Atlanta, GA
Gunna announces 2024 Bittersweet Tour feat. Flo Milli with Atlanta stop
ATLANTA – Atlanta rapper Gunna has released the dates for his 2024 Bittersweet Tour featuring special guest Flo Milli and, of course, his hometown made the short list.
The 16-date North American tour opens in Columbus, Ohio on May 4 and ends at State Farm Arena on June 11. Gunna is also expected to make a solo appearance at Philly’s 2024 Roots Picnic Festival.
Tickets will be available through resale on Feb. 21 and will open to the general public via LiveNation on Feb. 23 at 10 a.m.
Bittersweet Tour Announce
Who is Gunna?
Gunna was born in College Park as Sergio Kitchens. He’s a Grammy Award-winning rapper signed to Young Stoner Life Records (YSL) known for hits like “Drip Too Hard” feat. Lil Baby and “fukumean.”
In May 2022, Jeffery Lamar Williams, Gunna and 26 other people, were indicted using Georgia’s RICO Act. The 88-page indictment claimed the duo led a subset of the Bloods street gang called Young Slime Life, or YSL for short. Prosecutors allege those named in the indictment have engaged in violent criminal activity in the city since 2012.
Rapper Gunna released from Fulton County Jail
Atlanta rapper Gunna walks out of the Fulton County Jail after pleading guilty in a RICO case on Dec. 14, 2022.
On Dec. 14, 2022, Gunna walked free from the Fulton County Jail after pleading guilty to a charge in the RICO Act case filed against him and dozens of other alleged associates.
In exchange for his Alford plea, Gunna’s attorneys announced he would not serve any time in prison. His original sentence was commuted to time served, and the balance was suspended. At the time, he still needed to complete 500 hours of community service, with 350 of those hours speaking to young men and women in the community about the dangers of gangs and gang violence.
What is an Alford plea?
An Alford plea, also sometimes known as the Kennedy plea, Alford guilty plea, Alford doctrine, and “best-interests plea,” is a type of guilty plea in criminal court that gives weight to evidence. It allows a defendant to continue to assert their innocence and not admit to a criminal act, while conceding the evidence against them would likely lead to a conviction.
Rapper Gunna out of jail after pleading guilty in RICO case
Rapper Gunna walked out of the Fulton County Jail after pleading guilty to a racketeering conspiracy charge. Authorities arrested him and fellow rapper Young Thug along with more than two dozen others earlier this year. Gunna’s guilty plea does not necessarily mean he’s admitting guilt.
The plea also allows the defendant to skip a trial and just accept the consequences associated with a guilty plea.
This plea is unlike a nolo contendere plea in that I can be used against a defendant in civil actions and future court proceedings.
What happened to Gunna after he pleaded guilty?
Many people turned on Gunna when news broke of his Alford plea.
Fans and artists, including Lil Durk, Lil Baby and Meek Mill, shunned the rapper. One of the most vocal celebrities against him, Boosie Badazz, has consistently called him a ‘snitch’ and a ‘rat.’
In June 2023, Gunna broke his silence by dropping a new song called “Bread and Butter.” In it, he admitted he lost a lot of friends and money after taking the deal.
Prior to that, he and his attorneys released a statement maintaining that he didn’t “snitch” and did not agree “to testify or be a witness for or against any party in the case and have absolutely NO intention of being involved in the trial process in any way.”
What is YSL?
Fulton County prosecutors say Young “Slime” Life is a violent criminal street gang that’s commonly known as YSL and is affiliated with the national Bloods gang. They said it was founded in 2012.
Defendants in the case claim that YSL is not a criminal entity, and not to be confused with Young “Stoner” Life Records, the music label rapper Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffrey Lamar Williams founded.
Gunna said in a statement he didn’t consider it a gang but rather “a group of people from metro Atlanta who had common interests and artistic aspirations.” His focus was entertainment, he said, “rap artists who wrote and performed music that exaggerated and ‘glorified’ urban life in the Black community.”
What is the RICO Act?
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, or RICO, was developed to fight organized crime.
The U.S. Department of Justice has used RICO to take down multiple crime families and street gangs.
GA Trump Indictment: What is a RICO charge?
While former President Donald Trump and 18 of his allies all face multiple charges in the Fulton County grand jury’s indictment, the most serious count is the only one they all share: violation of the Georgia Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act. FOX 5 took a look at the seriousness of that charge and how much experience District Attorney Fani Willis has with it.
Violating RICO carries a maximum of 20 years and a fine that is “greater of $25,000 or three times the amount of pecuniary gain.”
Under RICO, victims impacted can seek civil recourse without the defendant being able to hide behind bankruptcy to skirt judgment or restitution.
Why are some members of YSL on trial?
Prosecutors claim Young Slime Life is a violent street gang behind a series of heinous crimes including murders, shootings, and carjackings. They say the crimes were committed to raise money for the gang, enhance its reputation, and extend its influence and territory.
Initially, 28 people were charged with conspiracy to violate Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law, with numerous other charges also filed against many of the accused.
Gunna was one of the accused.
What are the latest updates in the YSL RICO Trial?
Trial is slowly trudging forward for Young Thug and his associates. Here’s the latest news from the courtroom as followed by FOX 5 Atlanta:
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
NASCAR O’Reilly Series qualifying results from EchoPark Speedway
Later today, NASCAR O’Reilly Series drivers take the green flag. Now, teams are rolling to the track for qualifying at EchoPark Speedway in Atlanta.
View the Atlanta starting lineup for the NASCAR O’Reilly Series below.
Atlanta/Lime Rock Menu
ARCA: Race
Truck: Prac/Qual
O’Reilly: Qual
Atlanta/Lime Rock TV Schedule
The fields makes one lap in the opening round of qualifying. The top 10 from round one advance into round 2 and make another run for the pole position.
Atlanta Qualifying Results (Top 10 – Round 1) : 1. Carson Kvapil 31.987 2. Sam Mayer 32.035 3. Sammy Smith 32.117 4. Jesse Love 32.128 5. William Sawalich 32.171 6. Taylor Gray 32.218 7. Sheldon Creed 32.224 8. Rajah Caruth 32.238 9. Patrick Staropoli 32.224 10. Brent Crews 32.279
Sam Mayer will start from the pole position. He turned a laptime at 31.994 seconds in the second round of qualifying.
EchoPark Speedway
Starting Lineup
July 11, 2026
NASCAR O’Reilly Series
Pos | Driver
1. Sam Mayer
31.994
2. Carson Kvapil
31.978
3. Jesse Love
32.020
4. William Sawalich
32.106
5. Sammy Smith
32.119
6. Sheldon Creed
32.136
7. Brent Crews
32.155
8. Rajah Caruth
32.194
9. Taylor Gray
32.200
10. Patrick Staropoli
32.302
— Failed to advance into Round 2 —
11. Austin Hill
32.286
12. Brandon Jones
32.315
13. Corey Day
32.327
14. Jeremy Clements
32.335
15. Jake Finch
32.336
16. Justin Allgaier
32.379
17. Anthony Alfredo
32.393
18. Nick Sanchez
32.400
19. Ryan Sieg
32.429
20. Kyle Sieg
32.459
21. Jeb Burton
32.545
22. Parker Retzlaff
32.547
23. Dean Thompson
32.573
24. Leland Honeyman Jr
32.583
25. Harrison Burton
32.619
26. Garrett Smithley
32.709
27. Ryan Ellis
32.778
28. Mason Maggio
32.783
29. Nick Leitz
32.857
30. Brennan Poole
32.862
31. Glen Reen
32.884
32. Lavar Scott
32.942
33. Joey Gase
32.946
34. Josh Bilicki
33.035
35. Logan Bearden
33.619
36. Carson Ware
36.110
37. Blaine Perkins
46.808
38. Jordan Anderson
No Time
Links
Atlanta Motor Speedway | Lime Rock Park | NASCAR
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – An Atlanta-based mentoring program is making a stop in Jacksonville this weekend — and its leader says the city could be next on the map.
Next Level Boys Academy will set up at Clanzel T. Brown Park in the Moncrief area Saturday from noon to 1 p.m. as part of the “Save Our Sons Tour.” The free, family-friendly event runs alongside Duval Day, the annual block party hosted by Jacksonville-born comedian Lil Duval, which follows from 3 to 8 p.m.
From a Little League Sideline to a National Movement
Gary Davis, CEO and Executive Director of Next Level Boys Academy, says it all started on a baseball field. While coaching little league in 2009, he decided mentoring had to go deeper than sports.
“I built this organization from that group of young men that I coached back in 2009,” Davis said.
What began with 11 young men has grown to serve between 200 and 300 youth each year. The program has drawn national media attention and support from high-profile names, including rappers T.I. and Killer Mike.
What the Program Does
Next Level Boys Academy mentors teens on Saturdays, working with youth ages 5 to 10. It also runs an alternative-to-incarceration program for first-time offenders ages 12 to 25.
Davis says the impact goes beyond mentorship.
“On average we’ve probably diverted about 100 years of prison time a week,” he said.
Former NFL player Will Sweet is also part of the Jacksonville visit. Sweet leads the entrepreneurship and professional development component of the academy’s Atlanta program.
A Vision for Duval County
Davis, a former educator and social worker, says this weekend is about more than one event. He wants Jacksonville’s leaders to take notice.
“The ultimate reason why we are coming to Jacksonville this weekend is because we want the city officials and local government to see there is an innovative mentoring organization that is working in Atlanta — and we have people that are in place there that could start this and move it,” Davis said. “There is no need in re-inventing the wheel.”
What You Need to Know
The Next Level Boys Academy and Empowerment Center program is free and open to families. Here are the details:
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What: Next Level Boys Academy — Save Our Sons Tour
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Where: Clanzel T. Brown Park
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When: Saturday, noon to 1 p.m.
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Duval Day: 3 to 8 p.m. at the same location
Copyright 2026 by WJXT News4JAX – All rights reserved.
The NBA offseason has slowed down this week and there is not a lot of business left to be done around the league. Basketball fans and front offices alike are waiting for the decision from LeBron James, but there are still a few prized restricted free agents on the market that have unresolved situations for the 2026-2027 season.
One of them in Nuggets forward Peyton Watson. Watson had the breakout season that Denver fans had been hoping for, but injuries slowed things down towards the end of the season. Despite the injuries, Watson is a coveted player around the league due to being a high-level two-way wing that can guard and shoot from deep. Denver has been trying to extend Watson, but they have not come to terms yet.
The Clippers and the Nets have been mentioned most prominently as a suitor for Watson, but today, NBA insider Jake Fischer noted that a new team has been showing interest, and that team is no other than the Atlanta Hawks:
“Atlanta, sources say, has also shown some fresh interest in Watson, which would likewise require a sign-and-trade to make it happen.
That said, whether it’s the Hawks or the Clippers or any other suitor, sources maintain that the Nuggets are seeking compensation on par with what Utah received from the Lakers in their recent sign-and-trade swap that made Walker Kessler a Laker.
The Lakers’ determined interest in the 7-foot-2 center netted two first-round picks and two first-round pick swaps for the Jazz.
Sources say that price point has been too rich for the Clippers or the Hawks when it comes to Watson.”
Could the Hawks actually acquire Watson?
This is the first report of the Hawks holding interest in Watson, but because he is a restricted free agent, I think it is going to be very, very difficult for Atlanta to actually obtain the talented young wing.
Because the Hawks don’t have the cap space to sign Watson to an offer sheet, the only way that they could acquire him would be through a sign-and-trade. If what Fischer says is true, that Denver is going to want a Walker Kessler type return (Utah traded Kessler to Los Angeles for two first round pick swaps and two unprotected first round picks), I think you can safely count Atlanta out of that kind of a deal.
Onsi Saleh and the Hawks front office have made it clear that they are not going to skip steps in building this team and that they are not “one move” away. Atlanta was continuously mentioned as a suitor for Jaylen Brown, but if they were not willing to surrender real assets to obtain him, why would they do that for Watson?
Watson is a very talented player and if healthy, there is a chance that his next contract is going to be a bargain deal. This past season, he averaged a career-best 14.6 PPG, a career-best 4.9 RPG, while shooting 49% from the floor and 41% from three and is a solid defender as well. He fits into the Hawks timeline perfectly, but again, the cost of multiple draft assets for a player who is more unproven than Walker Kessler was would not be a smart move by what is considered to be a very smart front office.
Could Denver lower the asking price for Watson? Possibly, but I think the more likely outcome this offseason is that Watson and Denver find a middle ground on a contract and he returns to the Nuggets.
Restricted free agents don’t have a lot of leverage in these situations and while Atlanta could be very interested in acquiring him, I would be pretty surprised if they overpaid for him like the Lakers did for Kessler.
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