Bobby Shmurda is Out of Prison

Brooklyn rapper Bobby Shmurda was released from a New York prison after serving six years of his seven-year sentence, according to state corrections records.

Bobby Shmurda had been incarcerated on weapon and conspiracy charges after prosecutors described the rapper as the leader of a violent drug gang in East Flatbush. According to the New York Times, Shmurda earned conditional early release through good behavior while detained. He will be under community supervision until February 2026.

Shmurda, born Ackquille Pollard, was 20 years old when he was arrested as his star was rising. His hit March 2014 single, “Hot N*gga,” propelled his budding rap career, landing him a deal with Epic Records within months. He had performed the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live! mere days before being arrested in December 2014. 

Police apprehended Shmurda as he left a Manhattan studio that was subsequently raided by authorities. Fourteen members of Shmurda’s crew, GS9, were arrested in the raid. In the NPR podcast Louder Than a Riot, GS9 members assert the group is a music collective and a family, not a gang, but an indictment charged Shmurda and over 15 others with crimes including murder, assault, and drug dealing. 

Shmurda initially agreed to the seven-year sentence in a plea deal, hoping to avoid a trial that could have resulted in decades in prison and additional time for friend and collaborator Chad “Rowdy Rebel” Marshall. 

As he was being sentenced in 2016, he attempted to withdraw his plea. “‘I was forced by my attorney to take the plea. I was forced,” he insisted. 

On Monday, Migos member Quavo told Billboard that he’d personally receive Shmurda from prison upon his release. “I’m gonna let [Shmurda] show you how I’m gonna pick him up,” he said. The pair teased a collaborative mixtape in 2014.

Today, Quavo posted a video of himself descending a jet with a fully-masked companion on Twitter and Instagram. “Did Six And Didn’t Switch Welcome Home! @realbobbyshmurdags9,” reads the caption.