Hotboii’s Attorney Clarifies Confusion Over Hashtag That Was Mistaken For A Gang

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Hotboii Released Prison Lawyer Hashtag Gang RICO Case Hip Hop News
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This led to Hotboii's freedom from jail following his RICO conviction three years prior.

Hotboii was recently released from prison after a three-year RICO bid, and we now have some new details about how he achieved this freedom. Moreover, the Orlando Sentinel reported on Wednesday (September 18) about his lawyer Lyle Mazin and what he had to do in court to get his client out of his legal troubles and dismiss the matter. According to Mazin, the Florida rapper's case centered around two main offenses. These are the use of electronic communication to promote gangs and possession of a firearm by a person with a conviction history.

For those unaware, authorities accused Hotboii of encouraging guns and gang-promoting lyrical content via Instagram, as well as of possessing a weapon in his vehicle. Allegedly, he led the 438 gang in Orlando, which fought up the Army gang allegedly fronted by 9lokknine. The "NASA" MC's attorney Lyle Mazin argued in court that 438 is no gang, but rather just a social media hashtag to represent his Pine Hills neighborhood in Orlando. Mazin argued that even his client's Instagram handle, @itshotboii438, and other posts including that number are just promoting his neighborhood and not any sort of criminal organization or activity.

Hotboii's "9/11 (First Day Out)": Stream & Watch The Music Video

"He wasn’t promoting a gang," Mazin said of his client Hotboii. "He was promoting his label and his music. That's what he was doing. It's equivalent to Biggie Smalls, or to Kodak Black, or any major artist promoting their music." In addition, he argued that his client's security possessed the weapon in question to protect him from threats against his life allegedly pushed by the aforementioned rival gang. Due to these arguments and others, the court eventually dropped the RICO charges against the Blinded By Death artist, who pleaded guilty of one count of conspiracy as part of a deal with prosecutors.

Meanwhile, we'll see what else Hotboii does this year to celebrate his freedom. He already dropped a "first day out" single with "9/11," and we can only guess as to what his priorities look like. Maybe the "Throw In The Towel" creative just wants to lay low with his loved ones before planting his flag again.

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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