"If I did that to you, I deserve the max sentence," the New Orleans rapper reportedly told the courtroom.
Mystikal performs onstage at the 2017 ESSENCE Festival Presented By Coca Cola at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on July 2, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for 2017 ESSENCE Festival
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Mystikal (Michael Lawrence Taylor) has been sentenced to 20 years in prison, according to WBRZ. The “Shake Ya A—” rapper was sentenced in Louisiana’s Ascension Parish Court on Tuesday (June 16).
Mystikal pleaded guilty to a third-degree rape charge in March after being arrested in July 2022.
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The Grammy-nominated rapper was arrested following an altercation with a woman at his Louisiana residence, which saw him allegedly choke, assault, rape and rob the victim.
Per WBRZ, Mystikal is accused of holding the woman’s keys and keeping her against her will until she sent him money through CashApp.
The victim faced the court on Tuesday, where she claimed that Mystikal “punched her, choked her, pulled braids out of her hair and forcibly raped her.” She was also hospitalized and treated for minor injuries at the time of the 2022 altercation.
“If I did that to you, I deserve the max sentence,” Mystikal reportedly told the courtroom.
Prior to entering a plea agreement in March for a solo third-degree rape charge, Mystikal faced charges for first-degree rape, felony domestic abuse by strangulation, false imprisonment, simple robbery and criminal damage to property. If convicted of first-degree rape, Mystikal would have faced life in prison.
WBRZ also reported that Mystikal and his attorney filed a motion to withdraw his guilty plea last week, citing that the rapper didn’t “have sufficient opportunity to fully consider the consequences.” However, that motion was dismissed by the court.
The New Orleans rapper has a history of sexual assault allegations prior to the 2022 arrest. In 2004, Mystikal was convicted of sexual battery and extortion of his hairstylist. He served six years behind bars and was released in 2010.
Mystikal was arrested on rape and kidnapping charges in 2017. After posting a $3 million bond in 2019, the charges were dropped in 2020.
Mystikal is best known for early 2000s hits like “Shake Ya A–,” which peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. He also hopped on Joe’s “Stutter,” which topped the Hot 100 for four weeks in 2001.
Billboard has reached out to Mystikal’s attorney and the District Attorney’s Office for comment.