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Bronx rapper Kay Flock, born Kevin Perez, faces a 30-year prison sentence following a guilty plea in a federal racketeering case overseen by a US District Judge.
Perez was originally charged in February 2023 in connection with the murder of Wascar Hernandez, who was shot and killed in Upper Manhattan on December 16, 2021. While Perez was initially facing a mandatory life sentence, he reached a plea agreement in August 2024, pleading guilty to racketeering conspiracy. As part of the deal, both the prosecution and defense recommended a sentence of 30 years.
The legal turmoil began just as Perez’s career was reaching new heights. In April 2022, only months after the Hernandez shooting, Kay Flock released his breakthrough hit “Shake It,” featuring Cardi B, which solidified his position as a leader in the Bronx drill scene.
“Kevin Perez used violence and fame to fuel fear and intimidation across the Bronx,” stated Jay Clayton, US Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Clayton added, “Perez and his gang members carried out a string of shootings that struck both rival gang members and innocent bystanders. Perez also used his platform as a prominent rapper to celebrate his violence: threatening his rivals, bragging about his shootings, and taunting his victims.”
Federal prosecutors identified Perez as a leader of the Bronx-based “Sev Side” gang, also known as “DOA.” The indictment alleged the group used wire and bank fraud to finance Perez’s music career while engaging in violent conflicts with rivals to defend their territory.
In addition to the 2021 homicide, the rapper was linked to attempted murders on June 26, 2020, August 10, 2020, and November 10, 2021. According to the US Attorney’s office, Perez’s music glorified his violence and taunted rival gang members who had been murdered.
During the proceedings, US District Judge Lewis J. Liman noted that the rapper taunted, celebrated, and created a culture of violence, emphasizing that the harm caused to the community was immense.
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