Rapper Mystikal sentenced to 20 years for third-degree rape in Louisiana

The sentencing

On Tuesday, a Louisiana judge sentenced rapper Mystikal to 20 years in prison for the third-degree rape of a woman in 2022. The term is the maximum possible for the charge, and the court made clear that probation would not be an option.

The 2022 assault

The victim testified that Mystikal punched her, choked her, ripped out her braids, and raped her inside his home in Prairieville, near Baton Rouge. She said he took her phone and car keys to prevent her from leaving and used her phone to transfer money to himself before releasing her. She asked the court to impose the heaviest sentence.

A last-minute challenge

Mystikal had originally faced a first-degree rape charge, which carries a mandatory life sentence in Louisiana. In March 2026 he accepted a plea deal, pleading guilty to third-degree rape in exchange for a cap of 20 years. Days before sentencing, his lawyer filed to withdraw the guilty plea, arguing that Mystikal had not had enough time to fully consider the consequences; the judge denied the motion.

“If I did that to you, I deserve the max sentence.”

His attorney had also argued that the rapper was under significant emotional distress.

A pattern of offences

Mystikal’s legal troubles stretch back two decades. In 2003 he pleaded guilty to sexual battery and extortion and was sentenced to six years in prison, after which he was required to register as a sex offender. In 2012 he served three months for domestic abuse. In 2017 he was charged with rape and kidnapping and spent 18 months in jail before prosecutors dropped the case in 2020.

From Grammy stage to prison cell

Mystikal rose to fame in the late 1990s and early 2000s with the hit single “Shake Ya Ass” and the album Let’s Get Ready, which reached No. 1 on the US chart. He earned multiple Grammy nominations, including for Best Rap Solo Performance. His output diminished after his first conviction; his last studio album, Tarantula, was released in 2001.