With his career and freedom in limbo, Shmurda scales back
8 months ago, Bobby Shmurda was a freight train with a non-functioning set of brakes. He couldn’t be stopped. After his “Hot N***a” video went viral in June, he was courted by Sha Money XL and Epic Records–which is where he eventually signed a reported 7-figure record deal–brought out to perform on large stages by the likes of Drake, Meek Mill and French Montana, and his charismatic dance moves were mimicked by everyone from Beyonce to Chris Brown. Following his signing to Epic Records, his follow-up single, “Bobby B*tch,” performed fairly well, peaking at #25 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop, and he nearly tore the roof off the ceiling of Brooklyn’s Barclays Center during his performance at their 2014 Powerhouse concert. Shmurda had arrived.
Unfortunately, everything vanished on one fateful night in December.
On December 17th, Shmurda, along with several members of his GS9 crew, was arrested on several felony charges, including gun possession, drug possession, attempted murder, and more. The Shmurda train had hit a wall, and according to NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton, who claimed “Shmurda and company will be out of business for quite a while,” that wall certainly wouldn’t be breaking down any time soon.
In an interview from behind bars with the New York Times, Bobby Shmurda revealed his disappointment with how Epic Records has handled his situation. Shmurda and his legal team expected Epic to be more involved with his bail process, but according to Shmurda, who thought “they would come for me,” they’ve been hands off. “They never came.”
In addition to that, Shmurda offered some interesting insight about his lyrics, which appear to carry serious truths, considering the serious nature of the charges against him. However, the 20-year old Brooklynite, born Acquille Pollard, says some of his lyrics, which include lines like “I’ve been selling crack since like the 5th grade,” are fabricated, because that’s what sells in today’s rap climate. The following is an excerpt from his conversation with The New York Times’ Joe Coscarelli.
Now, from jail, Mr. Pollard, who once stood by the veracity of his rhymes, said that the lyrics were “fabricated,” because “that’s what’s selling nowadays.” And, he added, Epic “grabbed me up at a vulnerable time.” He continued: “I was desperate to get out of the ’hood. I knew I was going to lose my life or go to jail.”
