Casanova just isn’t letting his time behind bars decide his outlook on life. The Brooklyn rapper, who’s presently serving a 15-year jail sentence for racketeering and narcotics offenses, is “combating my struggle,” 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 matters, 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 precise selections.
Whereas incarcerated at Nevada Southern Detention Middle in late January, Casanova was in good spirits as he opened up concerning the bid he is doing. He reveals that the Final Prisoner Challenge, a nonprofit group redressing the harms of hashish criminalization, helps him attempt to get house.
In 2023, Casanova was sentenced to 188 months in jail for racketeering and narcotics crimes associated to his function 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 believe all people within the federal system has regrets and I believe my remorse just isn’t understanding the legislation,” he tells XXL. “And I do not imply the common legislation. I imply the federal legislation, as a result of state-wise, I am good. I may’ve promoted marijuana. To clear this up, I do not actually have a marijuana sale. I haven’t got a sale. So, off of Instagram, they simply threw out a quantity and stated I used to be promoting this quantity of medication. I haven’t got a direct sale. I haven’t got none of that. They simply seen me selling marijuana on Instagram and stated, ‘Oh yeah, you are promoting marijuana.’ You already know, lots of rappers promote marijuana and so they’re not in jail, however once more, since I used to be tied to a gang, they simply checked out it like, ‘You already know what, let’s wrap this man up and no matter we’ve to wrap him up with.’ That is the place the racketeering is available in. Federally, it is unhealthy, however state-wise, it isn’t unhealthy.”
Loads of rappers have been displaying like to Cas since he is been locked up. In line with him, A$AP Rocky, Chris Brown, Fabolous, Bobby Shmurda and Maino, amongst others. Cas has additionally saved observe of the individuals who have not related with him on the within. “The folks that did not, I kinda received the scope on them,” Casanova shares. “I did lots for everyone and I at all times made positive all people 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 holding 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 crew and EMPIRE, the label behind him, Cas was in a position to get his music to the followers. Figuring out, taking part in chess and chatting with family members are additionally a part of his routine. One factor Cas hasn’t achieved is put his rhymes down on paper. The MC admits he hasn’t “wrote in perpetually.” Casanova’s objective is to create music with a extra optimistic message as soon as he is again outdoors. “Now I kinda consider 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 consider within the tongue now. I gotta go extra optimistic once I get out.”
Through 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 matter of dialogue in hip-hop and past.
“Tory Lanez is my inspiration as a result of he isn’t giving up the struggle,” 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 robust but so little. He is actually robust on his innocence. He is saying that he did not do it. And someday folks consider him and someday folks do not. However, you understand, I went by a complete pressure stuffed with, ‘You continue to saying this? You continue to harmless?’ and I had no alternative however to say, ‘You already know what, I believe he is harmless.'”
Nonetheless, Casanova understands he might be confirmed unsuitable. “I want him the perfect and I hope he did not do it,” Cas provides. “It could break my coronary heart if he did it. Possibly he is a very good liar, I do not know.”
As Cas seems to be forward on the time he has left to serve—the rapper believes he’ll do 65 to 70 good of his total 15-year sentence—he has an enormous objective to attain inside. Casanova is presently writing a youngsters’s ebook on making proper and unsuitable choices. “I simply need 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 total dialog with XXL beneath.
Hearken to Casanova’s First Inform-All Interview From Jail
Hearken to Casanova’s I Get It Now Album
See 47 of the Longest Jail Bids in Hip-Hop Historical past
C-Homicide, Max B, B.G. and extra.
