EXCLUSIVE: G-Dep Earns Degree In Prison; Optimistic He’ll Receive Clemency

G-Dep

Former Bad Boy Records rapper G-Dep spoke to AllHipHop about what he’s accomplished in prison and the possibility of an early release.

G-Dep has been productive during his time in prison.

The former Bad Boy Records artist graduated with an associate’s degree and plans to get his bachelor’s degree. G-Dep discussed his academic pursuits while speaking to AllHipHop about life behind bars.

“When I first got locked up, I couldn’t really see ahead,” G-Dep told AllHipHop’s Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur in an exclusive interview. “I was like 10, 15 years, I don’t know how I’m going to do this. But it’s just like, you just got to live day to day. And that’s how I’ve been doing … You figure out what are you trying to do, what are you doing. And then you just live day to day that way.”

He continued, “So, I don’t really try to have a whole layout because you never know what’s going to happen. Right now, I’m in school. I’m going to college. I graduated a couple of days ago, actually.”

G-Dep earned his associate’s degree in liberal arts. He intends to get his bachelor’s degree in business.

“If you go for your bachelor’s, you could major,” he said. “I’m going for my bachelor’s in business, so … if I graduate with the major, I mean with the bachelor’s, then I’ll have a major, you know what I mean?”

G-Dep landed in prison after confessing to a 1993 shooting. He didn’t know he killed the victim of a botched mugging until his confession in 2010.

The Harlem-bred rapper was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 15 years in prison in 2012. But the judge and prosecutor of his case are now asking New York’s governor to grant him clemency.

“It’s a wonderful feeling, man,” G-Dep said regarding his potential release. “It’s more of a feeling though; it’s affirmation … when you leave it up to God. And this is just affirmation that me taking that leap of faith that he saw me through. So, it’s just a beautiful feeling, man. I can’t really describe it, man. It’s like, wow. You know what I mean? I think this coming December, it’ll be 12 years altogether.”