Co-founder says YSL is a music label, believes crimes he committed made YSL appear as a gang

ATLANTA — On day 2 of testimony from Trontavious Stephens, a man who admitted to being a co-founder of Young Slime Life, said YSL was created to function as a music label.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

Channel 2′s Michael Seiden was in the courtroom for much of the testimony on Thursday.

Stephens, who is also known as “Slug” or “Tick”, is testifying as part of his negotiated plea he agreed to in 2022.

The prosecution began the day by asking him a series of questions regarding the Lil Wayne tour bus shooting.

But when he did not give them the answers they were looking for Prosecutor Adriane Love pulled out his plea deal and asked him to read it to the jurors.

Prosecutor Love asked Stephens in court to explain the difference between YSL the gang and YSL the music label.

In his initial response, Stephens said that the difference was positivity and negativity.

He claims the music label was based on positivity and the gang was negative. When he was asked again if he was the founder of YSL, the gang, Stephens added a bit more clarity to his initial statement.

“I was the founder of the music (label),” Stephens said. “So I committed crimes while being a part of YSL.”

“YSL who? Young Slime Life?” Love asked.

“Yes,” Stephens said.

“The gang?” Love asked.

“No, just YSL,” said Stephens.

“I am asking you about Young Slime Life, the gang,” Love said.

“I am trying to answer the question,” he replied. “So I committed crimes while being a part of YSL, so by me committing crimes while being a part of YSL, that was basis to say that YSL was a gang.”

MORE YSL COVERAGE:

• Former YSL co-defendant takes stand in Fulton trial against gang he admits to co-founding
• As YSL trial resumes, APD officer testifies, recalls previous incidents with one of co-defendants
• YSL RICO case to resume Tuesday, co-defendant stabbed in Fulton County jail now out of hospital
• Report reveals new details from night YSL co-defendant was stabbed during jail fight

In the plea deal, Stephens acknowledged that he’s one of the founding members of YSL a criminal street gang.

Also in the plea deal, he acknowledged to a detective that he was a member of the Roccrew or “Raised on Cleveland” gang but at the time, the group no longer went by that and now goes by YSL.

The judge sent the jury home for the weekend. Testimony is scheduled to resume on Monday morning.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:

Coweta County deputy ran over, killed by Alabama officer identified

©2023 Cox Media Group