10 Rappers Who Have Actually Killed People

Snoop Dogg Talking with Attorney at Arraignment
Snoop Dogg Talking with Attorney at Arraignment.

Steven D Starr/Getty Images 

Famous people of all stripes have knowingly or unknowingly killed other people at some point in their life. Don King stomped another man to death. Ted Kennedy drove his car off a bridge, leaving his passenger dead. J.R. Smith, Laura Bush, and Brandy have all been involved in fatal car accidents.

A handful of rappers have also ended other people's lives, either through cold-blooded murder or other means. A few have been charged and convicted, while others maintain their innocence. Some have paid the price for their crimes. Others had better lawyers.

01
of 11

Ra Diggs

onald Herron, an alleged Bloods gang leader, also rapped under the alias Ra Diggs. Diggs' music videos have featured the likes of Waka Flocka Flame and Uncle Murda, who testified in his trial. He was convicted of three murders, racketeering, and drug trafficking.

Prosecutors used his songs and videos as evidence. Diggs had been acquitted in state court on one of the murders. But he gave prosecutors the ultimate weapon when he rapped "beat a body," a presumed admission of guilt.

02
of 11

C-Murder

C-Murder

 Wikimedia Commons

C-Murder was a member of the No Limit group TRU, alongside brothers Master P and Silkk the Shocker. The self-fulfilling prophecy of C-Murder's name has been ridiculed to...*ahem*... death. The story goes that C-Murder was at Platinum Club in Louisiana when an altercation erupted. A 16-year-old fan, Steve Thomas, was beaten and shot to death as a result.

C-Murder was fingered as the killer. He was convicted of second-degree murder in 2003. The verdict was overturned by the Lousiana Supreme Court in 2006. He was retried in 2009 and again found guilty of second-degree murder. C-Murder was sentenced to life in prison. He has since changed his name to C-Miller.​

03
of 11

Dresta

Dresta (Andre DeSean Wicker aka Gangsta Dresta) is best remembered for teaming up with Eazy-E on "Real Muthaphu--n Gs," alongside older brother B.G. Knocc Out.

In 1992, Dresta was involved in a gang-related shootout in Watts, Los Angeles. The prime target, Tyrone Thomas, died in the shootout. Dresta was severely wounded but survived. He was later charged with Thomas' murder. Dresta plead no contest to one count of voluntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to one year of probation.

04
of 11

J-Dee (of Da Lench Mob)

J-Dee (of Da Lench Mob)

 Lench Mob Mafia

J-Dee (not to be confused with Jay Dee) was a member of Ice Cube's posse, Da Lench Mob. The other members were Shorty, Maulkie, and T-Bone. Collectively, the group made its debut on Ice Cube's groundbreaking solo album, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted.

The group released a gold-certified LP, Guerillas in tha Mist, in 1992. While gearing up for their second go-round, Planet of Da Apes, J-Dee picked up a murder rap. T-Bone was also charged with a separate murder case. T-Bone was acquitted, but Dee wasn't as lucky. He was sentenced to life in prison, but he maintains his innocence.

05
of 11

Mac Minister

Mac Minister

 Open Spotify

In 2005, veteran San Francisco rapper/promoter Mac Minister was indicted on murder charges in what police believed to have been retaliation for the murder of Mac Dre. Authorities claimed that Minister and a friend avenged the death of Mac Dre by killing a Kansas City rapper named Fat Tone, whom they believed had taken out Dre.

The victim's body was found outside a construction site in Las Vegas. Security cameras captured Minister exiting the MGM Hotel hours before the slaying.

In 2008, Mac Minister was found guilty on two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of conspiracy to commit murder. He was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole.

06
of 11

Max B

Max B
Shane Mcauley/Complex

In 2006, Max B  (Charly Wingate) allegedly sent ex-girlfriend/dancer Gina Conway and stepbrother Kelvin Leerdam to rob two men at a Fort Lee, NJ Holiday Inn. The robbery went awry. Authorities say that Conway and Leerdam shot and killed one of the men, David Taylor, at point-blank range. The crew fled the crime scene, but police caught Plowden in the midst of moving $30,000 out of the hotel room. The three co-conspirators were all apprehended by authorities and charged with crimes related to murder, robbery, and kidnapping.

Max B was picked up for murder, conspiracy to commit murder, robbery, kidnapping and aggravated assault. Following a lengthy trial, Max B was found guilty on 9 out of 11 counts. On June 9, 2009, Max B was sentenced to 75 years behind bars for his role in the operation that left Taylor dead. Max B claims innocence and appealed the verdict in 2012. His appeal was denied. He continues to release music from prison, and his partner-in-rhyme French Montana is still one of his avid supporters. If he serves out the rest of his term, his earliest release date would be November 9, 2042.

07
of 11

Chi-Ali

Chi-Ali with Yoko Ono 1992
Chi-Ali with Yoko Ono 1992.

Al Pereira/Getty Images

Chi-Ali, a member of the 90s hip-hop collective Native Tongues, was charged with the shooting death of his then-girlfriend's brother on January 14, 2000. He eluded authorities for a year before being captured, even appearing on America's Most Wanted twice. He served a 12-year term for second-degree murder.

Ali's only album was 1992's The Fabulous Chi-Ali. He also appeared on Black Sheep's "Pass the 40," from 1990's A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing when he was just 14.

08
of 11

G-Dep

G-Dep

 Wikimedia Commons

G-Dep is the only rapper on this list who actually got away with murder. Dep killed a man in 1993, but the case was never solved. Fast-forward to 2010, G-Dep, perhaps haunted by guilt, walked into a Harlem precinct and told police officers that he shot and killed a man in 1993. According to G-Dep, he had tried to mug a stranger at gunpoint when they started fighting for his weapon. He fired three shots and fled. Authorities linked the 1993 unsolved murder of John Henkel, 32, with Dep's story.

He told the New York Post that he felt he acted responsibly. "Maybe at the end of serving time or after looking back, someone might feel differently," G. Dep told the paper. "But now I feel what I did was right." He received the minimum sentence, 15 to life.

09
of 11

Cassidy

DJ Big Kap, reggae and dancehall musician Junior Reed, and rapper Cassidy
DJ Big Kap, reggae and dancehall musician Junior Reed, and rapper Cassidy.

Johnny Nunez/Getty Images 

In 2005, Cassidy and two other men shot at three unarmed men during a scuffle in Philadelphia. A man named Desmond Hawkins died as a result, after being shot in the back. Cassidy was charged with third-degree murder, attempted murder, reckless endangerment and aggravated assault and weapons crimes. His charges were reduced after one of the witnesses withdrew his account.

In 2006, Cassidy was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, and possession of a crime instrument. He received 11 to 23 months in prison, plus credit for 7 months previously served. He was released after 8 months. We'd like to meet his lawyer.

10
of 11

Big Lurch

In 2002, Big Lurch was convicted of murder in a bizarre case that resembled something out of a Ted Bundy movie. Lurch was a PCP addict and was supposedly high out of his mind when he committed the atrocities. He basically disemboweled his female roommate, Tynisha Ysais, ripped out her lungs and bailed.

Police found Lurch naked in the middle of the street, dripping blood and howling at the sky. They also found bits of the victim's flesh in his stomach. Lurch claimed he couldn't recollect the incident and pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. He was sentenced to life in prison without parole.

11
of 11

Bonus: Not Guilty

Snoop Dogg

Leon Bennett/Getty Images 

Gucci Mane

In 2005, Gucci Mane was attacked by a group of men in Decatur, Georgia. Mane and his cronies shot at the group, killing one man. Police later learned that the victim was Pookie Loc. Gucci was arrested and charged with murder. He claimed self-defense. The charge was dropped in 2006 due to insufficient evidence.

Snoop Dogg

In 1993, Snoop Dogg was charged with murder, following the death of a gang member who was allegedly shot and killed by Snoop's then-bodyguard McKinley Lee. Both Snoop and his trigger man were arrested. After two years of house arrest, Snoop was found not guilty on the grounds of self-defense. The case inspired one of Snoop's most popular songs, "Murder was the Case."