Young Thug Urges Law Students to Become Defense Attorneys in Talk With Lawyer Brian Steel

Young Thug’s lawyer, Brian Steel, brought the rapper onto a FaceTime call to speak with law students.

In a video circulating online Wednesday, the 33-year-old rapper is heard encouraging a group of students at Emory Law School in Atlanta, Georgia, to consider careers as defense attorneys instead of prosecutors.

“We had a situation that was daunting towards my life and I think that the justice system could be bad. You know, sometimes it could be bad, and 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,” Thug was heard saying on the call.

“Brian Steel is the best person possible. He's very pedagogical and he should be a professor,” he said of his lawyer before the classroom erupted into laughter.

He continued, “I think you guys should become lawyers. I think it's very important to help people out of the situations they're in the best best you can. I mean, what side do you wanna be on? You wanna put people in prison for mistakes? Because everybody makes mistakes, we're human. And everybody in this classroom, you always need to know that you want one mistake away.”

Thugger described defense law as a form of “God’s work” that benefits society, encouraging students to choose a path that helps people instead of punishing them.

“Anything you need from me, I'm here always. We need y’all,” he concluded.

Thug, born Jeffrey Williams, was released from custody on Halloween after entering a guilty plea in his YSL RICO case. He received a 40-year sentence, which includes time served, 15 years of probation, and a 20-year prison term that will only be enforced if he fails to meet probation conditions.

Steel also requested permission for him to maintain professional contact with co-defendants Quantavious “Unfoonk” Grier, his brother, and Gunna for the sake of his music career.

As explained by Vibe’s Regina Cho, Steel is a renowned criminal defense attorney with over 30 years of experience. He built a reputation defending high-profile clients, including judges, FBI agents, and athletes, along with those who can’t afford legal representation. His handling of the YSL RICO trial earned him recognition as one of Billboard’s Top Music Lawyers of 2023.