What is RICO exactly and why is it hitting so close to the Hip-Hop artist? RICO stands for Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations. Since 1970 the RICO Act has been working to combat organized crime in the United States. Racketeering, or "organized crime," is a type of criminal activity that includes extortion, fraud, trafficking in contraband goods or illegal drugs, and labor racketeering (union corruption/ bribery).
With clear understanding of RICO, some of Hip-Hop's favorite rappers have caught RICO charges. Bobby Shmurda, Tekasi 6ix9ine, YFN Lucci and most recently Young Thug and Gunna just to name a few.
A Twitter user painted a picture perfectly breaking down RICO. Check out the example below.
“Let’s say there are 10 people in a gang. Three people commit arson to collect insurance money for the gang. Three other people do a murder for hire for the gang. Two people do a carjacking. And two people use the carjacked car to commit a robbery of a 7-11.”
“The feds can now charge all 10 people with arson, murder, carjacking, and Hobbs Act Robbery, regardless who which of the 10 people actually did which act. Because with RICO the thought is—everyone benefited from the acts of others, therefore everyone is charged with everything.”
Rappers & RICO Charges Timeline:
2014- Bobby Shmurda and 13GS members faced 101 charges listed on RICO indictment. In 2016, Bobby and four co-defendants took plea deals requiring them him to serve seven years in prison. Bobby was released in 2021. Charges; narcotics sale, murder, weapon possession.
2019, Tekashi 6ix9ine hit with a RICO case for his connection to the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods. Tekashi reportedly "snitched" o the members he was affiliated with in Nine Trey. He got two year sentence.
2021, YFN Lucci, RICO case knocked down his door along with 11 others. The charges listed on indictment were; racketeering, aggravated assualt, murder, gun, armed robbery, property damage, theft, and other gang-related charges.
2022, Yung Thug, Gunna, YSL members (24 others), 8 of the 26 took plea deals including Gunna. Yung Thug and 14 others are waiting for trial to begin. Charges; originally 156 listed in original indictment only eight charges stuck.
*Interesting fact: YFN Lucci and Young Thug has mad beef between the two that's been going on for a minute. Thug was indicted exactly a year later of YFN Lucci.
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The crazy part about slapping RICO cases on "rap gangs" is that not all of them are criminals. Most of them ran to rap to make a way out of the criminal trap they were raised in. As a culture most rappers run with a "crew" or may have a few homeboys surround them maintaining the friendships once celebrity life hits. Plus some of the kids feel that the quickest way to make it out in some cases is to be connected to a rapper.
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RICO charges are real and lately it's been used attacking rappers more and more. What happened to the Mafia and RICO cases? Watch how you are moving and try to surround yourself with positive energy.
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