A criminal case that could have kept Young Thug behind bars for decades did not change the way his longtime attorney, Brian Steel, views him. Steel continues to see Jeffery Williams as an example of the opportunities people should be able to achieve in America.
“To me, he is America,” Steel told XXL when asked about how he views Young Thug beyond the courtroom. The attorney highlighted the rapper’s difficult upbringing and the massive success he later achieved, noting that Williams came from a background where many people did not expect him to rise far, yet he eventually performed in front of crowds of hundreds of thousands.
Steel’s connection with Thug began years before the YSL RICO case brought widespread attention to their attorney-client relationship. The lawyer told the outlet they have known each other for around 15 years, after Williams’ manager initially reached out to him regarding an earlier criminal matter. Steel said that case was handled through a pretrial diversion program, which marked the beginning of a professional relationship that continued as Thug’s music career expanded.
That long-standing relationship influenced how Steel handled the massive Fulton County prosecution years later. Young Thug was one of more than two dozen defendants named in YSL RICO indictment, where prosecutors alleged that YSL functioned as a criminal street gang.
Steel argued that authorities were using Thug’s music and public persona to portray him as a criminal, rather than focusing on actual evidence. In his XXL interview, the attorney criticized prosecutors and law enforcement nationwide for what he described as unfair treatment of Hip Hop artists based on their lyrics, style, and image.
Williams eventually ended his part in the YSL case in October 2024 through a non-negotiated plea agreement. He pleaded guilty to multiple gang-related, drug, and gun charges and was released with a sentence that included 15 years of probation. Additional prison time was suspended as long as he follows the conditions of his probation.
Steel told XXL that he had prepared himself for a much different ending to the case. He said losing Williams’ trial could have pushed him to walk away from practicing law, describing the prosecution as an attempt to take away both his client’s freedom and damage his reputation.
His commitment to the case became deeply personal. During the contempt dispute, Steel said he was willing to stay behind bars rather than reveal his source.
Since then, his work with high-profile Hip Hop clients has continued to grow. Steel joined Sean “Diddy” Combs’ federal defense team in 2025 and is currently representing Lil Durk in his federal murder-for-hire trial. While discussing those cases with XXL, Steel repeatedly returned to his belief that major Rap artists face different treatment when their music and celebrity become part of courtroom proceedings.
