Mystikal is due before a judge in Ascension Parish on Tuesday (November 18) as the New Orleans rapper’s high-stakes legal saga moved forward with charges that could lock him away for life.
The 54-year-old performer is scheduled for a procedural hearing tied to a 2022 case involving accusations of first-degree rape, domestic abuse battery by strangulation and false imprisonment.
The rapper’s legal team and prosecutors will address scheduling and evidence-related matters, though no trial date has been set. The case remains in pretrial status, with proceedings expected to continue in the coming months.
Mystikal has pleaded not guilty to all charges and has remained jailed without bail since his arrest more than two years ago.
The incident occurred on Saturday, July 30, 2022, at the artist’s Prairieville home.
According to court documents, Mystikal thought the woman stole $100 in cash from him, prompting him to punch, choke and pull the braids out of her hair. He then took her keys and cell phone and stopped her from leaving the premises.
If convicted of first-degree rape, Louisiana law mandates a life sentence without parole. The domestic abuse charge, involving strangulation, adds another layer of legal risk due to its enhanced classification under state statutes.
This is not the first time the rapper has been entangled in serious criminal allegations.
In 2003, Tyler was convicted of sexual battery after assaulting his hairstylist and served six years in prison. He was released in 2010 and is now a lifetime registered sex offender. In 2016, he was again accused of kidnapping and sexual assault in Caddo Parish. That case was eventually dropped by prosecutors.
Tyler’s current incarceration at the Ascension Parish Detention Center reflects both the gravity of the charges and his status as a repeat offender. Prosecutors argue he poses a public safety threat, citing his criminal history and the nature of the accusations.
Once a chart-topping figure in Southern Hip-Hop, Tyler rose to fame in the early 2000s with hits like “Danger (Been So Long)” and “Shake Ya Ass.”
He was signed to Jive Records and later No Limit Records, collaborating with artists such as Master P and Silkk the Shocker. His rapid-fire delivery and high-energy performances made him a standout during Hip-Hop’s commercial boom.
However, his music career has been repeatedly interrupted by legal issues. His 2003 conviction halted his momentum, and subsequent arrests have made any return to the spotlight nearly impossible.