Meek Mill Joins Lil Baby in Unfollowing Gunna After Alford Plea: ‘He Probably Gon’ Tell’
Meek Mill has Joined Lil Baby and other rappers in unfollowing colleague Gunna after the latter issued an Alford Plea
Tristan Green
Meek Mill has Joined Lil Baby and other rappers in unfollowing colleague Gunna after the latter issued an Alford Plea late last year.
The hip-hop community is in an uproar, with some accusing Gunna of being a snitch and others rolling their eyes over the fact that it even matters.
Some are pointing out that the community as a whole was relatively silent when artist Kodak Black was facing sexual assault charges – but seem to be hyper-focused on Gunna’s “snitch” reputation.
If your head is spinning, you’re not alone – here’s a look at why the community is roiling and what it all means.
See: THE WINNER IS ‘STILL D.R.E.’: MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE BLINKS FIRST IN STAND-OFF WITH DR DRE
Gunna Issues Alford Plea; Meek Mill, Lil baby, Others Quietly Cut Ties
Lil Baby, Meek Mill & Lil Gotit have all unfollowed Gunna on Instagram 👀 pic.twitter.com/XJ41ZPJ5Sg
— DailyRapFacts (@DailyRapFacts) January 16, 2023
Around May of 2022, rappers Young Thug, Gunna, and 26 other individuals were arrested in Atlanta on suspicion of racketeering and other charges.
Members of hip-hop collective Young Slime Life (YSL), they were accused of conspiracy to violate the state Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) by participating in a pattern of illegal activity to obtain money and property.
YSL, founded in 2012, has been slammed by authorities as an organized crime ring – a gang, in the simplest terms – and an indictment by a grand jury claims that members of YSL were involved in murder, attempted murder, armed robbery, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, theft, drug dealing, carjacking, and witness intimidation.
Young Thug, as the leader, was not charged with these individual crimes but was accused of possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and threatening to kill a man at a mall.
His right-hand man, Gunna, was arrested shortly after Young Thug was and accused of one count of racketeering. The indictment says he allegedly received stolen property and was in possession of drugs (including methamphetamine, marijuana, and hydrocodone) with intent to distribute.
The hip-hop community was in an uproar, claiming that artists – specifically Black artists – are often unfairly targeted because of the lyrics in their song, and calls for Young Thug and Gunna to be released circulated the internet.
The beef started when Gunna was denied bail twice – but got crafty to secure his release from prison.
Vulture writes, “Gunna was denied bond for the second time on July 7, per Billboard, with Ural refusing to reconsider his original May 23 decision to deny Gunna’s bond. Steve Sadow, Gunna’s co-lead counsel, said in a statement, ‘The prosecution again produced no evidence at all; instead, it chose to rely on vague and non-specific allegations and speculation through the statements of the prosecutor alone. Gunna deserves better from our justice system.’ The rapper, once thought to remain in jail until his trial next year, was released December 14 after pleading guilty per the terms of an Alford plea deal. Despite this, Gunna maintains his innocence. As a term of the deal, the rapper must take the stand if summoned to court and called to testify, though he has the option of pleading the Fifth.”
The US Department of Justice categorizes an Alford plea as a plea that allows a defendant to maintain their innocence, but acknowledge that pleading guilty is in their best interest.
Young Thug remains imprisoned and Gunna’s use of the Alford plea has many speculating that he either has already or is willing to snitch to stay free.
Lil Durk, who collaborated with Gunna on the popular “What happened to Virgil?” went so far as to put his suspicions into a song.
The lyrics read, “What happened to Virgil? He probably gon’ tell.”
Ever since Gunna’s release, artists in the community have been cutting ties for what they saw as self-serving and disloyal behavior.
Lil Baby lead the charge, and Meek Mill followed his lead this weekend, quietly unfollowing Gunna on social media.
Other artists have also quietly distanced themselves from Gunna, and the internet has jokes that he can’t find anyone to collaborate with.
Kodak Black – Crickets for Him, But Buzz for Gunna?
But while the internet is cracking jokes about Meek Mill’s unfollowing and Gunna’s lack of support, there are other conversations swirling about hypocrisy – and accountability.
Rapper Kodak Black was accused of assaulting and raping a female victim in South Carolina in 2016.
The rapper was indicted by grand jury in October 2017 for first-degree criminal sexual misconduct.
Although he never issued a statement, Kodak Black said in court to the victim, “I apologize to Miss [victim’s name] and am hopeful we can all move forward. I wish her the best in her life.”
To avoid 30 years in prison, the rapper entered a plea deal, pleading guilty to a lesser charge of first degree assault and battery.
Eventually, he was granted clemency from former President Donald Trump – for that and a number of other weapons possession charges.
But through it all, the community never went as hard at Kodak Black – for sexual assault, mind – as they have at Gunna, who may or may not have “snitched.”
It’s a grim reminder of how far the hip-hop community still has to go when it comes to women’s rights issues and taking assault seriously.
The case with Young Thug throws a stark light on how harsh the Department of Justice treats the alleged crimes of Black men – especially powerful, famous Black men – due to their chosen career. The case has become a political flashpoint between those fighting for equality and those wanting to beat the scourge of drug and gang violence in the US.
Meanwhile, Kodak Black is a reminder that not all crimes are created equal – and that those accused of murder and theft are somehow less egregious than those accused of sexual assault.