Kay Flock’s name once filled Bronx drill anthems and now, prosecutors say it should define a federal prison sentence lasting 50 years.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office called the rapper “the leader of a violent street gang” who “used his influence to transform the neighborhood gang Sev Side into a highly visible, influential, and violent entity.”
Prosecutors said Kay Flock’s transformation from teenage rapper to gang boss made him “a grave danger to the public” and left “families robbed of their sons, brothers, and fathers.”
“Over the course of less than 18 months, [Kay Flock] and his fellow gang members engaged in a campaign of violence, deepening existing gang rivalries and instigating new feuds where none had previously existed. Dozens of people were shot at, injured, and even killed during this short period of time, due to the increased gang violence whipped up, in large part, by [Kay Flock],” Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Herman said.
Jurors acquitted him of murder in aid of racketeering in the 2021 killing of 24-year-old Hwascar Hernandez, but prosecutors said that verdict doesn’t erase his responsibility.
“The defendant went to enemy territory looking for trouble,” the government wrote, adding that his actions “cut short young lives and ruined others.”
The 18-page memo detailed how Kay Flock allegedly built Sev Side, later known as DOA, short for “Dumping On Anything,” into a movement of music and mayhem. His debut video, “FTO,” was filmed outside the gang’s Bronx headquarters, with lyrics boasting, “Gang with me, Flockas with me, the Goons with me.”
Prosecutors said that line wasn’t art, it was recruitment. The government said Kay Flock “goaded others into becoming shooters,” citing texts where he bragged, “we just made 2 movies on the 8,” referring to shootings against rivals.
They also linked him to several violent incidents, including a 2020 shooting that wounded four people and a 2021 attack that left an 18-year-old woman shot in the face.
By 2021, he had signed with Capitol Records and gone mainstream, with his hit “Is Ya Ready” surpassing 113 million views. But prosecutors said the fame only “glamorized deadly gang violence,” noting his lyrics referenced murdered teens and ongoing feuds.
“The defendant used his platform to escalate existing gang rivalries and to create new ones,” the government said. “He drew a generation of boys and young men to gang lifestyle.”
Even behind bars, prosecutors said Kay Flock showed “a complete disregard for the law.” After his conviction, he allegedly texted someone to post a message on Instagram reading, “I beat the top count I made the judge cry… Kill all rats!!!!”
The government’s sentencing recommendation matched the Probation Office’s calculation: 50 years, broken into 20 years each for racketeering and assault counts, and 10 years consecutive for the firearms charge.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Herman closed the letter bluntly. “The defendant was a uniquely positioned figure in gang culture,” he wrote. “He fomented gang violence for fame and greed. For that, a significant sentence is warranted.”
Judge Lewis J. Liman is expected to issue a final sentence later this month.