Young Thug Gives Inspiring Speech to Law Students: ‘We Need Y’all’

Atlanta rapper Young Thug, known for his distinctive voice and trailblazing role in the hip-hop world, recently delivered an unexpected yet heartfelt message to law students, sharing profound insights on justice, second chances, and the importance of legal advocacy. His speech, facilitated by his longtime lawyer Brian Steel, took place virtually at Emory University School of Law and underscored the pivotal role lawyers play in society.

This event came just days after Young Thug’s high-profile YSL RICO trial concluded. The trial, which had been ongoing for over a year, ended on October 31 when the rapper agreed to a plea deal, resulting in a sentence of time served plus 15 years of probation. As part of the terms of his probation, Thug was required to engage in community service, which, according to Judge Paige Reese Whitaker, included speaking to students.

During the FaceTime call with the students, Young Thug praised their aspirations, encouraging them to consider law as a vital career path. He reflected on the contrast between prosecutors who work to send individuals to prison and defense attorneys who aim to protect those individuals from the harshest consequences.

“You gotta always look at it like they’re there to put us in prison and you guys are here to keep us from prison. Brian Steel is the best person possible. He should be a professor. You guys should become lawyers,” Young Thug shared. “It’s very important to help people out of the situations they’re in the best you can. What side do you want to be on? Do you want to put people in prison for mistakes? Because everybody makes mistakes, they’re human.”

He continued, emphasizing the importance of empathy and understanding in the legal profession. “Everybody on this phone, in this classroom, you always need to know that you’re one mistake away. I feel like we need more people like Brian Steel on this earth and less people like that. So I think it’s very, very, very important to be a lawyer over anything.”

Thug went on to add, “Lawyers and doctors are the two greatest things that were ever founded. You actually help people. That’s doing the real God work. I think every one of you in the classroom should become lawyers for sure. Anything you need from me, I’m here always. We need y’all.”