hen Bobby Shmurda, the “Tough times charismatic star of the surprise don’t last forever,” says Shmurda, 2014 hit “Hot N—a,” emerged who performed at from the back of a New York Brooklyn’s Barclays Center on Oct. 30, County Supreme Court room in January, 2014. “God makes his wthe 20-year-old looked sad and serious. toughest battles for his Shmurda sat very still at the defense table, strongest soldiers.” showing none of the viral persona that was responsible for 102 million YouTube views, a $2 million record deal and the interna- tional “Shmoney Dance” craze. Today he was just another young man before the judge, one of 13 reputed members of the East Flatbush, Brooklyn, alleged gang GS9 (“God’s Sons”) to have his case called. “When I see the judge and the DA, I just see a bunch of people trying to take my life away for being blessed,” says Shmurda, who talked with Billboard from the Manhattan Detention Complex, where he has been held since December. “When I look at them, it looks like a bunch of haters.” Four months ago, Shmurda was racing around a Midtown soundstage, sunglasses and gold chains glinting, as he performed “Hot Boy” (the “Hot N—a” radio edit) on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. With him were lifelong GS9 friends, beaming, and two female dancers in “Shmoney Team” &T” crop tops. The same month, “Hot Boy” reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. “the charges are bulls% “Everything felt like the best moment of my life,” Shmurda says. “Everything.” But as Shmurda’s wildest dreams were coming true, the New York Police Department was closing in on him. At about 4 a.m. on Dec. 17, nine days after the rap artist appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to promote his Shmurda She Wrote EP, cops stormed Times Square’s Quad Studios, where Shmurda was recording (and where 2Pac was shot in 1994). Police also executed search warrants in East Flatbush. In total, they rounded up 15 GS9 members, including Shmurda’s older brother, Javase, 22. Officials claim they seized 10 weapons in the sweep, along with a small amount of crack. The following day, in a joint press confer- ence, the NYPD and Special Narcotics Prosecutor’s Office delivered an indict- ment based on a yearlong investigation that Police led Shmurda to accused GS9 members of 69 counts (later an NYPD precinct on upped to 101), including conspiracy, second- Dec. 17, 2014, after he was arrested at Times degree murder (for a 2013 bodega shooting), Square’s Quad Studios. attempted murder (for a 2014 shooting that In a call recorded by struck an innocent bystander) and reckless investigators, Shmurda allegedly called himself endangerment (for June gunfire outside a “Two Socks Bobby,” with Brooklyn barbershop). Also during the press “sock” as code for “gun.” conference, NYPD Commissioner William Bratton alleged that GS9 stood for “G-Stone Last summer, Bobby Shmurda landed a $2 million deal with Epic after his “Shmoney Dance” vine went viral. Five months later, the 20-year-old from Brooklyn was arrested on a battery of gang-related charges, ranging from weapons possession to conspiracy to commit murder. Now, speaking from the Manhattan Detention Complex, the hip-hop star tells Billboard he feels targeted for his fame, abandoned by his label and changed by jail: “It’s survival of the fittest” by ada calhoun
42 BILLBOARD | february 21, 2015 february 21, 2015 | WWW.BILLBOARD.com 43 $2 million, thesame amountashisE $2 million, languishes injail,unable to make bail—setat increase law thescrutiny of T enforcement. ticket” evidently butalso helped thehood, outof escape. V made himfamous for alife hesays hewas tryingto mediamade himfamous butit overnight, Social the rap star’s rags-to-riches narrative twist: a2015 and prosecutors.” 44 A Correctionsthe Florida of web site, Department Brooklyn where she hadgrown up.A the largely West ungentrified of Indiansection A together from 3and4years old.” not agang situation: are These kids who grew up all ‘conspiring’ to dothings,” these she says. “It’s men hangs together, that and thingsthey’re happen, “ targeted hehasmade anamefor himself. because me once.”) Pollard insists that heryoungest isbeing mom allthetime,” onegrumbled. “H Shmurdadescribe asamama’s boy. (“H hair andanaura fearlessness. of H manager, L inJune,joint she opened Shmurda’s motherand Brooklyn’s M Kenneth M put afeather intheircap,” says Shmurda’s attorney “ Shmurda isaneasy he’s scapegoat because famous. rife smoke. withpot Thedefense, meanwhile, says theair automatic pistol hisco-defendants, to oneof allegedlyGS9 stored weapons), showing aloaded trapa “known location” (a place where theDA says to reveal sitting onthecouch in thethen-19-year-old last opening June door pictureanapartment vivid of age much made money.” itoutandismakingso my They’re upsetthat somebody neighborhood. he says, “Bullshit.” H bullshit,” insists Shmurda. Asked aboutthecharges, “status” made others defer “ to him. tion hasnotidentifiedGS9hierarchy, a it says his drug paraphernalia. of While theprosecu- use recklesspossession, endangerment andcriminal conspiracy to commit murder weapons andassault, stage name.) Prosecutors charged Shmurda with every track hedid,” hismothersays about herson’s Pollard, aka Bobby Shmurda. (“H was oneA conspiracy” within thisparticular force gang theGS9 behind andorganizing figure viral dance moves.” inY anddrug-dealing shooting Crips” “ adding, Workin
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PREVIOUS SPREAD: Live: Taylor Hill/Getty Images. Arrest: Andrew Lamberson/New York Daily News. THIS SPREAD: Pollard: Bebeto Matthews/ AP Photo. Antoine: Courtesy of Rudelsia McKenzie-Hassan. Shmurda: Justin Hogan. Music Video, TMZ: Youtube. Dance: Vine. BeyoncÉ: Larry Busacca/PW/WireImage. the Tonight show: Douglas Gorenstein/NBC. NYPD: Susan Watts/New York Daily News “H code for “gun.”) OnJune 1,less thanamonthbefore Bobby right now.” ( another, onA admits toarival shooting gang member, andin In onecall recorded inM with guns,drugs andplots against GS9’s enemies. as Shmurda was getting famous, hewas involved than six months. never no trouble,” hesays. That feeling lasted less Korean inBrooklyn. “ neighborhood hopelessness, movingto anew, mostly quiet, for years: “H the state’ Shmurda found deliverance from the hood’s ot N cameraman to cameraman to the 20-year- approaches teaches the teaches old rapper, Shmoney Aug. 15 and he —a” broke prosecutors say out, Shmurda and TMZ TMZ s e made thegangsters dance.” pril 28, 2014, hesays, “IamTwo Socks pril 2014, 28, ind ictment ar A ccording to theDA ay Shmurda 2013, New Jersey onstage in onstage Shmurda Aug. 26 brings Drake Drake g ue There was s that even , “sock” was allegedly performs on The Tonight Shmurda Starring Oct. 10 Jimmy Fallon Show the February 2013 shooting of 19-year-old Bryanthe February 19-year-old of shooting 2013 murder. Shmurda isn’t present for being of accused chargemost serious against issecond-degree GS9 caught crack selling to undercover police. The alone, thegroup and thatin 2014 membersof were shootings inBrooklyn,14 M narcotics andeyewitnessseized accounts.) phone conversations, DNA andballisticstest results, includes surveillance video, inmates’ recorded (E a window andendangering inside people theshop. and Shmurda retaliated back, byshooting shattering Javasearraignment, punched his brother intheface barbershop. A his brother got into anargument outside aBrooklyn vidence gathered, according to acitypress release, The indictmentclaims that isresponsible GS9 for ccording to thecharges read at the She Wrote Shmurda releases Nov. 10 Epic EP anhattan andM No. 6 onthe “Hot Boy” “Hot Boy” Nov. 22 peaks at Hot 100 iami iami year outrageous.” andwillendoff steady rotation at H downloads, according to Nielsen M jail hasn’t “It’s easy: been survivalthefittest.” of ‘ andtheyyelltime Iwalkpeople thehalls, Isee out, it ended upass last remains off good “Ityear optimistic: and started do when hegets platinum some outis“write songs,” counts. But Shmurda, who says thefirst thinghe’ll yearscould bring upto 15 —for each thesix of charges weapons possession on thesecond-degree star couldface years upto 25 Aconviction inprison. hisconspiracy of most serious charges, theviral rap kid isastar.” “H pen,” says “H out to showing everybody love.” with M aren’t:artists While incustody, Shmurda hastalked is allbusiness.” Hislabel butother may distant, be yet. A pany] Sony. Ihaven’t gotten avisit fromthem oneof there’stime Icall them, com- excuses about[parent standing bymethat much,” Shmurda says. “E E of Ididn’tso make $2million.”) There initiallywas talk Shmurda “Ihaven’t adding, around been for ayear, $500,000 —hismothersays it’s lesswith thanthat, prosecutors estimated therapper’s at net worth Individuals play different roles.”) the trigger are responsible for theshootings. dead boy’s mother, Rudelsia M Antoine, allegedly arival-gang member, butthe woman Kati Cornell. “ conspiracy,” counters spokes Prosecutor - Special bright andtalented young kid.” (“ ruinedoverbeing somethinglike this.H that thiskidisfacing hiscareer of thepossibility in receipt any of drugs,” hesays. “It’s sad to me orassaultingshooting anyone, norwas hefound crime-ridden area. “ no gang leader, themostfamous just ina person street killingpeople. That’s what theydo best.” nobody. onthe would be scums Theywouldbe GS9: “H resents theaura celebrity of therapperprovided to Ah ah!,’ ” hesays. “Iget love alot of inhere.” But M Shmurda’s next hearing date isM E “It’s sad how somethinglike thiscouldhap Shmurda hopes bail will come through. (In court, Shmurda bailwillcome hopes through. (Incourt, Kenneth M opefully hecan getopefully back to makingmusic. That ven Shmurda’s fellow inmates agree. “E pic puttingupmoney, butnotnow. “ eanwhile, “H Kimmel Live! t first Ithought it was love. N Shmurda on Dec. 8 guests guests eek M fe e was theirmeal ticket. they him, Without Jimmy br u ar ill, French M ot N ontgomery says that hisclient is . So hopefully it started off bad this badthis off itstarted hopefully . So y 21, 2015 |WWW.BILLBOARD.c 2015 y 21, ot Boy,” which hassold830,000 —a” collaborator Jahlil Beats. ot 97. Mr. Pollard of isnotaccused N ot just the people pulling thepeople ot just ontana andM arrested inmajor with 14others NYPD sweep NYPD sweep Shmurda Dec. 17 cKenzie- ow everything The charge is usic, is still in usic, isstillin arch For 18. the igos. “Shout H hey’re not They’re not assan, assan, e’s a very - very o m 45