Tsu Surf RICO Update: Rapper Pleads Not Guilty, Joe Budden Speaks For The First Time

BYHayley Hynes4.6K Views
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The Ultimate Rap League App Event
Tsu-Surf attends The Ultimate Rap League App Event at Private Residence on October 29, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
"Free Surf until they say it backwards," the podcast host declared on a recent episode of his show.

It's been a year full of rapper RICO arrests, with the latest one to make headlines taking place earlier this month when 32-year-old Tsu Surf was taken into police custody along with a group of other men over their alleged involvement in a series of crimes spanning back several years.

As Fox5NY reporter Lisa Evers shared, the rapper was not present in court yesterday (October 27) as he pleaded not guilty to his charges, but rather, opted to enter his plea via teleconference.

"Rahjon 'Tsu Surf' Cox pleaded NOT GUILTY to federal charges via teleconference in US District Court in Newark today. He remains in custody at Essex County Jail," the journalist shared on social media.

As AllHipHop notes, yesterday also saw the New Jersey-born artist share one of his first tweets since his October 13th arrest. "I seen Monsters before," he wrote. "Free Me."

At this time, the details that have emerged regarding the RICO case reveal that federal prosecutors have accused Tsu Surf of being an active member of the Rollin' 60s Neighborhood Crips sect, the Silverbacc Gorillas (SBG).

The then men involved in the indictment are accused of a variety of criminal activities, including murder, moving drugs, robbery, and theft, all dating back to 2015.

In the weeks since Surf's arrest, a handful of close friends have been speaking out, including Joe Budden, who addressed the situation on a recent episode of his self-titled podcast. "At some point, we’re going to have to address Surf. Free Surf until they say it backwards," the host said.

"I don’t know how bad it is, how severe it is. Unfortunately, I did not get to speak to Surf right before he left, but I love him of course, I support him. Anything that he, his mom, his family needs from me, I’m there. He already know, that just goes unsaid for me," Budden added.

Check it out in the video below, and tap back in with HNHH later for more hip-hop news updates.

[Via]

About The Author
Hayley Hynes is the former Weekend Managing Editor of HotNewHipHop, she stepped down after two years in 2024 to pursue other creative opportunities but remains on staff part-time to cover music, gossip, and pop culture news. Currently, she contributes similar content on Blavity and 21Ninety, as well as on her personal blog where she also offers tarot/astrology services. Hayley resides on the western side of Canada, previously spending a year in Vancouver to study Fashion Marketing at Blanche Macdonald Centre and Journalism at Mount Royal University in Calgary before that. She's passionate about helping others heal through storytelling, and shares much more about her life on Instagram @hayleyhynes.
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