Another day, another wild conviction. Kay Flock, the 21-year-old rapper whose legal name is Kevin Perez, has been found guilty on multiple charges in a high-profile RICO case. A jury delivered “mostly—but not all—guilty verdicts” in the trial, where prosecutors alleged that Perez led the Bronx-based Sev Side gang and was involved in a series of violent crimes.
“This case is not really against Kevin Perez. It is against Kay Flock. It is US versus drill rap…,” the defense argued during the trial.
Perez was convicted of racketeering conspiracy, use of a firearm resulting in death, attempted murder, assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and the use of a firearm for attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon. However, he was acquitted on a charge of murder in aid of racketeering.
According to AllHipHop, Perez now faces a mandatory life sentence, with his sentencing scheduled for July 16. Prosecutors introduced the rapper’s music videos and lyrics as evidence during the trial, with particular focus on the track “Who Really Bugging,” which allegedly referenced a real-life shooting.
Acting U.S. Attorney Matthew Podolsky stated the verdict, emphasizing the severity of Perez’s actions.
“Kevin Perez, aka ‘Kay Flock,’ was the leader of a neighborhood street gang known as Sev Side / DOA, and with that gang, he committed a series of gang-motivated shootings. Perez, a drill rapper, instilled fear across the community with his violent actions, and then threatened rivals, bragged about shootings, and taunted victims in his rap lyrics,” Podolsky said.
Get this, he continued, “But as a unanimous jury has now found, Perez can no longer hide behind his music and instead will be held to account for his violent crimes. Thanks to the hard work of the career prosecutors of this Office and our law enforcement partners, the cycle of violence that Perez engaged in is over. This Office remains resolute in its commitment to prosecuting gang members who sow fear and spread violence on our city streets.”
ICYMI, Perez was first indicted on federal murder and racketeering charges in February 2023. Authorities accused him and other alleged gang members of involvement in “attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon arising from seven shootings committed in the Bronx between June 2020 and February 2022.”
The federal conviction marks a significant moment in the ongoing efforts to address gang-related violence in New York City while also raising questions about the intersection of music, art, and criminal accountability. As Perez awaits sentencing, the case has sparked widespread discussion about the role of drill rap in reflecting—and potentially glorifying—street violence.