Louisiana rapper Mystikal could be facing more years behind bars. This week, Mystikal, born Michael Tyler, pleaded guilty to third-degree rape. In 2022, the “Shake Ya A—” rapper was accused of beating, sexually assaulting, choking, and robbing a woman in his home. The victim claims Tyler took her phone and car keys to prevent her from leaving the property before assaulting her. Following the assault, the rapper allegedly forced her to send him money on CashApp. Detectives ultimately identified Tyler as a suspect after talking to the victim in the hospital.
“Once we got there, we talked to the victim, who had some very visible injuries on her body, and she was very distraught,” said Donovan Jackson, spokesman for the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office, per WAFB. “She talked with us, we interviewed her, and she was able to identify who the suspect was. And in this case, it was Michael Tyler, also known as Mystikal.”
He was ultimately indicted for first-degree rape, simple criminal damage to property, domestic abuse battery by strangulation, simple robbery, and false imprisonment. However, as a result of a plea deal, the rapper pleaded guilty to an amended third-degree rape charge.
Since his arrest in 2022, the rapper has been held without bond. His sentencing will reportedly take place in June, where he could face up to 20 years in prison –a reduction from the life sentence he would have faced with the initial charges.
This is not Mystikal’s first offense. In 2003, he pleaded guilty to sexual battery and extortion, which led to a six-year prison sentence. In 2017, he spent over a year in prison after being charged with rape and kidnapping in Louisiana. Though those charges were ultimately dropped, Tyler is a registered sex offender.
