Rape charges against Mystikal have been dropped due to a lack of evidence, an accusation for which the New Orleans rapper spent a year and a half in custody.
The MC was charged with first-degree rape and second-degree kidnapping following a woman’s claims that he sexually assaulted her in October 2016 at a casino in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Mystikal, whose real name is Michael Tyler, turned himself in to Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Department authorities in 2017 after his DNA and that of another man was identified.
The New Orleans resident spent a year and a half in custody before finally posting a $3 million bond in February in the wake of securing a new record deal.
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On Thursday, the Caddo Parish District Attorney’s office dismissed the charges against him.
“Additional evidence and information were discovered, and the case was resubmitted to this second grand jury in the interest of justice,” they stated. “Based on the grand jury’s decision, the Caddo Parish district attorney’s office will dismiss the charges pending against Mr. Tyler.”
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Joel Peace, the rapper’s attorney, told TMZ the charges against his client were dismissed because “new scientific evidence emerged, causing the grand jury to take a second look at the rape allegations made against [him].”
The Mystikal album Let’s Get Ready, released in 2000, was his biggest-selling LP. It featured the singles “Shake Ya A**” and “Danger (Been So Long),” both songs were produced by hitmakers The Neptunes.
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In January 2004, he was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting his hairstylist. Court records say he and two bodyguards forced the woman to perform oral sex on them after accusing her of stealing $80,000 in checks.
All three men pleaded guilty as part of a plea agreement. Mystikal was released in 2010.
In 2012, he was arrested following a domestic abuse charge. He served an additional 81 days in prison.
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