Mystikal learned how much time he’ll spend in prison for raping a woman at his Louisiana home in 2022.
A judge sentenced the troubled rapper to 20 years in state prison on Tuesday, June 16, according to Baton Rouge news station WBRZ.
The woman, whose name is not being published because she was the victim of a sex crime, spoke at the sentencing hearing and asked the judge to give Mystikal the maximum sentence. She told the court she is still traumatized after he took her phone and car keys, punched her, choked her, pulled out her braids, and raped her.
The rapper, whose legal name is Michael Tyler, responded to the woman’s victim impact statement by saying, “If I did that to you, I deserve the max sentence.”
Related: Mystikal Gets Real on TV One Docuseries ‘Unsung’
Tyler, 55, pleaded guilty to third-degree rape in March, as previously reported. He had been facing a potential life sentence before reaching a plea agreement with prosecutors.
The hip-hop star later changed his mind, and days before the sentencing hearing asked the judge to withdraw his guilty plea. Tyler said he “did not have sufficient opportunity to fully consider the consequences” when he entered the plea, according to local news reports. His request was denied.
In a 2022 press release, the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded to a hospital to take a report of a sexual assault. “Through further investigation, Michael ‘Mystikal’ Tyler was identified as a suspect,” the department said.
Investigators obtained a search warrant for the rapper’s home and “located valuable evidence to corroborate the victim’s account of the rape.” They also found a “variety” of illegal drugs inside the home during the search.
Tyler was charged with first-degree rape, simple robbery, domestic abuse battery, and false imprisonment. He pleaded not guilty before changing his plea.
The New Orleans native is no stranger to local law enforcement.
In 2004, he pleaded guilty to sexual battery and extortion and was sentenced to six years in a Louisiana state prison for forcing his hairstylist to perform sex acts on him and his bodyguards. After serving the full six years, he was released in 2010 and required to register as a sex offender.
In 2017, Tyler turned himself in to face rape and kidnapping charges in Caddo Parish, Louisiana. He remained jailed for 18 months until he raised enough money to post a $3 million bond. The charges were ultimately dismissed due to a lack of evidence.
The rapper is best known for his global 2000 hit “Shake Ya Ass,” produced by The Neptunes. He also climbed the charts with “Danger (Been So Long)” and “Bouncin’ Back (Bumpin’ Me Against the Wall).” He was nominated for three Grammy Awards in the early 2000s, according to Grammy.com.
In 2021, he sat down for an interview with the TV One documentary series Unsung. The rapper talked about his personal struggles and said, “It took me a while to grow up.”
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