Mystikal Has Been Released From Prison on $3 Million Bond

The rapper's rape and kidnapping trial is expected to start May 20.

Mystikal
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Image via Getty/Paras Griffin

Mystikal

Mystikal is reportedly a free man.

According to TMZ, the 48-year-old rapper—legal name Michael Lawrence Tyler—was recently released from a Louisiana prison after posting a $3 million bond. The money is said to have come from an advance for a new record deal, as well as fundraisers conducted by his friends and family. News of Mystikal's potential release broke last month, about a year and half after he was locked up on first degree rape and second degree kidnapping charges.

The rapper's attorney Tim Yazbeck confirmed his client's release to TMZ on Tuesday: "It's been a long time coming for Mike, but now he can get back to being the artist he is, doing what he loves, and seeing his kids again."

The case stemmed from a 2016 incident in which the New Orleans rapper allegedly raped a woman after a concert in Shreveport, Louisiana. Mystikal pleaded not guilty to the charges in December 2017 and is expected to go on trial this spring. Mystikal's other lawyer, Joel Pearce, said he is confident the rapper will walk away with a win. 

"Based on all of the evidence we have, we strongly believe that an amicable resolution is not only possible but probable as an outcome in this case and that Michael Tyler will never be made to return to jail for a crime he didn’t commit," Pearce said. 

Mystikal is due back in court on May 20. 

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