Furious Five rapper Kidd Creole sentenced to 16 years in prison

Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five’s Kidd Creole has been sentenced to 16 years in prison after being found guilty of manslaughter for the stabbing of a homeless man in 2017.

Last month, the rapper, whose actual name is Nathaniel Glover, was found guilty of the crime. Prosecutors say Glover killed John Jolly, 55, with a steak knife after the two got into a conversation; Glover's defence is that he was scared by Jolly, who allegedly asked him "what's up?" in a threatening way.

Sky News reports that prosecutors alleged that Glover stabbed Mr Jolly after becoming agitated because he believed Mr Jolly was gay and made a pass at him.

Glover went to his workplace after stabbing the 55-year-old, changed his clothing, and cleaned the weapon, according to authorities. The next day, he was arrested.

The Guardian reports that Glover's lawyer claimed that Jolly's homelessness made him feel threatened, but judge Michele S Rodney ruled that the death was not “somehow justified because the person is homeless … A life is a life is a life.”

Mr Jolly's death was terrible to his family and everyone who knew him, said Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg following the sentencing.

‘Every life we lose to violent crime ripples throughout our entire city, and we will continue to ensure everyone in our borough can live their lives with the sense of safety and security they deserve.’

Glover told Rodney that he had anticipated being found not guilty of the crime and that he had been painted as someone “who has no remorse or humanity”. Glover’s attorneys said they would be appealing his conviction.

Glover is best known for being a part of hip hop group Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five. The group was created in the Bronx in the late 1970s, Glover featured in many of their popular tracks.

Aneesa Ahmed is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow her on Twitter