Former Young Thug Road Manager Sentenced For Lil Wayne Tour Bus Shooting
In late April of this year, Lil Wayne’s tour bus was fired upon while in Atlanta, Georgia. While no parties were injured, the incident came at a time when Wayne was in a heated personal and financial dispute with label Cash Money Records, with whom he has recorded since the 1990s. Additionally, Wayne’s criticism of onetime legal guardian and employer Bryan “Birdman” Williams was met with responses from one of CMR’s latest affiliates (and former Wayne collaborator), Young Thug. Young Thug, an Atlanta native, released Barter 6, a clear attack on Lil Wayne’s planned Carter VI installment.
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In a curious turn of events, a former road manager for Young Thug and confirmed acquaintance of Birdman has been convicted and sentenced for the April shooting. James “Jimmy” Carlton Winfrey turned himself into authorities in June. It was documented that at one time, Jimmy had been a road manager for Young Thug. Today (November 20), Winfrey plead guilty to six counts (of 27 indictments) of Violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act.
Per the Cobb County DA’s office, as reported by The Fader, “Mr. Winfrey was indicted on 27 counts, including four counts of racketeering, eight counts of Violation of Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, 12 counts of aggravated assault, two counts of criminal damage to property, and one count of possession of a firearm during commission of a felony.”
He will now face a 20 year sentence, with 10 years behind bars, and another decade of probation.
Assistant District Attorney Don Geary told the court this morning that Winfrey was in the vehicle responsible for the April drive-by shooting, a Chevrolet Camaro. Geary also maintains that Jimmy is a confirmed gang member. A case indictment reports that Winfrey, via Birdman’s phone, may have spoken to Thug in the hours following the April shooting.
Previously, Complex discovered an Instagram photo taken of TK with the Cash Money co-founder. That photograph has since been removed from IG. It is unclear if Winfrey and Young Thug, or Winfrey and Birdman, had any active business relationship at the time of the April shooting.
Young Thug has not spoken publicly about Winfrey’s sentencing. In late September, GQ magazine asked Thug, if he had tried to have Lil Wayne killed. “Fuck no,” replied the 300/Atlantic Records artist. In July, Wayne spoke of Young Thug, claiming that he “loved” him.
This is the latest incident of violence in Hip-Hop, perceived to be between two Rap parties. Since the mid-1990s feud of The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac Shakur—both of whom died in unsolved murders, there have been documented incidents involving the camps of Gucci Mane and Jeezy, 50 Cent and Game, and G-Unit and Maybach Music Group, among others.
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