A New York rapper who joined Trump onstage at a campaign rally last year has been jailed for five years after pleading guilty to attempted murder. Sheff G, real name Michael Williams, accepted a plea deal after prosecutors claimed he used proceeds from his music career to fund gang violence in Brooklyn. The 26-year-old drill rapper, whose songs have millions of streams of Spotify and YouTube, is one of 30 alleged members of the 8 Trey Crips gang to have been indicted so far. Prosecutors say Williams rewarded gang members with cash and jewelry for waging war on rivals and even acted as a getaway driver during a botched shooting in 2021 which saw three bystanders injured in the crossfire. A host of physical evidence supported the prosecution’s claims, and Williams is purported to have bragged about his misdeeds in his songs. “Notoriety could not shield this defendant from justice,” Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez said in a statement. “He used his fame to fund and direct violence, terrorizing our streets.” Williams and fellow rapper Tegan Chambers aka Sleepy Hallow, also indicted, were two notable names to champion Trump on the 2024 campaign trail as he made his pitch to Black voters. “One thing I want to say: They are always going to whisper your accomplishments and shout your failures,” Williams told attendees at a Trump rally in the Bronx last May. “Trump is going to shout the wins for all of us.”
