by Matthew Russell Lee, Patreon Book Substack
SDNY COURTHOUSE, Jan 13 – Two days after the mixed jury verdict in US v. Kevin Perez, the Bronx-based drill rapper known as Kay Flock, a book was published about the trial, "Courthouse Rap." On Amazon here.
On August 4, Perez' lawyer's motion for acquittal or a new trial was denied, with the Judge concluding "Perez even noted to Brockington after the shooting that “[his] shit [was] still hot,” in apparent reference to the gun that Perez was holding. Tr. 426:9–427. The jury could have reasonably inferred from this testimony that Perez supplied his own gun to be used in the shooting." Full order on Patreon here
On December 16, Inner City Press live tweeted the sentence - and 25 year sentence, thread here
On January 13 he filed notice of appeal, pro se, from Essex in New Jersey.
The book compares this 2025 trial to the previous trial involving Tekashi 6ix9ine as a cooperating witness, before U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Paul A. Engelmayer. Inner City Press covered both cases, as it is covering that of Sean Combs and others. The book begins:
In outlaw music there is always the question of authenticity. Daniel Hernandez became Tekashi 6ix9ine and hooked up with the Nine Trey Gangsta Bloods to shoot a video. Then he became their cash cow, and some of them became his muscle, shoot-out in a Barclay's Center hallway.
They turned on Tekashi and he became a cooperator against them, returning to SDNY on violations of supervised release then back out on the concert tour.
For drill rapper Kay Flock it was different. He really was from Sev Side, 187th Street. He wasn't an appendage to his group: he was central to it. When with seven he was indicted, he did not cooperate. He took it to trial.
The author knows, or knew, the neighborhood well, having lived there for years: first car on Beaumont Avenue, first storefront on Courtlandt then Washington Avenues. Now after a stint at the UN ending in UN gangsters ousting, covering the SDNY courthouse for these trials. This book starts with the just-completed Kay Flock trial, then compares it to Tekashi 6ix9ine. Should music be on trial? Should authenticity?
E-book on Amazon here
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