Rappers are often sent to jail for one thing or another. From A$AP Rocky to Rod Wave, 2022 is not looking good for American rappers.
Some of the most famous rappers have been in trouble for things like having guns, using drugs, and being part of gangs. Here is a list of all 25 well-known rappers who were just arrested.
1 YoungThug
2 Mozzy
3 Fetty Wap
4 Pooh Shiesty
5 42 Dugg
6 YNW Melly
7 Bankroll Freddie
8 Kay Flock
9 Tay K
10 Lil Jay
11 Maine musik
12 Pablo Juan
13 Ralo
14 Rio
15 Foogiano
16 Q Money
17 Cass
18 No Savage
19 Sheff G
20 Lucci
21 Honeycomb Brazy
22 Hotboi
23 Tory Lanez
24 9lokkNine
25 AR-AB
1. Tory Lanez (Daystar Shemuel Shua Peterson)
Lanez was arrested in the Hollywood Hills on July 12, 2020, after leaving a house party where there had been an argument that resulted in violence.
He was charged with having a concealed weapon in his vehicle. Megan Thee Stallion, another rap artist in the car, was initially reported to have a glass wound on her foot. However, in an Instagram post, Megan later disputed this, stating she underwent surgery after suffering “gunshot wounds, as a result of a crime that was committed against me and done with the intention to physically harm me”.
She did not say who shot her at the time. Megan stated on Instagram Live in August 2020 that she was shot by Lanez during this incident.
She also spoke out against his publicist team, saying: “You shot me, and your publicist and your people are lying and shitin’ on these blogs. Stop telling lies. Why would you lie?”
On September 25, 2020, Lanez released his fifth album, Daystar, in which he addresses the shooting on nearly every song, and denies that he shot Megan, while also claiming she and her team were “trying to frame” him; on the song “Money Over Fallouts”, he raps: “how you get shot in your foot, don’t hit no bones or tendons”.
Megan’s attorney, Alex Spiro, claimed the same day in a statement to Variety that Lanez’s representatives had since attempted to launch a “smear campaign” against Megan to discredit her allegations.
“We have been made aware of manipulated text messages and fabricated email accounts that have been disseminated to the media in a calculated attempt to peddle a false narrative about the events that occurred,” Spiro stated. Lanez’s team denied this, saying they would look into who was behind the fake emails and take appropriate action.
Following negative responses to Lanez from certain publications, the rapper claimed on Instagram on September 29, 2020, that news sites had launched a smear campaign against him, stating that he has “never seen verified publications… come together with ‘biased’ opinions for a smear campaign on an artist,” and questioning who is “paying” them.
Lanez was charged with felony assault with a semiautomatic firearm, personal use of a firearm, and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle in October 2020.
He was also accused of personally inflicting great bodily harm with a gun. He was supposed to be arraigned on October 13, but it was pushed back to November 18 after Lanez’s attorney requested a continuance.
Lanez has since been served with a protective order requiring him to stay at least 100 yards away from Megan and not contact her.
He was also ordered to surrender any firearms he possesses. Megan addressed the shooting further in an op-ed for The New York Times published on October 13, 2020, writing: “In so many areas of life, black women are still constantly disrespected and ignored. I was recently the victim of a man’s violent act. I was shot twice as I walked away from him after a party. We were not in a relationship at the time. To be honest, I was surprised that I ended up in that situation “.
According to MRC Data, Lanez’s streaming figures dropped significantly after Megan claimed he shot her, from around 30 million in June 2020 to around 9 million. Lanez’s verse on Kehlani’s song “Can I” was later removed, and Lanez did not appear in the song’s music video.
Lanez was arrested in April 2022 for violating a protection order related to the case; he was released shortly after on a $350,000 bond.
Lanez was convicted in a jury trial on three felony charges related to the shooting on December 23, 2022: assault with a semiautomatic handgun, having a loaded and unregistered firearm in a vehicle, and gross negligence in discharging his firearm.
Lanez, who was tried in Los Angeles, was arrested immediately after his conviction. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for January 27, 2023.
2. Casanova (Caswell Senior)
Brooklyn rapper Caswell Senior, who goes by the stage name Casanova, was arrested yesterday (at the time of writing) after pleading guilty in a federal racketeering case and another count of “conspiracy to distribute over 100 kilograms of marijuana.”
The “Set Trippin” rapper, who is 35 years old, was in charge of the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation Bloods Gang. For the two counts, he could get up to 60 years in prison, and at least 5 years.
3. Young Thug (Jeffery Lamar Williams)
Thug was arrested in Atlanta on gang-related charges on May 9, 2022. Thug and Gunna were among the 28 YSL associates charged in a state court with a 56-count Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) indictment.
Following a search of his home, he was charged with seven additional felonies for illegal substance possession and illegal firearms possession. He was being held in Fulton County Superior Court.
4. 42 Dugg (Dion Marquise Hayes)
42 Dugg is signed to Lil Baby and Yo Gotti’s 4 Pockets Full (4PF), Collective Music Group (CMG), and Interscope Records. He is best known for his collaborations with American rapper Lil Baby, including “Grace” and “We Paid”.
The rapper was the subject of a lengthy federal search. Dugg was seen firing a gun in an Atlanta gun range in 2019, which he was not allowed to do due to a prior felony conviction. He was sentenced to three years of probation and a $90,000 fine.
Hayes escaped from a traffic stop in a rented SUV on June 5, 2020, after running a stop sign and spent two months on the run.
Authorities collaborated with the rental company to apprehend Hayes. Hayes was apprehended on August 4, 2020, and charged with a third-degree felony for fleeing police.
He was released after posting a $20,000 bond. He was sentenced to six months in a federal prison camp for violating the terms of his release for the gun range incident.
Hayes was arrested at Willow Run Airport in Michigan on May 5, 2022, after failing to report to serve his prison sentence.
He attempted to avoid incarceration in April of the same year by filing a court document claiming to be a sovereign citizen immune from federal laws.
5. Bankroll Freddie (Freddie Gladney III)
Bankroll Freddie, a 27-year-old American rapper, was arrested on April 14, 2022, for possessing firearms and drugs. He is also charged with resisting arrest because he refused to submit to arrest/passive or active refusal.
The Conway High School alum started his music career in 2017, releasing his freestyle “Lil Baby”. He also created a freestyle “Act Up”, a song by “City Girls” under the label “Quality Control”. After releasing “Drip Like This,” the Arkansas native joined this label in 2019.
6. YNW Melly (Jamell Maurice Demons)
Demons was arrested on three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count of discharging a firearm in public on October 19, 2015, after shooting at three people near Vero Beach High School. Demons were imprisoned for a year before being released on probation.
Demons was arrested in 2017 for violating his probation and spent several months in prison before being released in March 2018.
On June 30, 2018, Demons was arrested in Fort Myers, Florida, for marijuana possession, possession of a weapon or ammunition by a convicted felon, and drug paraphernalia.
On January 3, 2019, Demons was arrested again in Fort Myers for marijuana possession.
On February 12, 2019, Demons was charged with two counts of premeditated first-degree murder in connection with the October 2018 shooting deaths of two YNW associates described as his close friends, rappers YNW Sakchaser and YNW Juvy, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Authorities claim Demons plotted with fellow YNW rapper Cortlen Henry (YNW Bortlen) to stage the double murder of Williams (YNW Sakchaser) and Thomas Jr. (YNW Juvy) and make it appear as if they were killed in a drive-by shooting. Henry allegedly drove the victims to the hospital, where they died from their injuries. Demons surrendered on February 13, 2019.
Complex reported on February 22, 2019, that Demons and Henry were suspects in the 2017 fatal shooting of off-duty Indian River County Sheriff’s Department deputy Garry Chambliss in Gifford.
YNW Melly’s trial date was set for March 7, 2022 on November 30, 2021. The trial was later rescheduled for May 23, 2022. The trial was postponed once more until June 6, 2022.
After the trial was halted, Demon’s team decided to file a request for a speedy trial on May 26, 2022. The trial must begin within the next 175 days.
On July 6, 2022, it was announced that Demons would no longer face the death penalty if they were convicted.
However, on November 9, 2022, an appellate judge overturned the decision, making YNW Melly eligible for capital punishment if sentenced.
7. Tay K (Taymor Travon McIntyre)
McIntyre was almost prosecuted for the first time on January 1, 2016. McIntyre was in a car with US Marine and fellow Daytona Boyz member Eric “Santana Sage” Johnson after performing at a New Year’s Eve celebration in Denton, Texas.
Johnson shot University of North Texas student Sara Mutschlechner in the head, killing her, following an argument between occupants of the car carrying Johnson and McIntyre and occupants of another car carrying people leaving the same party, including Mutschlechner.
Passengers in the car carrying Johnson and McIntyre sexually accosted Mutschlechner, according to witnesses, while Johnson claimed that passengers in the other car called him and his fellow passengers racial and homophobic slurs and that he had only intended to scare the passengers in the other car away after receiving threats of bodily harm.
Johnson pleaded not guilty, but was found guilty and sentenced to 44 years in prison. McIntyre was not charged with anything in the case.
McIntyre faced his first major legal issues in July 2016, when he and six other people were arrested on capital murder charges in connection with a home invasion that killed a drug dealer in Mansfield, Texas.
Megan Holt, 19, and Ariana Bharrat, 20, conspired with McIntyre and some other friends to rob Zachary Beloate, 19, on July 26, 2016.
They intended to seduce him before allowing McIntyre to enter the house armed with guns to steal drugs and money. One of the two women unlocked the door, and the gunmen robbed Beloate and his friend Ethan Walker, resulting in a fatal confrontation and Walker’s death as they attempted to flee; two other non-fatal gunshot wounds were sustained.
McIntyre admitted his role in the failed robbery during a two-and-a-half-hour interrogation, telling detectives that he searched the house for drugs.
While awaiting certification hearings, McIntyre was placed under house arrest in January 2017. On March 27, 2017, just a few days before the hearings, McIntyre and another suspect disconnected their ankle monitors and fled to San Antonio, Texas.
Just before cutting his ankle monitor off and going on the run, McIntyre wrote the following on Twitter: “fuck dis house arrest shit fuck 12 they gn hav 2 catch me on hood”.
McIntyre traveled to Elizabeth, New Jersey, where he recorded “The Race,” a song about his escape from the police and legal troubles. “Fuck a beat, I was tryna beat a case/but I ain’t beat that case, bitch I did the race,” the song begins. McIntyre’s accomplice was apprehended in May 2017.
McIntyre was apprehended by the US Marshals Service in Elizabeth, New Jersey on June 30, 2017. To avoid arrest, McIntyre claimed to have swallowed a bottle of pills and was taken to a hospital when he was apprehended.
McIntyre claimed he was hearing voices after nothing was found wrong with him and was taken to a psychiatric ward for evaluation, where he was kept for a day and a half before being taken into custody.
While on the run, McIntyre allegedly shot and killed 23-year-old Mark Anthony Saldivar during a robbery outside of a Chick-fil-A in San Antonio, Texas, on April 23, 2017.
McIntyre and two accomplices, according to the allegations, lured Saldivar into a black SUV in order to steal his photography equipment.
When Saldivar jumped out of the SUV and began screaming for help, McIntyre accelerated in an attempt to hit him. Saldivar allegedly jumped onto the hood of the SUV and kicked the windscreen until McIntyre allegedly exited the vehicle and shot him once before driving away.
While on the run, McIntyre allegedly attacked and robbed 65-year-old Owney “Skip” Pepe in Cravens Park, Arlington, Texas, on May 25, 2017.
McIntyre is accused of holding a gun to Pepe’s head before knocking him out in the park, where Pepe was later discovered by a jogger. Pepe later recognized McIntyre in a photo lineup.
On July 20, 2017, McIntyre was transferred to an adult prison. On August 30, 2017, a preliminary certification hearing was held to determine McIntyre’s juvenile status.
McIntyre’s lawyer, Trent Loftin, told The New York Times that his client was optimistic and that they were confident he would be cleared of all charges.
McIntyre was decided to be tried as an adult in the case. Due to a lack of evidence, the trial was eventually postponed.
McIntyre’s case involving the San Antonio incident received additional capital murder charges on October 3, 2017.
According to police, McIntyre was in the vehicle at the time of the shooting, and there is surveillance video of the incident. McIntyre was being held on $500,000 bail at the time, but in February 2018, the bail was reduced to $0.
On February 28, 2018, an unnamed minor described as a “petite, pretty blonde” was sentenced to twenty years in prison after being found guilty of capital murder and aggravated robbery.
Megan Holt, an accomplice, pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery and agreed to testify against her co-defendants in exchange for a 20-year sentence in February 2018.
Latharian Merritt was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in May 2018 after being convicted of capital murder.
Ariana Bharrat pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery in August 2018 and agreed to testify against her co-defendants in exchange for a 25-year sentence.
Sean Robinson pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 40 years in prison the same month. Jalen Bell, McIntyre’s last accomplice, pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery charges and was sentenced to 30 years in prison in November 2018.
McIntyre’s defense attorneys argued that because his case began in the juvenile system, which lacks a bail or bond system, he was now entitled to one under Texas law (as of March 2018).
State District Judge Wayne Salvant denied McIntyre’s request for bond, expressing concern that McIntyre’s alleged crimes had been “glorified” and that he was a “high, violent assessment”.
On May 24, 2018, it was confirmed that McIntyre would not face the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole under Miller v. Alabama and Roper v. Simmons. If convicted, he faces a sentence of 40 years to life in prison.
On August 2, 2018, McIntyre was charged with possessing a prohibited item while incarcerated after a mobile phone was discovered hidden in his sock during a search.
On August 14, 2018, McIntyre was transferred from Tarrant County Jail to the maximum-security Lon Evans Corrections Center, where he spent 23 hours in solitary confinement with one hour allotted to go to the gym.
On August 16, 2018, the Texas Second Court of Appeals ruled that State District Judge Wayne Salvant made a mistake by refusing to set bail for McIntyre in his aggravated robbery case.
Nonetheless, he was denied bail in the case involving the murder of Ethan Walker. McIntyre allegedly cursed and threatened a Tarrant County Sheriff sergeant, threw his food tray and wet toilet paper, and exceeded his allotted phone time while there.
As a result of his alleged involvement in these murders, McIntyre has been named in two lawsuits. In June 2018, the family of San Antonio shooting victim Mark Saldivar filed a wrongful death lawsuit seeking more than $1 million in damages, and in July 2018, the family of Ethan Walker and survivor Zachary Beloate sued McIntyre and his record label 88 Classic for profits from McIntyre’s music following Walker’s death.
McIntyre pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated robbery in the Mansfield home invasion case on the first day of his trial on July 15, 2019.
McIntyre was found guilty of murder and aggravated robbery by a jury on July 19, 2019. For each of the four charges, he faced 5 to 99 years in prison or life in prison.
During the sentencing phase of the trial, McIntyre’s song “The Race,” which he wrote while on the run from the US Marshals Service, was introduced as evidence.
On July 23, 2019, he was sentenced to 55 years in prison for murder, 30 years for one count of aggravated robbery, and two 13-year sentences for the remaining two counts of aggravated robbery.
The four prison sentences will be served concurrently, and he will be eligible for parole after serving at least 27.5 years. He was also fined $21,000 ($10,000 for murder and $11,000 for the three aggravated robberies combined).
McIntyre was extradited to the Bexar County Jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial in the Mark Anthony Saldivar murder case. A Bexar County Grand Jury indicted him for capital murder in November 2019.
8. Hotboii
Hotboii was arrested on racketeering and conspiracy to commit racketeering charges on July 12, 2021. He was arrested and his bond was revoked at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office in Orlando.
