American rapper Mystikal, whose real name is Michael Tyler, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for a 2022 incident where he pleaded guilty to raping a woman at his Louisiana residence. The victim detailed in court how Mystikal punched her, choked her, ripped out braids from her hair, and sexually assaulted her. She urged the judge to impose the maximum sentence.
During his hearing, Mystikal acknowledged the victim’s account and expressed that if his actions were true, he deserved the harshest punishment. The rapper, famous for his 2000 hit ‘Shake Ya Ass’, was convicted of third-degree rape and handed a two-decade sentence.
Initially facing severe charges including first-degree rape, false imprisonment, and others in 2022, Mystikal later admitted to lesser charges of third-degree rape last March. Recently, he tried to retract his guilty plea citing emotional distress and lack of full consideration of the consequences before confessing.
The victim, unnamed by the court, recounted how Mystikal seized her belongings and assaulted her while she was at his home, later letting her go after coercing her to send him money via CashApp. Mystikal, aged 55, escaped a potential life sentence by pleading guilty to the crime.
Mystikal, whose album ‘Let’s Get Ready’ topped the charts in 2000, has a history of sexual assault allegations. In 2004, he served a six-year term for assaulting his hair stylist, and in 2012, he faced a brief jail time for domestic abuse charges. In 2017, he was accused of rape and kidnapping, but the charges were eventually dismissed.