US rapper Mystikal pleads guilty to third-degree rape in 2022 arrest | Louisiana

American rapper Mystikal pleaded guilty Tuesday to third-degree rape in connection with a case that led to his arrest in 2022.

Mystikal — whose first name is Michael Tyler — faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty at a state courthouse outside Baton Rouge, Louisiana, according to reports from local media outlets WBRZ and WAFB.

Tyler, 55, was initially charged with more serious offenses, to which he pleaded not guilty: first-degree rape, simple theft, domestic violence, battery and false imprisonment.

Tyler’s guilty plea was reportedly part of a deal to reduce the overall seriousness of the case against him. Had he been convicted as originally charged, he would have been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Mystikal achieved worldwide success in 2000 with Shake Ya Ass and was subsequently nominated for two Grammy Awards. The single made a memorable appearance in the film About a Boy by Hugh Grant, Toni Collette and Nicholas Hoult.

He also debuted an album at the top of the Billboard 200 before being sentenced to six years in prison in 2004 after being convicted of sexual assault and extortion in a case involving his hairdresser.

This prior conviction required Tyler to register as a sex offender.

In 2012, the lyricist was jailed for three months after being arrested for domestic violence. Then, in 2017, he was accused of rape and kidnapping before authorities ultimately dropped the case.

The case in which Tyler pleaded guilty Tuesday — ahead of a March 30 trial date — centered on a victim who told investigators he raped, beat and strangled her. She also said he took her phone and car keys to stop her from leaving, then forced her to send him money through the Cash App platform.

Tyler’s sentencing hearing was tentatively scheduled for June.

The Guardian’s reporting partner, WWL Louisiana, contributed