Louisiana Rapper Mystikal Pleads Guilty to Raping a Woman in 2022, Faces 20 Years in Prison

Grammy-nominated rapper Mystikal is headed back to prison.

On Tuesday, March 17, the Louisiana rapper — born Michael Tyler — pleaded guilty to a third-degree rape charge stemming from a violent 2022 incident.

A woman had accused Tyler of beating, choking and robbing her inside his Ascension Parish home.

Tyler allegedly confiscated the victim’s keys and phone, preventing her from leaving, according to court records reviewed by Us Weekly. When she realized some of her money was missing, Tyler raped the woman.

Afterwards, Tyler, 55, allegedly allowed the victim to leave but first forced the woman to transfer money to him through CashApp.

The rapper 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 ended up pleading guilty to a downgraded rape charge as part of a deal struck with prosecutors.

Tyler now faces 20 years in prison at his sentencing in June, and Tyler faces a maximum for 20 years in prison. He had faced a life term had he been convicted of the initial charges against him.

Tyler dealt with similar allegations back in 2004 after he and two of his bodyguards sexually assaulted his hairstylist. He was also accused of extortion, and was sentenced to six years in prison. Tyler has to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

His sentencing is scheduled for June.

Over the years, Mystikal has been in and out of courtrooms. In 2010, he was charged with domestic battery charges for which he served a two-year sentence. In 2017, Mystikal was arrested again for an alleged rape. The charges were later dropped. He also spent time in a federal prison in 2006 for failing to file his income taxes in 1998 and 1999.

The southern rapper first signed with New Orleans-based record label Big Boy Records to release his self-titled 1994 debut, which was re-released by Jive Records the following year as Mystikal’s major label debut, Mind of Mystikal.

He signed with Master P‘s No Limit Records during the mid-1990s, and the label issued his second and third albums, 1997’s Unpredictable and 1998’s Ghetto Fabulous.

Mystikal enjoyed some commercial success with his single “Danger (Been So Long)” and “Shake Ya A**” featuring Pharrell Williams.

Over the course of his career, Mystikal has worked with Mark Ronson, Tech N9ne, Lil Wayne, Lil Dicky, Joyner Lucas, Nivea, and Mariah Carey.