Is YNW Melly still alive? Death penalty claim and release date speculation
The rapid and dramatic shifts in the life of American rapper YNW Melly have left netizens stunned. From his chart-topping music and high-profile collaborations with icons like Kanye West to sudden allegations of murder and imprisonment, his story has captivated fans. More so, amidst controversies and years of court battles, the question is, is YNW Melly still alive, and is he released?
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
YNW Melly is famous for hit songs like Murder on My Mind and Mixed Personalities. He is a rapper, singer, and songwriter who co-founded the music group YNW. His melodic vocals are primarily about violence, money, crime, sex and struggles from childhood. Most of his songs were released from prison as he faced penalties for different crimes he committed.
Profile summary and bio
| Full name | Jamell Maurice Demons |
| Nickname | YNW Melly, Melvin |
| Gender | Male |
| Date of birth | 1 May 1999 |
| Age | 24 years old (as of February 2024) |
| Place of birth | Gifford, Florida, United States of America |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | African-American |
| Religion | Christianity |
| Sexuality | Straight |
| Height | 5'8" (173 cm) |
| Mother | Jamie Demons-King |
| Siblings | 1 |
| Marital status | Single |
| School | Vero Beach High School |
| Profession | Rapper, singer, songwriter |
| Net worth | $100,000 |
| Social media handle |
What is Melly's real name?
His real name is Jamell Maurice Demons, but he is professionally known as YNW Melly. His mother, Jamie Demons-King, gave birth to him at 14 and struggled to raise him alone. Although his biological father is unknown, rapper Donte "Tha Gift" Taylor claims to be his father.
How old is Melly now?
The rapper is 24 years old as of February 2024. He was born on 1 May 1999 in Gifford, Florida, United States of America. He is an American by nationality with an African-American ethnicity.
Source: Original
What happened to YNW Melly?
Melly was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon in 2015. Following his release in 2016, he adopted the name YNW Melly after he formed the hip-hop group YNW with three other rappers. His other members are Anthony Williams, known as YNW Sakchaser; Christopher Thomas Jr, known as YNW Juvy; and Cortlen Henry, known as YNW Bortlen.
While he was serving a jail term for a 2015 shooting with a gun in front of three students near Vero Beach High School, he wrote a few songs. This led to the release of his first EP titled Collect Call in 2017. He also violated probation and was later released in 2018. That same year, he became famous for songs like Virtual (Blue Balenciagas) and Butter Pecan and released his mixtape I Am You.
Kelly was also jailed for possessing hard substances. While serving, he wrote songs like Murder on My Mind, one of his best songs. He collaborated with Kanye West to release Mixed Personalities. The song made millions while he was charged with murder in 2019.
What happened to YNW?
YNW music group lost two founding members, and YNW Melly was accused of committing the murders. In 2018, YNW Melly's friends, Williams (YNW Sakchaser), Thomas Jr (YNW Juvy), and Cortlen Henry (YNW Bortlen), accompanied him.
After they left New Era Recording Studio, they were allegedly fired upon. Melly claimed he and Henry (the driver of the jeep) escaped the gunfire, but his friends were fatally shot in what seems like a drive-by shooting.
The police found no evidence supporting Melly's story, discovering a firearm in their vehicle. Autopsy results suggested the victims were shot from the left passenger seat, and that was where Melly sat earlier.
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A warrant was put out for him and Henry. On 13 February 2019, he turned himself in. He posted the following on his Instagram page:
To all my fans and supporters no I did not get locked up in Washington , but I am turning myself in today I want you guys to know I love you and appreciate every single one of y’all, a couple months ago I lost my two brothers by violence and now the system want to find justice.
YNW Melly's trial
The young rapper has been detained at Broward County Jail since 2019 to await trial. His first trial was supposed to start on 30 November 2021 but began on 12 June 2023. The death penalty can now be approved by the jury in an 8-4 split rather than a unanimous vote, according to Florida law. However, Melly's first trial was declared a mistrial on 22 July 2023 due to a hung jury and unanimous verdict.
On 22 September 2023, Broward Circuit Judge John Murphy refused to grant him bond as he awaited a new trial set for 2 October 2023. YNW Melly's defence attorney, Raven Liberty, argued for case dismissal on October 2023, citing alleged prosecution obstruction.
Meanwhile, the prosecution accused Melly of witness tampering. Amidst delays and accusations, the trial faced controversy as prosecutors sought to introduce Melly's lyrics as evidence, especially on his song Murder on My Mind.
In January 2024, the trial was also suspended because the judge suppressed a promotional video about Melly's life.
Will Melly be released?
YNW Melly's release date is uncertain as a new trial is set to begin on 5 March 2024. The day's verdict will likely determine if he will be released.
What disease does Melly have?
He has bipolar disease, as revealed in his lyrics on Mixed Personalities. Melly was also diagnosed with COVID-19 during the pandemic. This was revealed via his management on Twitter on 2 April 2020.
Source: Getty Images
As a result of this, he pleaded to be released from prison due to his health challenge. The judge denied him such privilege on 14 April. Before this, the Butter Pecan singer, on 30 July 2023, confessed to living with multiple personality disorder.
FAQs
While there have been arguments on whether the controversial rapper is dead, here are some questions curious people have asked.
- Is YNW Melly free? No, he is still in Broward County Jail awaiting trial and verdict.
- Is YNW Melly still in jail? He is currently a jailbird in Broward County Jail. But there is no YNW Melly death date for now, as YNW Melly's verdict is on hold.
- Is YNW Melly alive? He is alive and awaiting trial. His Instagram account is also active; he occasionally posts music videos and updates.
Is YNW Melly still alive? This remains a topic of discussion among concerned fans and the music industry. Since he clashed with the law, the rising star has had several restrictions on his music career. Hence, many await to see the outcome of this controversial case.
READ ALSO: What happened to Keyona Griffin? All you should know about her death
As published on Briefly, When Keyona Griffin woke up on 13 March 2019, little did she know that her life was going to take a tragic turn when her bubbly, youthful existence was cut short in a dreadful family massacre.
Her story is one of bravery and despair, marked by a distressing 911 call that failed to save her life.
Source: Briefly News
