ATLANTA — Atlanta rapper Gunna is speaking out after years of scrutiny after accepting a plea deal in the ongoing RICO case against Young Thug and the alleged YSL street gang.
Since his release in 2022, fans and even fellow artists have accused Gunna of snitching in order to avoid jail time. However, in a candid interview with XXL, the rapper addressed his relationship with Young Thug and cleared up some of the swirling rumors.
Gunna, whose real name is Sergio Kitchens, maintains that the outside noise has not impacted his relationship with Young Thug.
“It’s the same,” he said. "It’s love, always. Our relationship is our relationship.”
Thug and Gunna's relationship dates back to 2015, when they met through a mutual friend on the video shoot for Young Thug's "With That," according to Genius.
As for the snitching allegations, the "Bread and Butter" rapper says outsiders have no idea about the inner workings of the case and "don't know legally what's going on."
“I definitely feel like everybody’s been misled. And like, you know, when you’re being misled, you got a choice to follow or make your own decisions,” he added. “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.’”
Steve Sadow, Gunna's lawyer, also refuted the claims against his client, saying, "[He] did not snitch to get out of jail. He has said nothing and is not cooperating."
In his cover interview, Gunna also touched on the insults he has received from fellow peers such as 21 Savage, Lil Baby, and Lil Durk. All three were among the artists who implied that his plea agreement negatively impacted Young Thug's legal battle, which he refutes. He says he has had personal conversations with a few of the rappers, and any differences were handled "peacefully."
Gunna was released from jail in December 2022 after taking an Alford plea, one in which a defendant pleads innocent but effectively accepts a guilty outcome. At the time, the rapper said the plea arrangement was in his "best interest, while at the same time maintaining my innocence toward the same charge."
"While I have agreed to always be truthful, I want to make it perfectly clear that I have NOT made any statements, have NOT been interviewed, have NOT cooperated, have NOT agreed to testify or be a witness for or against any party in the case and have absolutely NO intention of being involved in the trial process in any way. I have chosen to end my own RICO case with an Alford plea and end my personal ordeal by publicly acknowledging my association with YSL," Gunna said in a statement at the time.
According to Sadow, Gunna's lawyer, the plea "cannot be used in court against any other defendant."
"So please stop spreading lies," Sadow said in the statement posted to X.