Young Thug sued over concert that was cancelled following his arrest

NME

Young Thug is being sued up to $150,000 (£124,608) over a concert he was allegedly set to perform over the summer.

The rapper – real name Jeffery Williams – was allegedly due to appear at the State Farm Arena on June 18 in Atlanta but due to his recent arrest, he was unable to attend.

According to court documents, Williams was set to receive $300,000 (£249,216) for a 45-minute set half of which had already been paid up front and the rest due to be paid after the event.

However, concert promoter A-1 Concert Entertainment has claimed they still have not received the $150,000 advance back, as reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution via HipHopDX.

“Due to his arrest and the nature of the felony criminal charges against Williams, it was immediately apparent in May 2022 that he would not be able to perform as required in the agreement,” the filing added. “To date, A-1 Concert has not received any reimbursement of the $150,000 owed to it.”

A representative for YSL Touring told the publication a refund will be issued.

NME has contacted a spokesperson for Young Thug for comment.

The rapper was arrested on May 9 and hit with charges that included taking part in criminal street gang activity. He was named in a 28-person grand jury indictment that focused on YSL (short for Young Stoner Life) as an alleged street gang. Williams had initially faced two charges, but later in May, was pinned with an additional seven.

Williams’ lawyer said that he had “committed no crime whatsoever” – and later hit out at his “dungeon like” prison conditions. The rapper was also denied bond at the start of June.

He released a surprise statement from jail during New York radio station Hot 97’s annual Summer Jam concert in June.

The rapper was due to be playing the New Jersey show but was still in jail, having been denied a prison release on bond earlier that month.

He said: “You know, this isn’t just about me or YSL. I always use my music as a form of artistic expression, and now I see that Black artists and rappers don’t have that, you know, freedom. Everybody please sign the ‘Protect Black Art’ petition and keep praying for us. I love you all.”

The rapper is set to stand trial on January 9, 2023.

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