A New York City rapper who attempted to sway Black voters towards President Donald Trump during a rally in The Bronx in 2024 has agreed to a sentence of five years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted murder charges.
Sheff G, 26, whose songs and videos have millions of YouTube views and Spotify streams, was among those arrested in connection with a long-term investigation into gang-related shootings in Brooklyn.
The rapper, whose real name is Michael Williams, was magnanimous in his support for Trump last year.
“One thing I want to say: They are always going to whisper your accomplishments and shout your failures,” Sheff G told the Bronx crowd after being invited on stage by the Republican candidate. “Trump is going to shout the wins for all of us.”
On Wednesday, things took a different turn.
“Notoriety could not shield this defendant from justice,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement. “He used his fame to fund and direct violence, terrorizing our streets.”
The charges are related to a case that has seen more than 30 purported members of the 8 Trey Crips and the street gang's affiliate, the 9 Ways gang, indicted.
Among them is Tegan Chambers, a rapper known as Sleepy Hallow who also appeared on stage with Trump and Sheff G during the May 23, 2024, rally in the Bronx.
Prosecutors say Sheff G showered money and jewelry on gang members are they battled rivals in Brooklyn.
In one shooting, they say Sheff G even acted as the getaway driver, chauffeuring three codefendants to and from a 2021 shooting that targeted a rival but instead hit two bystanders.
He also treated Sleepy Hallow and others to a lavish dinner at a Manhattan steakhouse to celebrate a 2020 shooting that killed a purported rival gang member and injured five others, according to prosecutors.
Surveillance videos, social media posts, text messages, and more document criminal activities. The two rappers also boasted about their deeds in their songs, Gonzalez's office said.
Lawyers for the two rappers didn't immediately respond to emails seeking comment Thursday. Sheff G is due to be sentenced Aug. 13; Sleepy Hallow is due in court April 11.
