Rapper Remy Ma, former member of the Terror Squad and Grammy-nominated rapper, was sentenced to 8 years in prison by a New York judge.
The 26-year-old rapper – real name Remy (Reminisce) Smith - was found guilty on Tuesday of attempted coercion, assault and weapon possession after she shot a woman outside a Manhattan nightclub. The verdict was handed by the state Supreme Court.
Ms Remy Smith could have faced up to 25 years in jail. However, eight years is a long time and she knew it. When she heard the lawmaker read the verdict, Remy Ma started to cry - some may say a very atypically thing to do for a rapper.
The incident happened in July 2007, when Remy Ma shot Makeda, a friend of hers, outside a nightclub. She got into a fight with Barnes-Joseph because she allegedly had stolen $3,000 from her purse.
Remy Ma continued to say that the shooting outside a Manhattan nightclub was an accident. The defense attorney, Ivan Fisher, said an appeal is planned.
Remy Ma’s weekend wedding at the Rikers Island jail was called of by correction officials after M Smith’s fiancée, fellow rapper Papoose, showed up with a handcuff key.
Fisher denied the key could be used to unlock handcuffs. The groom-to-be wasn’t charged but was told he couldn't come back on the island for six months. So no more conjugal visits for a while…
Nevertheless, the two rappers still plan to tie the knot, Fischer said.
Remy Ma, one of three female rappers to ever have a number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, received the best female hip-hop artist award at 2005's BET Awards and was nominated in 2004 for a Grammy award for her part in Terror Squad's song "Lean Back."
What was realy interesting in this case is the fact that Makeda Barnes-Joseph named as defendants several of Remy Ma’s recording companies, including even Universal Music Group and Sure Shot Recordings. The accuser claimed that the companies encouraged Remy Ma to engage in violent behavior as part of her image.