YNW Melly's Friend YNW Bortlen Reportedly Told Police About Shootings

BYGabriel Bras Nevares11.0K Views
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Recently surfaced audio shows the YNW associate detailing his experience in the incident that locked Melly up.

The case of YNW Melly is still developing, and his associate YNW Bortlen allegedly spoke to police about the incident that provoked his arrest. Moreover, newly released audio shows a conversation between Bortlen and an unidentified speaker. During the exchange, the YNW associate spoke briefly on the night two close friends, YNW Sakchaser and YNW Juvy, died in a shooting.

FT. LAUDERDALE, FL - FEBRUARY 13: In this handout photo provided by the Broward's Sheriff's Office, rapper YNW Melly, real name Jamell Demons, is seen in a police booking photo after being charged with two counts of murder in the first degree February 13, 2019 in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Demons allegedly conspired with Cortlen Henry to fatally shot two other Florida based rappers, Christopher Thomas Jr and Anthony Williams, October 26. (Photo by Broward's Sheriff's Office via Getty Images)

"I'm trying to make sure I don't get hit," the rapper began. "And you're telling me about this- I don't know, you know what I'm saying? I'm driving... S**t crazy, bro."

Furthermore, the last update we got from Melly was a plea for his life. Moreover, the "Mixed Personalities" rapper posted on Instagram that he "feared for [his] life" after threats from officials at his prison.

“As of this moment today I am officially in fear of my life,” Melly wrote last December. “A new Captain named Hubert and XO Jenkins have taken over the jail for two weeks now. They’ve handed out even harsher punishments for me [than] the previous ones in place.

“They are watching my every move on camera," he continued. "Making sure I don’t use the phone to tell the world how I am being mistreated, discriminated, threatened physically, harassed... [Deputies, lieutenants, and sergeants] say ‘they will hide me from the world’ and threaten to ‘beat my ass every day.’ If I tell my lawyers they will lie and say I hit them first."

Meanwhile, many assume that the person Bortlen spoke to is a detective. While the rapper did not provide any specific details or incriminations in the clip, the other voice goes on.

"I know it's not for you to worry about," he began. "But if you told me it happened there, there's got to be some evidence there... There's going to be broken glass over there, when the windows got shot out. There's going to be casings from the people shooting at your car. Okay, there's going to be stuff, evidence over there. Right now, there's nothing, okay? I kind of think I know what happened."

While it seems the other voice sought out more details, the released clip cuts off at that moment. Moreover, the lack of evidence as of now seems to hint at a difficult case to make heads or tails of. Regardless, confessions and conversations like these will prove instrumental to the "Murder On My Mind" rapper's case.

Still, what do you think of YNW Bortlen speaking to police about YNW Melly's charges and the incident that locked him up? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments down below. Also, as always, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest on YNW Melly's case.

About The Author
Gabriel Bras Nevares is a staff writer for HotNewHipHop. He joined HNHH while completing his B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication at The George Washington University in the summer of 2022. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Gabriel treasures the crossover between his native reggaetón and hip-hop news coverage, such as his review for Bad Bunny’s hometown concert in 2024. But more specifically, he digs for the deeper side of hip-hop conversations, whether that’s the “death” of the genre in 2023, the lyrical and parasocial intricacies of the Kendrick Lamar and Drake battle, or the many moving parts of the Young Thug and YSL RICO case. Beyond engaging and breaking news coverage, Gabriel makes the most out of his concert obsessions, reviewing and recapping festivals like Rolling Loud Miami and Camp Flog Gnaw. He’s also developed a strong editorial voice through album reviews, think-pieces, and interviews with some of the genre’s brightest upstarts and most enduring obscured gems like Homeboy Sandman, Bktherula, Bas, and Devin Malik.
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