On theFriday afternoon before most public schools officially open in metroAtlanta, students at Skyview High School in College Park receiveda Grammy-winning treat: superstar rapper Young Thug.
The 33-year-old, who grew up in Atlanta and spent time in the juvenile justice system,visited the school as part of his sentencing terms after pleading guilty to drug, gun and gang charges in 2024. Roughly 30 Skyview students and staff gathered to hear the rapper encourage kids to follow their dreams and make good choices.
“I feel like violence is just not the thing,” Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Lamar Williams, told the crowd, warning them to stay out of trouble. “It’s just lame. It’s corny. I don’t want to see something happen to somebody that bad. Gangs are not the move.”
Friday’s event marked Young Thug’s first public appearance in the Atlanta area since leaving Fulton County Jail last fall and being banned from the metro area—a major development in the lengthy YSL gang trial. In October, Judge Paige Reese Whitaker sentenced him to time served and 15 years of probation.
His school visit began with a moderated conversation with Greg Clay, Skyview’s board chair. The charter school serves about 300 at-risk students per semester, helping them obtain a high school diploma…