Casanova isn’t letting his time behind bars decide his outlook on life. The Brooklyn rapper, who’s at the moment serving a 15-year jail sentence for racketeering and narcotics offenses, is “combating my battle,” as he places it, with a smile on his face. Cas speaks to XXL in his first interview from jail and will get candid about many subjects, together with his costs, insisting that Tory Lanez is harmless of taking pictures Megan Thee Stallion regardless of him being discovered responsible and connecting with the youth to make the proper selections.
Whereas incarcerated at Nevada Southern Detention Heart in late January, Casanova was in good spirits as he opened up in regards to the bid he is doing. He reveals that the Final Prisoner Mission, a nonprofit group redressing the harms of hashish criminalization, helps him attempt to get residence.
In 2023, Casanova was sentenced to 188 months in jail for racketeering and narcotics crimes associated to his position within the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation Bloods Gang. As a part of the racketeering conspiracy, he participated in a taking pictures in Florida on July 5, 2020, and a theft in New York Metropolis on Aug. 5, 2018, and conspired to visitors over 100 kilograms of marijuana. He surrendered to authorities in 2020, after being needed by the FBI.
“I feel everyone within the federal system has regrets and I feel my remorse isn’t understanding the regulation,” he tells XXL. “And I do not imply the common regulation. I imply the federal regulation, as a result of state-wise, I am good. I might’ve promoted marijuana. To clear this up, I do not also have a marijuana sale. I haven’t got a sale. So, off of Instagram, they simply threw out a quantity and mentioned I used to be promoting this quantity of medication. I haven’t got a direct sale. I haven’t got none of that. They only seen me selling marijuana on Instagram and mentioned, ‘Oh yeah, you are promoting marijuana.’ You recognize, a variety of rappers promote marijuana they usually’re not in jail, however once more, since I used to be tied to a gang, they simply checked out it like, ‘You recognize what, let’s wrap this man up and no matter we’ve got to wrap him up with.’ That is the place the racketeering is available in. Federally, it is dangerous, however state-wise, it is not dangerous.”
Loads of rappers have been exhibiting like to Cas since he is been locked up. In response to him, A$AP Rocky, Chris Brown, Fabolous, Bobby Shmurda and Maino, amongst others. Cas has additionally stored observe of the individuals who have not linked with him on the within. “The folks that did not, I kinda obtained the scope on them,” Casanova shares. “I did rather a lot for everyone and I at all times made certain everyone was good in each facet or type. It feels good to get the love again. So far as household assist, my spouse is there. She’s strolling it down with me.” A real definition of a ride-or-die.
He is been retaining busy whereas incarcerated in numerous methods. Final December, the 38-year-old rhymer dropped the 12-track album I Get I Now. Casanova says the fabric was recorded earlier than he was arrested in 2020. With the assistance of his group and EMPIRE, the label behind him, Cas was capable of get his music to the followers. Understanding, enjoying chess and chatting with family members are additionally a part of his routine. One factor Cas hasn’t carried out is put his rhymes down on paper. The MC admits he hasn’t “wrote in perpetually.” Casanova’s purpose is to create music with a extra constructive message as soon as he is again exterior. “Now I kinda imagine in manifestation greater than ever and I really feel like I manifested this on myself, as a result of all my songs are jail-related, gang associated or tremendous violent,” he conveys about his music having a direct hyperlink to his time in jail. “I kinda manifested this. Phrases are highly effective. I imagine within the tongue now. I gotta go extra constructive after I get out.”
In the course of the dialog, Casanova introduced up Tory Lanez unprompted. A buddy and collaborator on Cas’ tune “2 AM” that includes Davido, Cas believes Tory is harmless of taking pictures Megan Thee Stallion. Tory was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in jail in 2023 for taking pictures Megan in her foot in 2020. The taking pictures and sentencing, together with any updates that adopted, have been a polarizing subject of dialogue in hip-hop and past.
“Tory Lanez is my inspiration as a result of he isn’t giving up the battle,” says Casanova, who additionally revealed that Tory despatched Cas cash whereas in jail. “They are saying in all of the necessary books, ‘The one factor value combating for is your freedom.’ Talking of Tory Lanez in jail, he is so sturdy but so little. He is actually sturdy on his innocence. He is saying that he did not do it. And someday folks imagine him and someday folks do not. However, you understand, I went by way of a complete power filled with, ‘You continue to saying this? You continue to harmless?’ and I had no alternative however to say, ‘You recognize what, I feel he is harmless.'”
Nonetheless, Casanova understands he might be confirmed unsuitable. “I want him the most effective and I hope he did not do it,” Cas provides. “It could break my coronary heart if he did it. Perhaps he is a very good liar, I do not know.”
As Cas appears forward on the time he has left to serve—the rapper believes he’ll do 65 to 70 good of his general 15-year sentence—he has an enormous purpose to realize inside. Casanova is at the moment writing a kids’s guide on making proper and unsuitable selections. “I simply wish to attain out to the youth,” he expresses. “I can change two of out 10 folks, which means the youth, then I did my job.” Placing within the work.
Take a look at Casanova’s whole dialog with XXL beneath.
Take heed to Casanova’s First Inform-All Interview From Jail
Take heed to Casanova’s I Get It Now Album
See 47 of the Longest Jail Bids in Hip-Hop Historical past
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