Mariah the Scientist and Young Thug's Relationship Is Stronger Than Ever Amid His RICO Case
Published Jan. 25 2024, 5:36 p.m. ET
There are few things rap and R&B music fans love more than when two of their faves get together. And while it's no secret that Beyonce and Jay-Z are the most recognized rapper-singer power couple, newer relationships have blossomed to keep the longtime couple company.
One couple who made headlines in 2024 is Mariah the Scientist and Young Thug. In January, a leaked video of the couple professing their love for one another amid Thugger's arrest for RICO charges went viral on social media.
Mariah, specifically, caught flack from social media spectators for being, according to them, overly affectionate to her lover during their jail call. However, the "Different Pages" singer likely doesn't regret it, as she's been smitten with the "Hot" rapper for quite some time.
So, how did Mariah the Scientist and Young Thug's romance begin? Keep reading for the couple's full relationship timeline!
September 2021 — Mariah the Scientist and Young Thug spark rumors that they're dating.
When rumors swirled that Mariah and Young Thug had begun dating, many fans of Atlanta's music scene rejoiced. The couple, born and raised in ATL, sparked dating rumors in 2021 after being spotted at a Falcons game. While they didn't confirm they were a couple until much later, Mariah shared on Big Boy's radio show that their relationship began as a professional one six months before it was romantic.
"I pulled up on him because I wanted him to get on this song," Mariah said of her and Young Thug's first collaboration in November 2023. "I got there, and he was just a vibe. He was so nice."
May 2022 — Young Thug and Mariah the Scientist remain tight-lipped about their relationship amid his arrest.
While Mariah and Young Thug's fans were convinced, the two didn't confirm they were a couple in the public eye. However, that changed once Young Thug, whose real name is Jeffery Williams, was arrested in a massive RICO case involving himself and other defendants.
According to Atlanta News First, Young Thug's arrest came after prosecutors alleged he and several others are members of the "Young Slime Life" gang, which is abbreviated as YSL.
As fans of the rapper know, he has a label under the same abbreviation but has claimed the similarity to the gang's name is a coincidence, as YSL means "Young Stoner Life." Still, as of this writing, Young Thug is on trial and is facing eight criminal counts under federal law and up to 25 years in prison. And although the arrest occurred a few months into their relationship, Mariah has remained by her partner's side.
December 2022 — Mariah denies breaking up Young Thug’s relationship with Jerrika Karlae
Several months after Young Thug's arrest, Mariah gave fans a rare look into her and the rapper's relationship. In December 2022, the former biology student released a post on X, formerly Twitter, that some believed was a jab at Thugger's ex-girlfriend, Jerrika Karlae.
Jerrika and Young Thug were engaged in 2015 and reportedly broke up when he began seeing Mariah, per Urban Islandz. So, when Mariah tweeted, "Imagine fronting on someone who showed u love from the start for someone more popular or more… ‘aesthetically pleasing,'" many felt she was sending Jerrika a subliminal message.
"Young thug left Karlae to be with you, so you’re basically subbing yourself????” one X user wrote.
Mariah quickly defended her post and stated it wasn't a hit towards Young Thug's ex. She commented that she was "less popular" than Jerrika when she started dating Young Thug and called her non-fans "sick in the head" for assuming she was insulting the mother of his five children.
August 2023 — Mariah yells “free my baby daddy” onstage amid Thugger’s jail stay
Mariah and Young Thug were still going strong when she addressed him and his ongoing RICO case onstage. During a performance at Outside Lands in San Francisco, Calif., Mariah took time out of her set to show her man some love in front of her fans.
“Now, you know I got a man. He locked up,” the singer said, adding, “Free my baby daddy!
Mariah also led her fans in a chant where she said, "Free!" and the audience replied, "Thug!" Her public admiration for Thugger shocked many fans, as she seemingly kept their love private. That same month, Mariah shared with Distractify that she prefers to tell fans just enough of her and Young Thug's business.
"I'm naturally kind of reserved. So I think that me being reserved like that, it just automatically —no matter what — it implores people to be more curious," Mariah shared with us. "I feel like sometimes people will create a bond or an attachment with people, and then they just want to know more about [them].”
October 2023 — The couple release matching songs celebrating their love
In October 2023, Young Thug and Mariah released two songs that solidified their relationship and introduced Mariah's upcoming project. Thugger shared his song "From A Man," while Mariah's track was titled "From A Woman" on her album, To Be Eaten Alive.
The collaboration wasn't the first time Thugger and Mariah have worked together, as that's how they met. When asked by Pitchfork about working with her honey, Mariah said the rapper always puts her at ease.
"[Jeff] is someone who supports and respects my vision wholeheartedly," she said of her beau. "There is a true balance in my femininity and his masculinity. He’s the yang to my yin in every way.”
December 2023 — Mariah the Scientist confirms she and Young Thug have discussed marriage.
After two years of dating, most of which had been spent with Young Thug behind bars, Mariah confirmed in December 2023 that the couple had made significant plans for their future. In a December 2023 interview with the Baller Alert Show, she said they've discussed marriage, though neither of them want to a "jail wedding" and will wait until he's back home.
"I feel like he wants to be married, and I feel like I do too," Mariah said.
That same month, a video of Young Thug professing his love for his future wife went viral. In the video, Thugger seemingly mouthed "I love you" to Mariah as she attended his RICO trial.
January 2024 — Mariah and Young Thug’s leaked video sparks social media debate and defense from Drake.
Mariah and Young Thug's romance became social media fodder in January 2024. Initially, the leaked video was a running joke on X, as some users were annoyed by how Mariah talked to her boyfriend. In the video, Mariah said, "Merry Christmas, baby, I love you," and thanked him for her gifts. The couple also shared how much they miss one another.
Soon after the video's release, many X users criticized Mariah's voice and demeanor around her Young Thug. However, several rappers, including Drake, were more offended that presumed private video had made its way online. In an Instagram Story, Drake scolded Fulton County Judge Ural Glanville for allowing the call between Thugger and Mariah to surface amid his legal woes.
“This gotta be some form of jail misconduct,” Drake wrote. “You going to drag this talented man then not be able to control your employees using his business for their gain? Somebody benefitted from this video even existing, and that’s shameful. The whole case is a wash. Just free the guy and let him come home and continue bringing light to Atlanta!”
Despite the backlash from Drake and other artists like Meek Mill, Billboard reported that the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office didn't leak the video and that Young Thug is in Cobb County Jail, not Fulton. Cobb County also stated they didn't leak Young Thug and Maria's video.