Rapper Mystikal
The former No Limit Records star has been held without bond since his arrest in Louisiana in 2022. X

Louisiana rapper Mystikal pleaded guilty to third-degree rape on Tuesday in an Ascension Parish courtroom, accepting a plea deal that cut a first-degree rape charge carrying mandatory life down to a maximum of 20 years for a 2022 assault that left the victim beaten, choked, and forced to send money through CashApp.

A Plea Deal That Dropped Life to 20 Years

Michael Tyler, 55, known professionally as Mystikal, entered a guilty plea at the Ascension Parish Courthouse in Gonzales, Louisiana, on 17 March. He had originally been indicted on charges of first-degree rape, simple robbery, domestic abuse battery by strangulation, false imprisonment, and simple criminal damage to property.

Under Louisiana law, a first-degree rape conviction carries an automatic life sentence with no possibility of parole. The plea agreement brought the charge down to third-degree rape, capping Tyler's sentence at 20 years. A judge ordered a pre-sentence investigation, and sentencing is scheduled for June. His trial had been set for 30 March.

What the Victim Told Investigators

The case dates back to 30 July 2022, when Ascension Parish deputies responded to a local hospital after a woman reported a sexual assault. She arrived with visible injuries and identified Tyler as her attacker. Donovan Jackson, spokesman for the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office, said the victim had 'very visible injuries on her body' and was 'very distraught'.

The woman told investigators that Tyler beat her, choked her, and pulled her braids out after accusing her of stealing $100 (£74.84). She said he took her phone and car keys to trap her inside his Prairieville home. After being raped, the victim was forced to send Tyler money through CashApp before he allowed her to leave.

Deputies arrested Tyler at his residence, where they also found heroin, methamphetamine, Xanax, and marijuana. He has been held without bond since his arrest. He initially pleaded not guilty to all charges.

A Pattern That Spans Two Decades

Tuesday's guilty plea isn't Tyler's first conviction for sexual violence. In 2003, he pleaded guilty to sexual battery and extortion after assaulting his hairstylist. He served six years in a Louisiana state prison and was released in 2010 as a registered sex offender. In 2012, he was jailed for three months following a domestic abuse arrest.

In 2017, Tyler was charged with first-degree rape and second-degree kidnapping in Caddo Parish after a woman accused him of assaulting her at a Shreveport casino. He spent roughly 18 months behind bars before posting a $3 million (£2.2 million) bond. A grand jury declined to indict him in December 2020, and the charges were dismissed.

His 2022 arrest marked the third time Tyler had faced sexual assault charges in less than 20 years.

Fame, Defence, and the Industry's Silence

Before his legal troubles overtook his career, Mystikal was one of Southern hip-hop's most recognisable voices. He rose to prominence in the mid-1990s through Master P's No Limit Records and earned Grammy nominations for tracks including Shake Ya A** featuring Pharrell Williams. His 2000 album Let's Get Ready became his best-selling release.

Even after the 2022 indictment, Tyler's former label boss publicly backed him. At the 2023 Lovers and Friends Festival in Las Vegas, Master P told the crowd to 'get your hands up for my dawg' and repeatedly called for Tyler's release. The remarks drew criticism online, with many pointing out that Tyler was a registered sex offender facing charges that carried life imprisonment.

Tyler's sentencing in June will determine whether he serves the full 20-year maximum or a reduced term. He has spent over three and a half years in custody since his 2022 arrest.

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