The meteoric rise of rapper Kay Flock's musical career was abruptly halted on Tuesday, when he was sentenced to 30 years in prison for a string of shootings in his Bronx neighborhood. The 22-year-old, whose real name is Kevin Perez, had just begun to gain traction prior to his 2021 arrest, and his first album "The D.O.A. Tape" had catapulted him into the limelight as a newcomer in New York's drill rap scene.
Perez, who was known for his gang "Sev Side/DOA," was convicted in March of charges including racketeering conspiracy and attempted murder. During his sentencing, U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman lambasted Perez for sending the wrong message to his young peers by glorifying violence during a span of less than 18 months that left dozens of people shot at, injured, or killed on Bronx streets.
"You taunted, you celebrated, and you helped create a cycle of violence," Liman said, noting that Perez bragged on social media that he was exonerated on the top count and wrote "KILL ALL RATS" on Instagram after a trial in which gang members testified against him. Despite Perez's insistence that he had changed and that everyone deserves a second chance, Liman criticized him for not expressing any concern for his victims, stating, "To date, you've shown no real remorse for your conduct."
Prosecutors had asked Liman to impose a 50-year prison sentence, the same as recommended by the court's Probation Department officer, accusing Perez of using violence to further his career through music that glorified gang violence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick R. Moroney noted that Perez was "very good at celebrating his violence and getting under the skin of his rivals."
Defense attorney Michael Ashley asked the judge to levy the mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, saying his client grew up in one of the nation's most dangerous neighborhoods and fell under the influence of an older man who encouraged gang activity. The judge took into consideration that the crimes occurred while Perez's brain was "still evolving and maturing," and that six of his friends had died from gun violence before he turned 18. "The life of the street, it seems to me, is all you've ever known," Liman said.
