Rapper Kay Flock was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Tuesday (local time) for a series of shootings in his Bronx neighborhood, marking an abrupt end to a promising music career that had begun to gain momentum before his arrest in 2021, according to The Associated Press.
Judge criticizes rapper for glorifying violence
US District Judge Lewis J Liman, who handed down the sentence, criticized the 22-year-old rapper, whose real name is Kevin Perez, for sending the wrong message to his young peers by glorifying the violence in less than 18 months from 2020 to 2021, which prosecutors say left dozens of people shot, injured or killed on the streets of the Bronx.
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Gang convictions and arrests
Perez was convicted in March of charges including racketeering, conspiracy and attempted murder. “You taunted, you celebrated and you helped create a cycle of violence,” Liman said, adding that Perez had bragged on social media that he was exonerated at the highest level and posted “KILL ALL RATS” on Instagram after a trial in which gang members testified against him.
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The judge called Perez a “man of promise” but said a lengthy prison term was warranted for four separate shootings that injured several people while leading a gang known as “Sev Side/DOA.”
Perez says he has changed
Perez insisted he has changed, saying: “What I was at 18 is not who I am today.”
He said everyone deserves a second chance, adding: “I was just a kid. I didn’t really know.”
However, Liman criticized him for showing no remorse or concern for his victims.
“To date you have shown no real remorse for your behaviour,” the judge said.
A rising star in the drill rap scene
Perez was named Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month in November 2021 following the release of his debut album, The DOA Tape. The project helped establish him as a rising name in New York’s drill rap scene, a genre known for artists who often brandish guns and use slang-laden lyrics aimed at violence, the AP reported.
Prosecutors wanted a stiffer sentence
Assistant US Attorney Patrick R Moroney asked the court to impose a 50-year prison sentence, the same sentence recommended by the court’s probation officer, on the grounds that Perez’s music includes threats and taunts.
“He was very good at glorifying his violence and getting under the skin of his rivals,” the prosecutor said.
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Prosecutors wrote in their sentencing affidavit that Perez was signed to a music label and used violence to further his career.
“Music that glorified gang violence made the defendant famous and now rich,” they wrote, accusing Perez of inciting violence through private messages.
The defense cites problematic upbringing
Defense attorney Michael Ashley urged the judge to impose a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, saying Perez grew up in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the country and was influenced by an older man who supported gang activity.
The judge notes a troubled past
Liman said he took into account that the crimes occurred when Perez’s brain was “still developing and maturing” and that six of his friends had died from gunshot wounds before he was 18.
“I feel like street life is all you’ve ever known,” Liman said.
