In 2017, Bay Area legend Kead Da Sneak found himself involved in a pair of shootings, one of which left the rapper confined to a wheelchair. Sadly, Keak was still hit with a firearm charge, and will now have to begin serving a sixteen-month prison bid as a result.
A report from KQED details Keak's original thought process behind buying a gun, despite his status as a convicted felon. Seeing as the money for armed security had waned, Keak took it upon himself to buy a weapon, especially after already being involved in dangerous situations. Now, with his sentence having begun on January 28th, Keak has begun what looks to be a difficult stint behind bars, made especially worse by his disability. The report indicates that the aforementioned shootings left him in need of a wheelchair, a colostomy bag, a catheter, and three weekly visits with his nurse.
The system did not appear sympathetic to his cause. "It feels like they had no compassion," says Keak, in response to the sentencing. "My health is not good. I know they’re not gonna give me the treatment I need in prison. I’ve been to jail before, and once you get behind these walls, they have no compassion. You have to be on your dying bed for them to give you some assistance."
During the original firearms possession charge, which transpired back in March 2017, Keak explains that he was the victim of racial profiling. Upon having his license plate run at a gas station stop and learning of his ongoing probation, an officer decided to search Keak's car, where he proceeded to discover the firearm. Given everything that Keak has been through, the news feels like a particularly unfortunate conclusion. ""Am I gonna get the treatment I’m getting out here? I don't think so," he asks KQED, during their interview. "I’ve been to jail with people who were sick and really doing bad, and the guards and deputies didn't care about them at all. They came and beat on them because they were pushing the button like, 'I need help, I need help.'"
While the situation appears dire, many have already rallied behind his cause, including activists like Shaun King and Ethan Brown. It would appear that Keak has been given an additional week before he has to turn himself in. "Thanks to the judge for giving me 7 more days before I have to turn myself in," he writes, leaving us hoping that something can be done in his favor. Pray for Keak Da Sneak. Someone get Meek and Jay on the phone.