Trontavious Stephens: From the Streets to The Stand – How YSL Co-Founder became a KEY Witness
Young Thug and Tick Trontavious Stephens, aka Tick, aka Slug, are founding members of the get-money organization YSL, the latest “Rico act” target in a high-profile case targeting the influential rap star.
This piece takes Stephens’ early ties to the streets, his rumored involvement in a newsworthy drive-by shooting in 2011, how he helped build YSL, and his new role as a courtroom witness. It also examines how his tale reflects broader problems in Atlanta’s gang and rap scenes.
Readers will learn about Stephens’ troubled past, his mutually parasitic relationship with YSL, and his ongoing struggle to get back on his feet and right his wrongs under the watchful eye of the state. That’s significant because it shows how porous the line can be between rap music, reputation, and legality.
Formative Years For Trontavious Stephens On Cleveland Avenue
Trontavious Stephens was born in 1993 in East Atlanta and raised among gangs. His residence on Cleveland Avenue saw its share of gang violence. When he was a teen, he became a member of Sex, Money, Murder (SMM), a Blood-affiliated group. He later joined the ROC Crew.
By age 15, he had been expelled and attempted to earn a GED, but he failed. Even though he had hoped to be a chef, he ended up in betting and armed robberies. His early upbringing laid the groundwork for deeper gang affiliation and legal trouble.
The Deadly Retaliation For An Armed Robbery
NBAer Javaris Crittenton was also a victim, and lost a month earlier in April 2011 was robbed at gunpoint. Stephens and his brothers were among the robbers, police had said. They took a wallet, a watch, and jewelry valued at over $55,000.
Crittenton later took care of it himself. He fired shots near homes associated with the Stephens family in August. On August 19, 2 August 19, fired at Stephens, but he hit Julian Jones, a mother of four, instead. The case was a lightning rod of intertwined streets, sports, and heartbreak.
Stephens Was Ultimately Arrested, But His Time Behind Bars Was Brief
St. Stephens was taken into custody on August 29, 201. He was convicted on the reduced charges and sentenced to 23 years. He served only 10 years. Unlike some others with years-long rap sheets, Stephens didn’t spend much time in prison, heading back to Cleveland Avenue.
He said he was trying to get his life in order, working as a traffic controller and a commercial driver, and he had managed to avoid getting into serious trouble—although he remained on probation.
The Birth Of YSL: Packed Up In A Gang, Delivered As A Music Label
Alongside Walter Murphy and rapper Young Thug (Jeffery Williams), Stephens established YSL. He said the group was a few steps from gang life but focused on music, not violence. Stephens claimed that YSL began as a record company specializing in rap talent.
But prosecutors later alleged YSL was also a Bloods gang. In 2022, Stephens pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy under Georgia’s RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) Act. He agreed to eight years of probation.
Courtroom Testimony By Stephens Begged More Questions With Fewer Answers
Stephens testified in Young Thug’s RICO trial in January 2024. He expressed that he established YSL, which was supposed to be a good change from ROC. He acknowledged being tied to Blood-associated gangs, but denied ever committing crimes with ROC members.
He struggled at times to remember conversations and testified that he used alcohol and marijuana at the time and sparred with prosecutors. His nebulous responses made the prosecution’s job more difficult, and he was also discredited.
His Comments About Gang Tattoos And Ties Were Noted
Prosecutors badgered Stephens over tattoos they thought indicated gang connections. She said one tattoo read “BFL,” which she took to mean “Blood for Life.” Stephens disagreed, arguing that it was short for “Bank First and Last.”
He said the red ink in the tattoo was not used to represent gang colors, but rather, red ink best fit his skin type. The way he answered made it as though he was trying to separate himself from gang life, but from his past, that wasn’t him.
YSL’s Involvement In The Lil Wayne Tour Bus Shooting Details Came Up In Court
The court also reconsidered a 2015 incident in Cobb County in which Lil Wayne’s tour bus was shot. Prosecutors connected the gunman to YSL. Stephens told officers he was at a club to watch Wayne perform and claimed he had not planned an attack.
He said Wayne was his idol. He also told police he didn’t recall much because he was drinking, and they were drinking and smoking to celebrate his birthday. His clouded memory during this period once again damaged the prosecution’s case.
Stephens Today: Pursuit Of A Life On Probation, Away From Spotlight
In 2025, Stephens is 32 and living a more subdued life in East Atlanta. While on probation, he has a legal job and seems to have avoided getting into new legal trouble. Though his name remains forever intertwined with YSL and courthouse shenanigans, he no longer works publicly. Whether his break from gang life is genuine or only temporary is up in the air, but for now, Adam is a witness, not a defendant.
FAQs
Who is Trontavious Stephens?
He is one of the co-founders of YSL and a former gang member who goes by Tick and Slug.
Did Stephens play a role in Julian Jones’ death?
No, but that was his itch to scratch. NBA star Javaris Crittenton shot at Stephens, killing Jones by accident.
What is YSL?
YSL was a rap music label accused of being a criminal street gang affiliated with Bloods.
Was Stephens a witness against Young Thug?
Yes, he testified in the YSL RICO case, but liberals had to beat memories out of the man because his answers were all over the place.
Is Stephens in prison now?
No. He accepted a plea deal in 2022 and is serving eight years of probation.
Final Words
Street life and the rap industry have always enjoyed a complicated relationship, and Trontavious Stephens’s story provides one of its more fateful illustrations. From gang associations to co-founding YSL and ending up as a star witness in a major RICO case, his road is one long series of sharp turns.
Convicted, he is now on probation and appears to be avoiding trouble. However, his history, testimony, and affiliation with one of the most controversial cases in hip-hop will keep his name reverberating in headlines for years.
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