Atlanta rapper YFN Lucci, best known for his hit songs “Everyday We Lit” and “Key To The Streets”, will spend the next decade in prison after pleading guilty to a racketeering charge.
The 32-year-old artist, whose real name is Rayshawn Bennett, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Tuesday, January 23, by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Kevin Farmer, but will only serve 10 years, followed by 10 years of probation.
Lucci was one of 12 defendants indicted in a 105-count racketeering case against his YFN collective, which the state claimed was a criminal enterprise affiliated with the Bloods Street Gang. The charges included murder, aggravated assault, robbery, and drug trafficking.
Lucci admitted to one count of violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, which carries a minimum sentence of 10 years.
He avoided the possibility of life without parole, which he faced for his alleged involvement in a fatal shooting in December 2020.
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According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Lucci was accused of being the driver of a car that drove by a rival gang’s territory and opened fire, killing one person, and injuring another. Lucci’s attorney, argued that Lucci was not the shooter.
As part of his plea deal, Lucci will receive credit for the time he has already served since he turned himself in to authorities in January 2021. The state also agreed to write a letter to the pardon and parole board stating that they will not oppose his early release.
Lucci’s case is one of several high-profile prosecutions of rappers in recent years, as authorities have increasingly used racketeering laws to target alleged gang activity in the hip-hop industry.