Last month, a Bobby Shmurda affiliate got slapped with a 117-year prison sentence after refusing a plea deal which would have shortened his sentence to 15 years. Reformed ex-con and Grammy nominated rapper Remy Ma said she doesn't understand how that could have happened.
"That doesn't make sense," she told The Fader. "If I commit a crime that warrants 15 years and you're willing to give me 15 years, that's it. There's no way after trial I should end up with 117 years. And I'm very passionate about it. Not just because I lived it but because I've seen it."
After spending seven years behind bars, Remy Ma has rebounded with great success. Her two-time Grammy nominated collaboration with Fat Joe "All The Way Up" translated into an acclaimed full studio album. She confided that the prison system has had a negative impact not only on her but the entire Black community.
"When you're in there seven years you get to hear so many different stories, and it's disgusting the way this country operates off the prison system. We have the most people incarcerated out of every country in the entire world," the Plata O Plomo rapper said.
Bobby Shmurda's accomplice and fellow GS9 gang member Broderick Santino was accused of 23 counts including conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder in the second degree, and attempted assault in the first degree. Though she admitted she didn't know much about Santino' trial, Remy believes racism, money and politics play key roles in stiffer sentencing.
"You can be the wrong color, but if you have the right amount of money at the right time you might be good. If you get caught in an election year, it's over for you. That's kind of what happened to me," she said.
