The admitted co-founder of Young Slime Life took the stand during the trial’s third week, after agreeing to testify against Young Thug and others as part of his plea deal in the sprawling Fulton County gang and racketeering case.
Trontavious Stephens, also known as “Tick,” danced around the lead prosecutor’s questions during the first two days of his testimony while seemingly trying to avoid incriminating his longtime friends as best he could.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Stephens acknowledged under oath that YSL was started by himself, Young Thug and former co-defendant Walter Murphy. But the 30-year-old answered most of prosecutor Adriane Love’s questions in a roundabout way, and seemed to have forgotten key details about certain acts laid out in the indictment, including the night Lil Wayne’s tour bus was shot up in 2015.
He acknowledged driving several of the defendants to the Atlanta club where Lil Wayne performed that evening, but Stephens said he didn’t remember much because they had spent most of the day celebrating his birthday.
“Basically I was vibing, listening to music, smoking and weed and drinking liquor, so I don’t recall any exact conversations,” he said on the stand.
Jury selection began Jan. 4, 2023. With the state expected to call hundreds of witnesses, the trial could last much of this year, too.
Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, has been in jail since the bombshell indictment accusing the Grammy winning musician of being the leader of a south Atlanta gang was handed up in May 2022. Williams’ attorneys strongly contest the charges and say YSL, or Young Stoner Life, is simply the name of the star’s record label.
Credit: Steve Schaefer
Credit: Steve Schaefer
Much of Stephens’ testimony so far has centered on being a member of the gang ROC Crew, which law enforcement says stands for “Raised on Cleveland” and was a precursor to YSL. All six defendants in the case appear to be listening closely.
“What is it you were founding when you named yourselves YSL?” Love asked him
“At the time, it was a possible record label,” Stephens told her.
“Would you explain to the jury the difference or distinction between Jeffery Williams’ record label and the gang Young Slime Life?” Love later asked.
“Positivity and negativity,” Stephens replied. “The label that Jeffery Williams created was based on positivity and the gang was negative.”
Stephens was one of nine YSL defendants who previously accepted plea deals in the case, including popular rapper Gunna.
Stephens pleaded guilty in late 2022 to a single count of conspiring to violate the state’s racketeer influenced and corrupt organizations (RICO) act. He was sentenced to 10 years, with two years commuted to time served and eight years of probation. In exchange for the deal, he agreed to testify.
On Thursday, Stephens was asked under oath what the term “snitching” meant to him.
“It doesn’t mean anything to me but I’m aware of the term,” he repeatedly told the lead prosecutor.
She then asked him to use the word in a sentence, which led to a painfully awkward back-and-forth that ended with Stephens declaring, “I really don’t fully understand the term.”
His testimony is set to resume Monday.
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