Rapper Mystikal sentenced to 20 years in prison in rape case

The rapper Mystikal, a Grammy-nominated artist who rose to prominence in the early 2000s, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty in a 2022 rape case in Louisiana.

Michael Lawrence Tyler, known professionally as Mystikal, pleaded guilty in March to third-degree rape under a plea agreement that set a sentencing cap of 20 years. The deal reduced an earlier first-degree rape charge, which carried a potential life sentence, CNN reports.

Days before his sentencing, Mystikal asked a judge to withdraw his guilty plea, saying he “did not have sufficient opportunity to fully consider the consequences,” according to CNN affiliate WBRZ.

During the court hearing, the victim delivered a statement requesting the maximum sentence, describing the alleged assault in detail. WBRZ reported that she said the rapper had punched her, choked her, pulled out her braids and forcibly raped her at his home in Prairieville, near Baton Rouge.

“If I did that to you, I deserve the max sentence,” he said in response, according to the local TV station.

Mystikal has been held without bond at the Ascension Parish Jail since his arrest in 2022. His legal team did not immediately respond to media requests for comment.

The rapper gained national fame in the 1990s and is best known for his 2000 hit “Shake Ya A**,” which earned a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance.

He previously pleaded guilty in 2003 to sexual battery and served a six-year prison sentence. That same year, he also received Grammy nominations for his album Tarantula and his single “Bouncin’ Back (Bumpin’ Me Against The Wall).”

By Sabina Mammadli