The Kidd Creole, a founding member of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, was sentenced Wednesday to 16 years in jail for fatally stabbing a person in New York City in 2017, the district lawyer mentioned.
The 62-year-old rapper, whose actual title is Nathaniel Glover, was convicted in April of first-degree manslaughter in the killing of John Jolly on the evening of Aug. 1, 2017.
Glover stabbed Jolly, 55, twice with a steak knife after the two exchanged phrases and there was an argument on East forty third Street in midtown Manhattan, officers mentioned.
“Mr. Jolly’s death was devastating to his family and those who knew him,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement. “Every life we lose to violent crime ripples throughout our entire city, and we will continue to ensure everyone in our borough can live their lives with the sense of safety and security they deserve.”
Glover’s attorney, Scottie Celestin, argued that Glover acted in self-defense. He had been charged with murder but the jury convicted him on April 6 of manslaughter.
Prosecutors argued that Glover stabbed Jolly after becoming angry because he thought Jolly was gay and was hitting on him. Glover has denied that, and has said he is not an intolerant person and that he feared for his safety.
The New York Times reported that Manhattan state Supreme Court Justice Michele Rodney, who sentenced Glover, appeared to take issue with arguments Celestin made during the trial. Celestin said Glover had felt threatened in part because Jolly was homeless, the newspaper reported.
“A life is a life is a life,” Rodney mentioned, including that the killing was not “somehow justified because the person is homeless.”
Celestin said they will appeal the conviction.
“He was retreating, and the victim followed behind him,” Celestin said. “I am confident this will be reversed on appeal.”
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five were hip-hop pioneers known for the highly influential and acclaimed “The Message,” as well as other songs.
The group, including Glover, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. They were the first rap group to be inducted in its history.
The Associated Press contributed.