Georgia-born rapper Gunna made his return to the rap scene Friday with the release of “Bread & Butter.” In his first single since his incarceration in late 2022, Gunna comes clean about his highly publicized legal issues involving the YSL RICO case, snitching accusations from once-loyal fans and fellow rappers and his seven-month stint in jail.

A little over a year ago, the Atlanta rapper was one of the biggest young rap stars. And then, in a split second, he wasn’t. Last May, Gunna and Young Thug, along with 26 others, were ensnared in a massive RICO Act indictment. The indictment claimed that YSL, Young Thug’s label and rap crew, was, in fact, a street gang with a lengthy criminal history.

Gunna, whose real name is Sergio Giavanni Kitchens, remained in jail for months, with his bond denied multiple times. 

Finally, in December 2022, Gunna was freed after pleading guilty to one racketeering charge in an “Alford plea,” allowing him to accept responsibility for the alleged crimes while maintaining his innocence.

In turn, the judge sentenced the convicted rapper to a five-year suspended sentence, with time served. The remainder of his sentence will be suspended upon completing 500 hours of community service.

Young Thug remains incarcerated and awaits trial. Gunna emerged from life behind bars to find his reputation had changed radically, now facing severe backlash from fans and peers despite insisting he neither cooperated with nor testified against any co-defendants.

In a statement, Gunna reiterated this sentiment.

“While I have agreed to always be truthful,” he said. “I want to make it perfectly clear that I have NOT made any statements, have NOT been interviewed, have NOT cooperated, have NOT agreed 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.”

Nonetheless, shortly after Gunna’s release, Rolling Stone reported a general consensus among fans and rapper friends deriding Gunna as a snitch. Regular collaborator Lil Baby was one of Gunna’s peers who unfollowed him on Instagram.

As the Root reported, Lil Durk was brutally honest on the topic, calling Gunna out as a snitch in a recent interview with DJ Akademiks.

“That man told. You should’ve went in there and kept your mouth closed.” Durk said. “If you a rat, I fuckin’ hate you. Cause I love Thug.”

Gunna’s new song comments on this with a dig at those rappers and critics who “switched” on the “Pushin P” hitmaker:

“You switched on me when you know you in business with a rat / And the boy that’s like your brother, and nobody speak on that,” he raps.

In “Bread & Butter,” the stark, black-and-white video directed by Left, Gunna drives a Porsche through the Hollywood Hills in L.A.

Over a ruminative trap beat, Gunna defends his name and tries to explain his situation, suggesting he received a raw deal from prosecutors.

“F**k I pay the lawyers all those mills for? / Just so I won’t have to say a word to dodge a railroad,” the 29-year-old raps. “Never gave no statement or agreed to take no stand on ’em / On whatever you n***as on, then trust me, I’ma stand on it / Lawyers, and the D.A. did some sneaky s**t, I fell for it / On my Ps and Qs because this time, I be prepared for it.”

Gunna also claims loyalty to Young Thug, who remains behind bars.

“Never f**ked a n***a, always stayed solid / Kept it real with n***as, never lied and always stay honest.” Gunna spits. “Love my bro so much, I never change on ’em / Hunna Wunna goin’ do the work, bring you the damn profits.”

Video of Gunna’s plea hearing leaked where the rapper can be heard telling prosecutors that YSL is a gang that “must end,” Rolling Stone reported.

Despite the backlash, the MC had teased his musical comeback more than a month ago, when a fan page shared a part of an unreleased track and asked, “Gunna, where TF are you?”

Per Uproxx, the rapper hopped in the comments section: “I’m OTW,” he wrote.

“Bread & Butter” is now available to stream on Apple Music and Spotify. It remains unknown if the track will appear on a full-length Gunna project or if it’s a standalone intended to appease fans while something’s in the works. The rapper’s last album, DS4Ever, was released last January.

Bread & ButterGunnalil babyLil DurkYoung ThugYSL RICO Trial