Young Thug is clearing up what he says was his role in helping Lil Durk assemble his legal team for the rapper's federal murder-for-hire trial.
On Wednesday, Thug took to X after comments from Loren LoRosa on The Breakfast Club pushed back against reports that he had financially contributed to Durk's defense. According to Thug, his support wasn't about giving Durk money. Instead, he says he connected his "brother" with his longtime attorney Brian Steel.
"N***a best friends on the stand saying he did serious shit 'lying' and yall asking blogs who paid for lawyers lol if I didn't say he was my brother my lawyer wouldn't have even took the case," Thug wrote. "I sent Brian to get with him and take the case. Stop making me the bad guy and pray harder for him cause I am."
Steel famously represented Thug throughout the lengthy YSL RICO case in Atlanta. He has since joined Durk's defense team alongside prominent attorney Drew Findling.
Steel has already played a significant role in Durk's trial, including his cross-examination of Kasey "OTF Jam" Hester, one of the government's cooperating witnesses. According to Rolling Stone, Steel confronted Hester with jail calls in which he discussed his desire to avoid prison time.
"I'm going to do what I got to do," Hester said during one of the calls. "Whatever it takes to make sure I don't do no time."
Steel also questioned an FBI agent about an unreleased 2021 music video introduced during the proceedings. "You know that Durk is a musical artist, a poet, true?" Steel asked, according to Billboard.
Durk, whose legal name is Durk Banks, has pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy, murder for hire, and stalking resulting in death.
Federal prosecutors allege Durk ordered members of his OTF collective to target Quando Rondo in retaliation for the 2020 killing of King Von. Three OTF members, including Hester, have pleaded guilty and testified for the prosecution.
Durk's trial began Aug. 24 at the Felicitas and Gonzalo Mendez United States Courthouse in Los Angeles and has attracted some famous faces to the courtroom, including Ye and MGK.
Closing arguments were expected Wednesday as the closely watched case moves closer to a potential verdict.
