit single to match Villains’ top 10-charting Rock Airplay hit “The Way You Used to Do.”
In the Mix
J. Cole, Born Sinner (ByStorm/Columbia/Dreamville/Roc Nation): As fans eagerly await a new album from Cole — and as he sticks around the top five on the BillboardHot 100 with his appearance on Lil Durk’s smash “All My Life” — fans also have new goodies to tide them over with the vinyl reissue of his 2013 chart-topper Born Sinner. The LP is available in a trio of color variants, including a translucent red exclusive to Target.
Asake, Work of Art (YNBL/Empire): Asake’s debut album Mr. Money With the Vibe was one of the most-acclaimed and best-received Afrobeats albums of 2022, reaching the top half of the Billboard 200. The Nigerian singer/songwriter looks to do even better than that set’s No. 66 bow with this month’s Work of Art, which has already scored a pair of top 10 hits on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeats Songs chart with advance tracks “Amapiano” (with Olamide) and “2:30.”
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Gunna flourished under the Young Stoner Life Records (YSL) imprint founded by Young Thug and has a number of certified street classics under his belt. Gunna dropped his fourth studio album A Gift & A Curse (stylized online as a Gift & a Curse) to measurable fanfare on Twitter, somewhat proving that the snitch allegations are not sticking.
Gunna, born Sergio Kitchens, just celebrated his 30th birthday earlier this week and caps it off with the release of a Gift & a Curse. The album clocks in at 15 tracks and doesn’t have one feature. Some have speculated that was by design but also due to the fact several individuals in and outside the music business believe Gunna delivered testimony in the YSL RICO case that may have sunk Young Thug’s chances at freedom.
As he did on the track “Bread & Butter,” Gunna addresses the best-interest deal he took and the stigma that hangs over him that he ratted out the YSL outfit. He also gives Thugger a loving nod on the track “I Was Just Thinking,” revealing a message that the pair might still have a chance at a connection in the future.
If nothing else, Gunna appears confident throughout a Gift & a Curse while addressing the rumors and attacks from his peers in Hip-Hop and civilians at home on social media far outside of any sort of criminal activity.
View those reactions below.
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R. Kelly was once considered one of the greatest R&B singers and songwriters of his generation until scandals upended his massive stardom and all but shattered his integrity. On Twitter, an intense debate regarding separating the artist from the music kicked off over the weekend and Gunna found himself in the middle of this ongoing conversation.
R. Kelly, 56, is currently serving time for sex crimes and racketeering charges that took place in his native Chicago and in New York. The beleaguered artist still enjoys a high amount of support from fans who believe the charges levied against Kelly were exaggerated or false. Still, Kelly’s music is largely missing from the modern landscape in the wake of all his legal troubles as it should be.
A Twitter user posed an interesting thought over the weekend when @amarihanifahh asked, “So y’all can separate the music from the artist with R. Kelly but not Gunna?”
The tweet was eventually grabbed by another Twitter account and shared, which got R. Kelly trending on Twitter for the past day and a half.
The question was probably asked because another Twitter account shared the reactions of Atlanta clubgoers after the DJ inside the establishment played a song from Gunna and the entire club stopped dancing. Gunna, as most might know, has earned the unsavory reputation of being a snitch amid the ongoing YSL RICO case with his former compatriot Young Thug and others connected to the matter.
Because some people lack context clues, most missed @amarihanifahh’s point in that it’s something of a contradiction that R. Kelly fans will still play his music despite years of accounts and court evidence backing why they shouldn’t instead of Gunna, who was seemingly let go on a legal technicality and testimony that can’t be used against the alleged YSL gang members on trial. Further, there is a lot of civilian opinion on street business that at least 90 percent of Twitter doesn’t know anything about.
Check out some of the tweets below.
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Gunna became persona non grata in the aftermath of the legal woes suffered by Young Thug and others within the YSL camp which lead to him getting slapped with snitching allegations. Gunna returned to the scene this Friday (June 2) with a new track “Bread & Butter” and the rapper hits back at snitching allegations while also appearing to address Lil Durk, Lil Baby, and all anyone else he feels switched up on him.
Gunna has kept a rather low profile as the YSL RICO case in Georgia is still ongoing with his former Young Stoner Life mentor Young Thug and a host of codefendants pushing to clear their names.
The track “Bread & Butter” is the first solo song from Gunna since a heap of accusations came his way that he provided evidence to prosecutors in order to secure his freedom from the YSL RICO sweep. From what we gathered online, the “Bread & Butter” track doesn’t have a home just yet but does seem to signal Gunna is back in the mix.
Lyrics from “Bread & Butter”:
Never f*cked a n*gga, always stayed solid/Kept it real with n*ggas, never lied and always stay honest/Love my bro so much, I never change on ’em/Hunna Wunna go and do the work, bring you the damn profits/Hustled on my own, I always did know how to sеll product/They ain’t gave me sh*t, I grind so long, camе from the damn bottom/Every n*gga speakin’ on my name could have some real problems/We are not the same, ain’t in my lane, I got my own column, yeah/Peepin’ sh*t, I’m seein’ n*ggas fall back/You b*tch-ass n*ggas got me as the topic of the chat/You switched on me when you know you in business with a rat/And the boy that’s like your brother, and nobody speak on that
While names aren’t given, fans online are assuming that Gunna is taking shots at the likes of Lil Durk and his past collaborator Lil Bay specifically while also addressing others who put the snitching allegations on his jacket.
On Twitter, fans are commenting track and we’ve got the video for the song and those reactions listed below.
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Lil Durk isn’t shy when it comes to discussing street politics. He made it clear he thinks Gunna told on Young Thug.
As spotted on HipHopDX the Chicago, Illinois native recently paid a visit to DJ Akademiks’ Off The Record podcast. As his first sit down with the controversial media personality the two discussed his career, future plans and more. During the chat Durkio was asked on Young Thug’s ongoing RICO trial and ultimately drew a line in the sand regarding the plea deal Gunna took.
“Now I don’t sit up here and play games, man,” Durk explained. “That man told. You should have went in there and kept your mouth closed.” He went on to express his love and respect for Young Thug before doubling down on his disdain for snitches. “If you a rat, you a rat,” he added. “If you rewind this clip a little bit, I looked into the camera and told you, if you a rat, I f***ing hate you. Because I love Thug.”
In May 2022 Gunna and several members of the YSL crew were charged on a 56-count racketeering RICO indictment. Gunna eventually pled out to one charge of racketeering and was sentenced to five years in prison but through his plea deal he got time served. According to the paperwork he declared YSL as a gang.
You can see the clip of Durk discussing Gunna below.
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