Court sentences Grammy‑nominated U.S. rapper to 20 years in prison for rape

Grammy‑nominated American singer Michael Lawrence Tyler, known professionally as Mystikal, was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

The rapper received the sentence on Tuesday for raping an unnamed woman at his Louisiana home in 2022.

Mystikal had pleaded guilty in March to reduce the charge from first‑degree rape, which carries an automatic life sentence, to a lesser offense.

A few days before sentencing, he attempted to withdraw his plea, claiming he had acted under “significant emotional distress” and “substantial pressure.” The court rejected the motion.

During the hearing, the anonymous victim alleged that the rapper punched her, choked her, removed her braids, and forcibly raped her in his Prairieville residence, and requested the maximum penalty.

According to a local TV station, the rapper replied, “If I did that to you, I deserve the max sentence.”

Daily Post reports that Mystikal has been in custody since his 2022 arrest. He was previously sentenced to six years in prison in 2023 after pleading guilty to sexual battery.