What Happened to YSL Woody? Inside the Events Behind the Viral Hashtag, #Prayforwoody

Kenneth Copeland, aka rapper YSL Woody or Lil Woody, was one of Atlanta's rising artists. That was until 2023, when he was tapped as a star witness in rapper Young Thug's YSL RICO trial. Woody took the stand on immunity and went viral for his testimony, repeatedly stating "I don't recall" throughout the prosecution.

YSL Woody gained extra attention for something other than his connection to Thug's case when it was revealed that he was involved in a life-changing event. Here's what happened.

YSL Woody sparked concern among his fanbase after reports surfaced that he was involved in a dirt bike or motorcycle accident. According to Hot New Hip-Hop's report of the incident, he appeared to lose control and flew off of it violently. He smacked the pavement hard, leading him to be in a state of unconsciousness. The incident reportedly occurred on Peters Street in Atlanta and was recorded by several witnesses, who shared footage from the scene and posted it on social media.

Following the news of his accident, many of Woody's fans feared the worst, thinking he may have been killed. According to VladTV, the concern turned into a viral hashtag, "#PrayForWoody." Thankfully, he survived and shared a video on Instagram from his hospital bed wearing a neck brace and bearing visible cuts and bruises.

In the short clip, Woody thanked God for his survival, saying that “those who do the work of the Lord” will be protected. He urged fans to keep praying, even “in a time of pain,” signaling both gratitude and resilience in the wake of his near-tragic ordeal. The rapper showed more of his recovery a few days later when he posted a clip of himself having one of his injuries stitched. In the video's caption, Woody expressed remorse towards those he intentionally or unintentionally harmed.

"To those I’ve hurt knowingly and unknowingly, I'm sorry," he wrote. "This life hurt."

In many cases, traumatic moments like Woody's car accident would make anyone question their life decisions. The "Penthouse" rapper is no different, as he expressed his desire to change his life around after spending years connected to the Atlanta gang life and rap scene. In his interview with Fox 5 Atlanta, Woody also shared that he has no desire to continue his rap career.

"Me personally, I don't want to put music out, because they don't change the hip-hop culture where they make you want to have to be a certain type of person to do music," he explained to the outlet. "So once they get the music scene back to where it needs to be... and let the kids know that you ain't got to be a violent person, to be a rapper, you know, drug dealer, to be a rapper, anything."

"You could be an educated graduate to be a rapper, you know, you can be whatever you want to be. You ain't got to uphold that image. So me, personally, I won't be doing music."

Woody added that, while rap might not be for him, he's well aware of the presence he has in his community and shared plans to use his influence to encourage children to live their best lives.

"The kids see me, they ask me to pray for them," Woody said. Man, be crazy. I'd be so shocked, but they would keep me on this, on this path. They keep me on this journey, because I know that I'm doing the right thing."