Bobby Shmurda Is Coming Home. What Happens Next? (2024)

Bobby Shmurda Is Coming Home. What Happens Next?

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Bobby Shmurda at Brooklyn's Barclays Center on Oct. 30, 2014. Taylor Hill/Getty Images hide caption

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Taylor Hill/Getty Images

Bobby Shmurda Is Coming Home. What Happens Next? (2)

Bobby Shmurda at Brooklyn's Barclays Center on Oct. 30, 2014.

Taylor Hill/Getty Images

It was less a specific dance sequence and more of a stylistic template: a pliant sway, a kind of two-step dressed up with silky swagger. The Shmoney Dance, 2014's viral craze, juxtaposed with the grimy lyrics of 19-year-old rapper Bobby Shmurda's breakthrough hit "Hot Boy," rocketed the kid from East Flatbush into pop culture's stratosphere. But then, just as quickly as he'd entered the spotlight, he disappeared.

Born Ackquille Pollard, Bobby Shmurda has spent the last six years serving time on illegal firearm and conspiracy charges, handed down as part of a major police takedown of his neighborhood crew, GS9. As NPR investigated in a three-part arc on Louder Than A Riot last fall, the story of his December 2014 arrest, just months after he signed to Epic records, goes deeper than one rapper's downfall. It's also the story of how police and prosecutors use conspiracy law to build steeper cases, how an entertainment industry that values authenticity can turn street crews in poor neighborhoods into prime targets of criminal investigation, and how the families who experience loss in the process can get lost in the shuffle.

Hear The Podcast

Louder Than A Riot

The Badder, The Better: Bobby Shmurda (Pt 1)

Louder Than A Riot

'Stay In The House': Bobby Shmurda (Pt 2)

Louder Than A Riot

My Brother's Keeper: Bobby Shmurda (Pt 3)

In Bobby's absence, curiosity has mounted about the artist's potential return to music, burnished by a #FreeBobby campaign on social media and the mythmaking effect of his faithfulness to his crew through his trial and sentencing. Louder Than A Riot's reporting focused on the larger socio-political contexts for GS9's takedown, including RICO-like conspiracy charges being weaponized in communities of color and the criminalization of hip-hop personas. Now that he's getting out, he's going to be forced to grapple with many of those same pressures.

As reported in September 2020, Bobby was up for early parole in December but was denied. Now, according to the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, he has been granted a conditional release on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021. While Bobby's family and friends prepare for his release, questions linger about his future, both in hip-hop and on the streets that made him. Here are a few factors to consider:

  • He's said he doesn't want to return to Brooklyn. More than any other genre, hip-hop is about repping where you're from, but the guy who helped revive the borough's rap scene has said he's been through too much there: "I'll be in New York to handle business or do a show, but I don't want nothing to do with New York," Bobby told Louder Than A Riot in an interview recorded in 2018. With his daily reality changing, his music will almost certainly follow suit.
  • He's still likely to be on the police's radar. Bobby will be on parole for a maximum of five years. In his interview with the podcast, he said his main concern with coming home was was security: Because of his history, he doesn't want to rely on police for protection, but the success he's experienced makes him too much of a potential target to go without any. "I learned that even as a felon I still can't have a gun, but I can have security. So I told my bros who don't got felonies and stuff, go get your license and stuff like that. I tell a lot of people, rappers these days and all that too, I'm saying, because nobody want police as security."
  • Hip-hop has changed in his absence. The emergence in recent years of Brooklyn drill and figures like Fivio Foreign, Sleepy Hallow, Sheff G and the late Pop Smoke has surfaced a sound that's thunderous, chaotic and a few tonal shades darker than the bounce of "Hot Boy," even if its creators definitely benefited from the seeds planted by the song's viral whirlwind. With Bobby and his collaborator and crewmate Rowdy Rebel both home from prison bids, will their sound change with the times or will they double down on their signature? (Epic has told Louder Than a Riot that at present, Bobby remains signed to the label.)

Louder Than A Riot hosts Sidney Madden and Rodney Carmichael joined NPR's Audie Cornish to discuss what might be next for Bobby Shmurda. Hear their full conversation at the audio link.

This story was adapted for the Web with assistance from LaTesha Harris.

Bobby Shmurda Is Coming Home. What Happens Next? (2024)

FAQs

How much time does Bobby Shmurda have left? ›

Shmurda was released on February 23, 2021 under supervision by fellow community members in Kings County, New York. He will be under supervised release until February 23, 2026. Rapper Quavo picked up Shmurda from prison on February 23, 2021.

How long is Bobby Shmurda on probation for? ›

Now 27, his six-year prison sentence ended in February 2021 — Migos' Quavo picked him up in a private jet — though Shmurda remains on probation until 2026.

Is Bobby Shmurda making music again? ›

After spending time away from music, Shmurda came back onto the scene with “No Time For Sleep (Freestyle)” in 2021. He followed this with “Shmoney,” a collaboration with Quavo and Rowdy Rebel, later that year. In 2022, Shmurda severed ties with Epic Records and became an independent artist.

Is Bobby Shmurda Jamaican? ›

Ackquille Jean Pollard, famous worldwide as Bobby Shmurda, was born in Miami, Florida, on August 4, 1994. His father is a Jamaican named Gervase Johnson, while his mother is an African-American named Leslie Pollard.

How many years did Bobby do in jail? ›

The 26-year-old rapper Bobby Shmurda was released from prison Tuesday after serving six years of his seven-year sentence. This New York superstar was released from prison under the condition he would serve the rest of his sentence under parole.

Why did Bobby go to jail? ›

Police charged Shmurda with conspiracy to commit murder, reckless endangerment, and drug and gun possession. Other members of the group were charged with murder and attempted murder. The arrests were made in connection with a gang called GS9, which is also the name of Shmurda's label.

How many years did Bobby Shmurda take for his friend? ›

“I did it for Rowdy. They offered me five [years] and offered Rowdy 12,” Shmurda says about his GS9 cohort. “They said the only way they'll give him seven is if I took seven, too. So, you know, I had to take one for the dawgs.”

How long is Kodak Black on probation? ›

The rapper, however, was still on probation for three years, with the period ending in January. Black's defense attorneys, Bradford Cohen and Robert Buschel, said they were “very happy with the outcome,” calling the judge's ruling “fair.”

Is Bobby Shmurda celibate? ›

Bobby Shmurda Says His Celibacy Journey Ended Early After He 'Caught a Relapse' Bobby Shmurda opened up about the difficulties he faced during his celibacy journey: "So some sh*t happened and... I repented for seven days, then I caught a relapse again."

Who is Bobby Shmurda signed with? ›

Shmurda, who signed with Epic Records in 2014, has been vocal about his frustrations toward the label in the past. Last December, the 27-year-old said he hasn't been in control of his music since he was 19 and didn't know when his debut album or other material would be dropping.

Is Bobby Shmurda Haitian? ›

Bobby Shmurda was born Ackquille Jean Pollard on August 4, 1994, in Miami, Florida. He's half-Trinidadian (mother) and half-Jamaican (father), and the youngest of two brothers. His father, Gervase Johnson, was convicted of attempted murder in 1995, and sentenced to life.

Is Bobby Shmurda allowed to drink? ›

Per the terms, Shmurda is allegedly prohibited from drinking any alcohol or frequenting any bars. He must avoid hanging around gang members, submit substance abuse testing and get counseling for aggression and anger. He is also required to adhere to an 8 p.m. curfew.

Who invented rap Jamaican? ›

Clive Campbell (born April 16, 1955), better known by his stage name DJ Kool Herc, is a Jamaican American DJ who is credited with being one of the founders of hip hop music in the Bronx, New York City, in 1973.

Who is the biggest Jamaican rapper? ›

  • The Notorious B.I.G. 412 votes. Agree or Disagree? ...
  • Bob Marley. 245 votes. A true icon of Jamaican music, he transcended the boundaries of reggae by incorporating elements of rap into his songs. ...
  • 50 Cent. 226 votes. ...
  • Busta Rhymes. 272 votes. ...
  • XXXTentacion. 255 votes. ...
  • Shaggy. 184 votes. ...
  • Sean Paul. 218 votes. ...
  • Vybz Kartel. 101 votes.

How many years does Bobby have? ›

Bobby Shmurda has been released after serving six years in prison. The US rapper, real name Ackquille Pollard, was arrested in 2014. He later took a plea deal and was sentenced to seven years in prison on weapons and conspiracy charges.

Why did Bobby Shmurda get more time? ›

Bobby Shmurda famously agreed to a longer prison sentence so his friend Rowdy Rebel could get out sooner.

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