Abdul “AR-Ab” West has been sentenced to 45 years in prison after being convicted of drug trafficking. West has been accused of turning his label, Original Block Hustlaz, into an illegal organization that has been tied to the 2017 murder of Robert Johnson. However, U.S. District Judge Michael Baylson claims the murder and the lyrics of his music were not factored into his sentence.
“You could have been a hero instead of a criminal,” Baylson said.
“But you became a drug dealer. You made that decision. That’s why you’re being punished.”
AR-Ab replied to the judge by telling him that he “doesn’t understand his culture.”
“The court, the FBI agents, and the prosecutors don’t understand my culture. We don’t rap about flowers and rainbows. We’re gangsta rappers. We rap about where we grew up. So we rap about drug dealing. We rap about violence,” he told the judge.
During the course of the trial, a number of witnesses reportedly informed the court that West’s label had access to a variety of drugs through a supplier in California. The witnesses told the judge that AR-Ab stored the drugs in the upscale Center City Apartments in an effort to stay under the radar. However, federal agents found a stash house they believe is connected to him and seized 10 kilograms of cocaine.
One of the key witnesses in the trial was Dontez “Tez” Stewart, who was charged with the murder of Robert Johnson. Stewart has been accused of providing pivotal information in West’s trial in return of a lighter sentence.
In spite of the case made against him, it appears that he plans to file an appeal. As he was escorted out of the courthouse, he told the judge that he’s not guilty of all the charges he’s been convicted of.
“I’m not saying I’m innocent. I’m saying I’m not guilty of all them charges,” he said.
