Rapper Mystikal Pleads Guilty to Third-Degree Rape, Faces 20 Years in Prison

New Orleans rapper Mystikal pleaded guilty to charges of third-degree rape on Tuesday, according to ABC affiliate WBRZ.

The rapper (real name: Michael Tyler) was accused of beating, choking and robbing a woman at his home in Ascension Parish in 2022. The victim, who was not named in the report, said Tyler took her keys and phone, and raped her while she searched for the money he had taken. He then allowed her to leave after forcing her to send him money via CashApp.

Tyler, 55, faces a maximum for 20 years in prison, with sentencing scheduled for June. He had faced a life sentence if had been convicted of initial charges. He was indicted for first-degree rape, simple criminal damage to property, domestic abuse battery by strangulation, simple robbery, and false imprisonment in the assault; he pleaded to an amended charge of third-degree rape.

The rapper has a long history of sexual abuse charges. He faced similar allegations in 2004 after sexually assaulting his hairstylist. He spent six years in prison following the arrest and registered as a sex offender upon his release.

In 2012, he was jailed for three months on misdemeanor domestic abuse charges. Five years later, he was charged with rape and kidnapping before authorities dropped the case.

Best known for his 2000 singles “Shake Ya Ass” (featuring Pharrell Williams, nominated for a 2001 Grammy) and “Danger (Been So Long),” Mystikal released his first album in 1995 before joining Master P’s No Limit roster and becoming a prominent artist on the label in the late ‘90s. He then moved to Jive Records and was also nominated for Grammys in 2003, for the album “Tarantula” and the single “Bouncin’ Back.”