BROOKLYN rapper Bobby Shmurda was released from prison on Tuesday, February 23, 2020, according to New York State Department of Corrections.
His freedom had been highly anticipated by fans and other artists - including rapper Rowdy Rebel. But who is Shmurda and why was he in jail?
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Who is Bobby Shmurda?
Florida-born Shmurda - whose real name is Ackquille Jean Pollard - is a rapper and songwriter originally from Miami.
His mom, Leslie Pollard, moved the family to East Flatbush in Brooklyn after his father was incarcerated.
Shmurda's dad, Gervase Johnson, was convicted of attemptedmurderin 1995 and sentenced to life when his son was two months old.
In December 2014, cops raided the studio Quad Recording in Manhattan where Tupac Shakur was shot in 1994 and arrested Shmurda in a car outside.
He was just 20 years old at the time.
Shmurda has been held at Clinton Correctional Facility in upstate New York.
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Why was Bobby Shmurda in jail?
Cops said Shmurda was the ringleader of a criminal street gang called GS9.
They said this group feuded with other gangs and was responsible for murders, shootings and drug trafficking turf wars.
The Brooklyn Eagle reported that cops arrested Shmurda on conspiracy, reckless endangerment and gun possession after he left the recording studio near Radio City Music Hall in December 2014.
The investigation unearthed a whopping 21 guns –including a handgun allegedly concealed in a duffle bag on Shmurda’s lap - at the time of his arrest.
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Shmurda and others –including his brother Jayese –were charged on a 69-count indictment, including murder, attempted murder, dealing drugs, and weapons possession.
In 2016, he pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to possess weapons and possession of a weapon.
He was sentenced to seven years in prison, which was eventually reduced to five years.
Shmurda tried to withdraw his plea, claiming his attorney "forced" him to take it.
In the years since his arrest, Shmurda has become something akin to a folk hero in hip-hop, writes the Associated Press.
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Shmurda reportedly signed a deal with Epic Records after his song Hot N**** came in at number six on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2014.
The music video also spawned a dance craze called the Shmoney dance.
Shmurda She Wrote, his debut single, was released on November 10, 2014.
Shmurda appeared onstage with the likes of Drake and Meek Mill, while Beyonce, Jay Z, Justin Bieber, Nick Young, and Rihanna performed or referenced his signature dance.
But he also allegedly pursed a criminal career, authorities said at the time of his conviction.
His history included two arrests for gun and drug possession, according to New York investigators.
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When was Bobby Shmurda released?
Shmurda was released from prison on Tuesday, February 23, 2021.
In the run up to his release, an ecstatic Rowdy Rebel had been looking forward to his pal's imminent release, writing on Instagram that there were just "days left".
He added: "Then all the joy gone wash away the pain. I promise you brother."
Shmurda's thrilled mother, Leslie Pollard, said he'll have a special dinner with his family before getting straight back into creating music.
The New York State Department of Corrections confirmed in January that he was eligible for release in February 2021.
Previous reports had suggested that the rapper was possibly to be released in December 2020, but his parole was denied.
Why was Bobby Shmurda denied parole in 2020?
Shmurdawas denied parole from New York State prison after having an interview with the Board of Parole on September 15, 2020.
He was “given a hold until the maximum expiration of his sentence on December 11, 2021,” the Corrections Department said.
It seems the news came as a surprise, as one of Pollard’s lawyers, Alex Spiro, had said before his parole was denied: “We are glad he is coming home soon."
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When did Bobby Shmurda allegedly 'start selling crack'?
In his song Hot N****, Bobby Shmurda claimed that he had been selling crack for years.
"I've been selling crack since like the fifth grade (Like the fifth grade)," the lyrics say.
His brother Javase reportedly started dealing drugs in the ninth grade, which influenced Shmurda to do the same thing.
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He said in a 2014 interview with Complex: "Yeah. I was running with older guys, my brother and [his friends].
"So by the time they was doing stuff, I was doing stuff. So they was in like 9th grade.
"I’d always fight older guys. I got tough like that. So when I came across people my age, I was a monster to them."
In 2015, Shmurda insisted his lyrics were not factual, telling Billboard his songs were "fabric rap. Fiction rap".
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James Essig, head of a NYPD unit who headed the drug investigation in 2014, said Shmurda's songs and videos were “almost like a real-life document of what they were doing on the street".
Shmurda told New York Magazinetwo months before his arrest: “My music is straight facts.
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