Rapper Mystikal pleads guilty to third-degree rape in Louisiana

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The rapper Mystikal, who received multiple Grammy nominations in the early 2000s, pleaded guilty Tuesday to raping a woman at his Louisiana home nearly four years ago, according to court records.

The 55-year-old performer, whose given name is Michael Lawrence Tyler, pleaded guilty to third-degree rape in an Ascension Parish courtroom, records show.

Tyler’s attorney didn’t immediately respond Wednesday to a request for comment.

Tyler faces up to 25 years in jail without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 15.

The rapper has been held without bond at the Ascension Parish Jail since 2022, when he was arrested for allegedly raping and choking a woman at his home in Prairieville, about 18 miles (29 kilometers) from Baton Rouge.

The New Orleans-native rose to national recognition in the 1990s and is known for his 2000 hit “Shake Ya A(asterisk)(asterisk),” which was nominated for a Grammy in the best rap solo performance category.

In 2003, he pleaded guilty to sexual battery and was sentenced to six years in prison. That same year he was a Grammy nominee in two categories: best rap album for “Tarantula” and best male rap solo performance for his single “Bouncin’ Back (Bumpin’ Me Against The Wall).”