The question regarding why 42 Dugg is in jail has peppered much of the talented MC's career. Detroit has seen a revival of talented MCs over the past decade. One of these primary examples is 42 Dugg. The rapper has utilized his connections with Lil Baby and Yo Gotti to blow up onto the scene. He would co-sign with the two stars in March of 2019, inking deals with 4PF and CMG, respectively. Additionally, Lil Baby's "We Paid" solidified him as a force. The song would reach No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts.
However, Dugg's rap career began in prison. At age 15, he was sentenced to four years for carjacking. During this time of confinement, he would develop his pen game. Using the situation as a source of motivation, many of his first raps were about the toxic culture of prison life. He rapped about getting into fights with inmates and experiencing the constant boredom of what were meant to be his exhilarating teenage years. By the time he was out, he already had an extensive diary of bars ready to be expressed to the world.
42 Dugg's Run-Ins With The Law
Unfortunately, his release from prison was only the beginning of his run-ins with the law. Ranging from avoiding prison to the illegal carrying of firearms, Dugg continued to be in and out of probation and prison as his rap career was beginning to take off. Of course, he isn't the only MC to struggle with the legal system. The likes of Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, and Gucci Mane have each spent years of their respective careers behind bars.
In May of 2022, Dugg was once again arrested. This time, for failure to turn himself into a six-month prison sentence. Initially, he was found guilty of possession of an illegal firearm, as well as for failing multiple drug tests. Before allegedly avoiding arrest, he had been slated to begin his jail time in February of 2022.
The most recent development in the case occurred on April 26th. 42 Dugg was sentenced to one year in prison after failing to report to jail. However, he could face up to five years of prison as the case is fully fledged. In addition, Dugg is expected to face three years of supervised release as well as paying a $250,000 fine. He was meant to begin facing a six-month sentence for possession of an illegal firearm back in February of 2022. However, his purported attempts to avoid the arrest have only made things worse. By the time he's out of prison, the talented MC would have spent nearly a decade of his short life behind bars.
A Bad Time
To make things even worse, 42 Dugg's methods of allegedly avoiding prison added to the list of laws that he broke. Authorities described his arrest as a multi-state operation that uncovered alleged documents where he claimed to be a sovereign citizen. However, he still released the Last Ones Left collaboration mixtape with Est Gee during his past year behind bars. In addition, Babyface Ray and 42 Dugg collaborated on "Ron Artest," which finally was released earlier this year. However, it's looking like we may not be getting anything else from the talented rapper for a long while.
42 Dugg's representatives have attempted to appeal the claims that he purposefully didn't turn himself in. They state that Dugg's reasoning for supposedly evading the law was that he filed an appeal for the revocation of his probation and therefore felt that he didn't need to report for prison. Either way, the controversy has arrived at a time that's anything but ideal for the now 28-year-old. Along with the aforementioned collaborations with Lil Baby, he even featured on Tyler, the Creator's Call Me If You Get Lost in 2021, delivering an ear-catching verse on "Lemonhead."
A Questionable (Near) Future
Of course, the logical questions from fans will be how long 42 Dugg's potential five-year sentence will actually be. Dugg took to Instagram to address the situation in March, stating, "A lot of these people get out of jail free cards. I guess cause I'm turnt I gotta go through the worst! Death before dishonor. FREEDEMBOYZ." If Dugg managed to reduce his sentence significantly, it wouldn't be the first time. In 2019, he was sentenced to ten years for illegally possessing a firearm at a shooting range. However, Dugg managed to walk away with only three years of probation and a $90k fine.
It will remain to be seen how serious 42 Dugg's charges will be. Either way, five years behind bars would signify a massive blow to a career that's begun to take off throughout the 2020s. The Detroit MC's high-pitched voice and rapid blows stand out amongst the field of trap-based rappers. In 2019, Yo Gotti told Billboard, "His hard is starting to pay off and he's only gonna get better as an artist. Baby and I know Dugg has the potential to be a superstar and we're both gonna do everything we can to keep putting him in the best positions to succeed."
