Drill rapper Kay Flock, whose real name is Kevin Perez, was sentenced to 30 years in prison Tuesday after being convicted on a series of shooting-related charges tied to violent incidents during the height of his career.

Kay Flock’s charges and his criminal background, explained

Perez was convicted in March on racketeering conspiracy, attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon in aid of racketeering, and a firearm discharge offense. At Tuesday’s hearing, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman sentenced the rapper and criticized him for influencing other young people to engage in violence, which prosecutors said occurred between 2020 and 2021 and left people in his Bronx neighborhood shot at, injured or killed, according to a news release, CBS News and The Associated Press.

Prosecutors said Perez was the leader of the Sev Side/DOA gang, which is short for “Dumping on” (shooting) “Anything” or “Dead on Arrival,” based on East 187th Street in the Bronx. He and other members carried out a series of shootings involving rival gang members and innocent bystanders, which he often celebrated in his music.

“Kevin Perez used violence and fame to fuel fear and intimidation across the Bronx,” Jay Clayton, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a news release. “Perez and his gang members carried out a string of shootings that struck both rival gang members and innocent bystanders. Perez also used his platform as a prominent rapper to celebrate his violence: threatening his rivals, bragging about his shootings, and taunting his victims.”

‘You taunted, you celebrated and you helped create a cycle of violence’

Prosecutors said the gang “primarily supported itself” through bank and wire fraud and used the proceeds to launch Perez’s music career as Kay Flock. After outlining those allegations, Liman sharply rebuked the 22-year-old during his sentencing.

“You taunted, you celebrated and you helped create a cycle of violence,” Liman said, per the news release, noting that he used social media to brag about his court proceedings and wrote “KILL ALL RATS” on Instagram after a trial in which gang members testified against him, The Associated Press reported.

The judge said the lengthy prison sentence was warranted based on Perez’s involvement in four separate shootings that injured multiple people. Perez, however, issued a statement emphasizing his personal growth.

Kay Flock speaks out at sentencing

“What I was at 18 is not what I am today,” Perez said, according to The Associated Press.

He emphasized that everyone needs a second chance, adding, “I was just a kid. Didn’t really know better.”

However, Liman pointed out that Perez never expressed remorse to the family and friends of his victims.

“To date, you’ve shown no real remorse for your conduct,” the judge said.

In addition to his prison term, Perez will receive five years of supervised release.

Perez was named Billboard Magazine’s R&B/Hip-Hop Rookie of the Month in November, 2021 following the release of his first album, The D.O.A. Tape. From there, he became a newcomer in New York’s drill rap scene, “which features performers who wield weapons and lyrics containing slang about violence,” according to Larry Neumeister of The Associated Press.

He released several songs, which received millions of views, that glorified his violence, threatened more of it and taunted rival gang members who had been murdered.

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