The lives of rappers are in the spotlight daily, allowing the public to constantly observe what these rappers are up to. Whether they are topping the charts, or involved in a media frenzy, the public is always in the know. Due to this, questions arise about whether or not these rappers should have social accountability for their actions, since a lot of people, especially the younger generations look up to these stars. The law obviously to think so, making examples of rappers when putting them under arrest, since many lead lifestyles that make it appear as though they are exempt from punishment. In fact, just last night we heard about the arrest of rising Chicago rapper RondoNumbaNine for a murder charge.
This feature is about 15 rappers who have done time in jail, and/or are still currently doing a bid in prison. Some of the alleged crimes these rappers have done may be old news, others you probably didn't even know did some time. These rappers have been arrested for various charges such as tax evasion, gun possession, manslaughter, attempted murder, perjury and so on.This list goes to show that no matter how much money rappers may have, at the end of the day they too are not above the law.
fat joe
FAT JOE
The "Lean Back" rapper is no stranger to legal issues. He was arrested for assault charges in '98 with Big Pun and was also named a witness in a couple of murder cases. However, the only time Fat Joe spent in prison was for tax evasion which he plead guilty to in 2012. It was reported that Fat Joe failed to pay his income tax for over 3 million dollars from 2007-2010. Fat Joe initially faced up to two years in prison. In June of 2013, he was sentenced to do time for four months. Joe began his sentence in August 2013, and was released early in November 2013.
beenie sigel
BEANIE SIGEL
This Philly rapper has been in and out of prison throughout the course of his career. In fact, in some old Jay-Z songs he asks for his friend to be free. Beanie Sigel is currently serving time in prison for tax evasion. It was reported that from 2003-2005, Sigel failed to file tax returns on $1 million worth of income. He was sentenced to 25 months after pleading guilty, and started to serve his time from September 2012. However, a month prior Sigel was arrested after being pulled over by the police on charges of possession of firearms, drug possession and a conspiracy charge. He was sentenced 23 months for this incident, and is serving the time for both sentences concurrently.
tupac
TUPAC
Noted as one of the greatest rappers ever, Tupac was always known for his controversial actions in the public eye. Some of these controversies eventually landed the rapper in jail, more than one time might we add. Pac's most infamous arrest was in 1993 when he sexually abused a 19 year old female. It was alleged that Tupac and three of his associates sexually abused and sodomized the young lady. In 1995 Tupac was sentenced to four and a half years in prison. Luckily for Pac, he only served a few months in prison before his early release.
lil wayne
LIL WAYNE
Everybody remembers when Weezy did his bid four years ago in Rikers Island. Wayne was sentenced to a year in jail during March 2010 due to drug and weapon possession charges of an incident that happened in New York back in 2007. Lil Wayne pleaded guilty in 2009 to the charges. At first Wayne was scheduled to be sentenced in February of 2010, but it got postponed twice. The first time was because Wayne had received dental surgery a couple of days before sentencing. The second time was due to a fire in the basement in the courthouse. Wayne began his sentence in March 2010, and was released early in November of 2010 due to good behavior.
ti
T.I.
T.I. was sentenced to serve a year and a day in prison for charges of possession of federal weapons back in March of 2009. The original sentence was for ten years with a plea bargain. T.I. started his sentence from May 2009, and was released from prison in March 2010. T.I. also has prior legal issues, but this was probably the most notable of the rapper's career.
remy ma
REMY MA
The Bronx femcee and wife of fellow rapper Papoose is currently serving time in prison for shooting her former friend in the torso back in 2007. It is reported that Remy shot former friend Makeda Barnes-Joseph because Joseph allegedly stole three thousand dollars from the rapper. Remy was convicted in 2008, and sentenced to eight years in prison. According to husband Papoose however, Remy may be released sooner than expected. Papoose claims that Remy should be free in July of 2014, so we will see what happens over the next several months.
lil kim
LIL KIM
In 2005, Lil Kim was convicted of conspiracy and perjury charges for lying to a grand jury. Back in 2001 outside of New York radio station Hot 97, a shoot-out occurred involving her manager D-Roc, and bodyguard Suif Jackson. Kim testified in court that she did not know if they were present at the crime scene. Later, a video was released showing all three of them at the scene. Lil Kim was sentenced to a year and a day in July of 2005. She was released in July of 2006.
foxy brown
FOXY BROWN
Foxy Brown is another female rapper who has had her issues with the law. Brown has had her ins and outs with law dating all the way back to 1997. Her most infamous bid was back in 2007, when Foxy was sentenced to a year in jail for violating her probation associated with an assault charge for attacking two manicurists in NYC back in 2004. While in jail, Brown served 76 days in solitary confinement for fighting another prisoner. Foxy was officially released from prison in April of 2008.
gucci mane
GUCCI MANE
Gucci Mane is no stranger to facing the law, being that the rapper has been in and out of jail since 2001. In the past year alone Gucci has been arrested several times for assaulting fans and drug and weapon possession Most recently though, in December of 2013, Gucci was charged with two counts of possessing a firearm as a felon in federal court. For these charges, Gucci can be facing up to twenty years behind bars.
chief keith
CHIEF KEEF
If you're a fan of Chief Keef's music, then you're aware that the teenage rapper is no stranger to violence. Keef has been in and out of juvenile detention since 2011. Keef's most recent arrest was in October of 2013 when he violated his probation. Keef was sentenced to serve twenty days, but released after ten days for good behavior. Consequently the following month, Keef returned back to jail for violating probation a second time. He's also been doing time in rehab to get over his addiction to lean, but as his forthcoming single title indicates, apparently it didn't work out too well.
ja rule
JA RULE
Ja Rule was one of the most prominent rappers of the new millennium, soaring the charts with his Murder Inc crew. Unfortunately, Ja Rule also found himself in legal trouble like many other rappers in the game. His most noted legal issue goes all the way back to 2007, where he was arrested for gun and drug possession. In 2010 Ja Rule was sentenced to two years in prison for the '07 arrest. In July 2011 Ja Rule was given an additional sentence for twenty-eight months for tax evasion. Ja Rule was officially released from prison during May 2013.
cassidy
CASSIDY
The rapper known for his smash hit "I'm a Hustla" faced serious charges back in 2005, associated with murder. Cassidy along with two other individuals were involved in a shoot-out, the aftermath causing one man's death. Cassidy was charged with attempted murder and assault, with a sentence of 11-23 months in prison. Cassidy only served eight months in prison, and was released early. In 2012 Cassidy was arrested again for allegedly violating probation, but was later on released.
max b
MAX B
Known for his association with Jim Jones and ByrdGang Records, the wavy Harlem rapper is currently in prison serving a 75 year sentence. Max B was charged with murder, conspiracy and robbery from a hotel incident back in 2006. Max allegedly set up the robbery of two men with his then girlfriend and stepbrother. The robbery resulted in the death of one of the men. In 2009 Max B was found guilty of murder and conspiracy. In 2010 Max filed an appeal, but was denied in 2012.
shyne
SHYNE
Almost everyone knows about the infamous Manhattan night club shooting back in 1999, involving Shyne, Diddy and then girlfriend Jennifer Lopez. The shooting left three people injured, resulting in Shyne's arrest due to a gun found on his waistband. Diddy was also charged with weapon possession but was later acquitted, while Shyne was sentenced to ten years in prison. Shyne served nine out of the ten year sentence, being released in October of 2009.
lil boosie
LIL BOOSIE
The most talked about story in hip-hop right now has to be the release of the Louisiana rapper Lil Boosie. Lil Boosie was recently released from prison on March 5, 2014 for drug charges stemming back from 2009. Boosie was sentenced to years in prison for drug possession. While incarcerated, he was caught for attempting to smuggle drugs into prison. Boosie was sentenced to an additional eight years in 2011. Boosie was also charged with first degree murder, which he was found not guilty in 2012. Boosie was released from prison early due to good behavior while incarcerated. Although he is currently out of prison, Boosie will be on parole until 2018.