(Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for BET)
Casanova has renounced his ties to the violent Gorilla Stone Nation Bloods gang in a letter asking for leniency before his sentencing later this month.
The Roc Nation rapper plans on continuing to speak out against gangs. He also acknowledged that he made some bad decisions in the legal documents obtained by TMZ.
He reportedly faces over 60 years in prison for pleading guilty to drug trafficking and RICO charges.
“I am telling you and anyone that will listen that I wanted out before I was arrested and I am out. I learned through my music career that people will listen and that I don’t need to associate myself with a gang to succeed. I don’t need to associate with a gang even if I don’t succeed,” he said in his letter.
Casanova added that he lost his father to cancer while behind bars. He even admitted that he’d had suicidal thoughts in the letter to Judge Philip Halpern before his June 27 sentencing date, HipHopDX reports.
The Brooklyn native admitted he used the imagery of gang life in his rap lyrics. However, he added that it doesn’t accurately reflect all his material. The 36-year-old went on to say that he no longer wants to live that life.
“I thought I needed to stay in the life in name because it was a way to promote my career. I don’t care what the government tells you. I am telling you the truth. I was not involved in the daily activities of this gang. I wasn’t anyone’s boss.”
He continued:
“What I was, and I regret this was a person that they could use to promote themselves in a world I swear to you I was trying to leave. I clearly did not do a good enough job of this as I did find myself in one bad situation after another.”
The Brooklyn native also cited a difficult childhood and his lack of a father figure as primary reasons behind his gang activity.
The outlet reports that dozens of letters were similarly submitted to the judge by family and friends. They reportedly spoke on Casanova’s character to influence a more lenient sentence with the judge.
