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Hip-hop and rap have their own culture that shapes the sounds of modern-age music. The American hip-hop and rap experience combines musical expertise, angst, gangster life, and violence.
Two famous Brooklyn rappers, Sleepy Hallow and Sheff G, are among the icons in the rapping world. However, both musicians have had publicized run-ins with the law.
Is Sleepy Hallow in jail? Is his friend, Sheff G, in jail as well? If so, what are their charges, and where are they now?
This article provides information on the status of Sleepy Hallow and Sheff G after the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office charged them with multiple offenses. It also lists the charges filed against them by the state.
Furthermore, this write-up explains the charges filed by the state against the two rappers, the meaning of bail, and the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) law.
Many music artists have been put behind bars in the United States. These individuals became part of the growing incarcerated population in America.
As of 2023, over 1.9 million inmates are housed in over 7,000 prisons and jails nationwide. If you want to learn more about these correctional facilities, visit LookUpInmate.org.
Our site provides direct links to the websites of these prisons and jails. You can access information like visiting hours, the inmate population, and services provided to incarcerated individuals.
Have Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow Been Arrested Following the Indictment?
Police authorities arrested Brooklyn drill rappers Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow after being indicted alongside 30 other members of the “Eight Trey Crips” and its affiliate, 9 Ways gangs.
Drill rappers focus on creating music with dark and violent content, often taking cues from gang activities.
Both American hip-hop rappers were charged with 2nd-degree criminal possession of a weapon and 2nd-degree conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, assault, attempted assault, gang assault, kidnapping, and related raps. Of the 32 defendants, 24 were arraigned in Brooklyn Supreme Court and placed under custody.
In New York City, criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree is a serious offense because the weapons involved are not simple switchblades or razors.
You can only be convicted of this charge if you possess a gun or a loaded firearm outside of your home or business. You can read the law regarding the use and possession of firearms in NYC under the New York Penal Code § 265.03.
The specific NYC penal code states that you can get convicted for second-degree criminal weapon possession if:
- The person disguised the gun (machine gun or a loaded firearm).
- The person has the intention to use the weapons in an unlawful way.
- The person has more than five firearms.
Note that the New York Penal Code permits possessing a firearm in one’s home or business place, whether loaded or not.
What Does the Indictment Allege?
The Brooklyn District Attorney, Eric Gonzalez, accused Sheff G (Michael Williams) of giving alleged gang members expensive jewelry and treating them with lavish meals in exchange for violent acts against rival gangs in Flatbush, Brooklyn.
In another case, the DA said that Sheff G allegedly treated Sleepy Hallow (Tegan Chambers) and others to a Manhattan steakhouse dinner during his stay in Short Hills, New Jersey.
Sheff G gave the treat to celebrate the drive-by shooting that killed Theodore Senior (23 years old) and injured five other people, who were alleged members of the Folk Nation gang, on October 21, 2020.
The actions described above are enough to be charged with conspiracy to commit murder, which prosecutors filed against Sheff G and her sister, Crystal Williams.
Eric Gonzalez reiterated that his actions against Sheff G, Sleepy Hallow, and their gang members are not indictments of rap music. Gonzalez added that he didn’t rely on a single lyric to prove the alleged crimes imputed to the gang members.
Were Rap Lyrics Cited?
Many think the prosecution may have used the artist’s rap lyrics as evidence in court. However, District Attorney Gonzalez said in a press conference with New York City Mayor Eric Adams, assured the public that the prosecution didn’t use any artist’s rap lyrics to help prove their cases in court.
The district attorney believed that only a judge could accept the use of rap lyrics in a lawsuit after determining the value of the lyrics, like the threats against people who made music like in drill raps.
Gonzalez further argued that if anyone listens to lyrics made by Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow, it references gang rivalries, retaliations, and actual mentions of their rivals. However, Gonzalez assured people he didn’t submit rap lyrics as evidence in court or to the grand jury regarding the rappers’ case.
Furthermore, the district attorney assured that the evidence submitted came from the investigation conducted by the NYPD (New York Police Department) through surveillance of social media and text messages, appropriate use of recovered cellular phones, and gun confiscations.
The use of lyrics for evidence depends on whether it meets the established rules of evidence. The court uses a balancing test to see whether the evidence is acceptable.
The prosecutor must prove that the rapper’s lyrics establish intent, motive, or identity related to a crime. Judges will usually accept lyrics as evidence if the prosecutor successfully meets this requirement.
Judges determine whether the proof outweighs the tendency to improperly or unfairly influence the jury.
For instance, a defendant’s lyrics must be excluded if they influence the jury’s decision against the defendant rather than establish a connection to a crime using the lyrics. However, accepting the use of rap lyrics as evidence is a decision that only the judges can make based on state laws.
The following are cases where the prosecution used music lyrics as evidence and how the court reacted.
- The New Jersey Supreme Court determined that rap lyrics that are general in nature and don’t provide any proof of motive or intent must not be admitted into evidence. Also, if lyrics only activated biases against the music and the rapper, it must not be used as evidence.
- The Maryland Court of Appeals decided that the defendant’s rap lyrics could be accepted as evidence despite lacking specific details regarding the alleged crime.
The judge decided that the lyrics showed the rapper’s intent to intimidate witnesses before the trial. However, the judge’s decision wasn’t based solely on the lyrics but on the timing of the song’s release.
The rapper recorded the lyrics while in detention for 10 months after the alleged murder happened and three weeks before the trial.
Are These RICO Charges?
The case that involved Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow, along with 30 alleged gang members, has a 140-count indictment by New York State. However, the defendants are not facing any RICO case.
The RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations) law is a way for the U.S. government to stamp out organized crime in the country.
The RICO law allows the government to prosecute individual mobsters and whole organizations.
Sleepy Hallow Was Freed From Jail After Completing an Eight-Month Sentence for Weapon Possession
Sleepy Hallow became a free man on February 13, 2023. He was released after completing an almost eight-month sentence for weapons possession. However, this may be short-lived as he faces a conspiracy charge along with 30 alleged gang members.
A conspiracy to commit murder charge happens when you:
- Agree with one or more people to unlawfully and intentionally kill someone.
- Have one person involved in the conspiracy to commit an act to further the agreement.
The agreement can be more clearly articulated, thoroughly detailed, and inferred from one’s conduct.
The purpose or primary focus of the conspiracy is to murder someone, and you agree to be a party to the crime.
The act that furthers an agreement means that someone did a specific action that helped the collaborators advance their planned crime. Here is an example of an action that furthers an agreement.
- Purchasing the murder weapon
- Renting or securing a get-away car
Are They Still in Jail?
As of Nov 2023, Sheff G remains in prison after being sentenced to two years imprisonment and pleading guilty to criminal possession of a weapon in the second-degree charge in 2021.
The NYPD arrested Sheff G last January 2023 after the police stopped him and found a loaded gun inside his vehicle.
On the other hand, Sleepy Hallow was released from prison after serving almost eight months for possession of weapons in New York City.
An Instagram video shared by fellow rapper Sheff G showed Tegan Chambers drinking champagne in front of the correctional facility where he was once imprisoned.
However, Both Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow were slapped with another case of conspiracy charges. Sleepy Hallow was released after posting bail, while Sheff G remains imprisoned. If the rappers get convicted of conspiracy, they may end up serving a sentence of up to 25 years.
Bail is a specific amount of money the court determines a defendant can pay to get released from prison until the trial date. Bail is not a fine and shouldn’t be used as punishment.
The bail’s purpose is to ensure the defendant’s appearance in all pretrial and trial hearings where they must be present.
After the trial, the posted bail is returned to the defendant, minus the processing fee in some states. The judge determines the bail amount after considering the following factors:
- The defendant’s risk of fleeing
- The type of crime allegedly committed
- The level of danger a defendant poses
- The level of risk a defendant poses to society
Sleepy Hallow Talks New Album, State of NY Drill, and Update on Sheff G
Sleepy Hallow had a grin on his face as he finished his upcoming sophomore album, Boy Meets World. That moment was the first time Sleepy could talk about his new music after he was released from prison.
Sleepy Hallow served eight months for weapons possession and has been released, which made this part of his career exciting.
Sleepy Hallow is one of the first to develop the Brooklyn drill scene, working with his close friend, Sheff G. The two formed the Winners Circle in 2019.
The Still Sleep? debut album in June 2021 on Radio Corporation of America or RCA Records helped Sleepy break into the rap scene and make a name for himself.
The album peaked at number 16 on the Billboard 200 and has been certified Gold by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America). Other songs Sleepy Hallow released after his incarceration are:
- Die Young featuring 347Aidan
- Marie
- 2 Mins of Pain featuring Alborosie
His “syrupy” line delivery and unique beat selection set him apart from artists like Pop Smoke and Sheff G.
Sleepy Hallow is excited to be part of the Rolling Loud hip-hop music festival. He was booked during his incarceration but managed to perform again in July 2023. At the event, he managed to have Sheff G make a call from prison to the rousing cheer of the audience.
As mentioned above, Sheff G remains in prison for his convictions and is facing other charges that may keep him behind bars for a long time.
What Is Sleepy Hallow’s Real Name?
The complete name of Sleepy Hallow is Tegan Joshua Anthony Chambers. He was born on December 20, 1999, and is considered a Christmas and a millennial baby.
Tegan’s birthplace is Jamaica, but he moved to America with his family when he was still a kid. Tegan’s family settled in Flatbush, Brooklyn, which the young Tegan enjoyed.
He got the name “Sleepy” while he was still a kid. He added “Hallow” to his name to commemorate the street name where he transitioned into rap. Sleepy Hallow is best known for his songs Flows, Deep End Freestyle, and Panic.
He released his debut mixtape, Don’t Sleep in 2019. From there, his rapping career slowly became trending.
Some may spell Tegan’s rap name as “Sleepy Hollow.” However, this spelling pertains to the place in Washington Irving’s horror story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. It’s different from Tegan Chamber’s on-stage name.
Is Sleepy Hallow a Blood or a Crip?
BLOOD stands for Brotherly Love Overrides Oppression and Destruction. The Bloods are mostly African-American street gangs founded in Los Angeles, California.
On the other hand, CRIP is Common Revolution in Progress. The Crips are an alliance of street gangs based in Southern California.
Sleepy Hallow is a member of the Eight Tray Gangsta Crips, a street gang he joined after his release from juvenile detention. Many believe that during his time in the gang, he became best friends with Sheff G, a fellow gang member.
That said, Sleepy has never been involved in any crime associated with the Eight Tray Crips and has never been jailed due to gang-related crimes.
Gangs, especially in the inner cities, tend to end up in gang-related violence, and some are imprisoned.
You can check the prisons and jails in America’s largest cities by visiting LookUpInmate.org. You can access direct links to any of over 7,000 prisons and jails in the United States.
References
- New report Mass Incarceration: The Whole Pie 2023 shows that as the pandemic subsides, criminal legal system returning to “business as usual”
https://www.prisonpolicy.org/blog/2023/03/14/whole_pie_2023/ - Transcript: Mayor Adams Makes Public Safety-Related Announcement
https://www.nyc.gov/office-of-the-mayor/news/339-23/transcript-mayor-adams-makes-public-safety-related-announcement - Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Law
https://www.justia.com/criminal/docs/rico/