An aspiring Brooklyn rapper has been arrested in connection with an acid attack in 2021, and prosecutors say they were able to determine he was allegedly responsible after he released a music video in which he boasted about throwing acid in someone’s face.
As reported by News 12, Nafiah Ikram was left permanently scarred after an assailant tossed sulfuric acid at her on March 17, 2021. She told CNN that her face, neck, and chest were scorched by the attack, and she was permanently blinded in her right eye. The case went unsolved for almost five years, but authorities arrested 29-year-old aspiring Brooklyn rapper Terrell Campbell on Tuesday (Feb. 10) for his alleged involvement in the assault.
According to investigators, Campbell released a music video two years after the attack in which he boasted about attacking someone with acid. “On the street in the night like a hitman assassin, trying to run up and have your face burned in acid,” he raps in the video for his song “Obsidian,” which Nassau County District Attorney Anne T. Donnelly described as “cruel and brazen.” He released music under the name YungBasedPrince.
“It sickening,” Donnelly said. “He bragged on the internet for everyone to see. He thought after several years without an arrest that he was home free. … It is clear, this heartless defendant intended to cause her irreversible harm and later he cared so little about the traumatic life-altering injuries he caused, he used the attack to try to further his rap career.” Campbell was charged with assault, criminal possession of a weapon, and unlawful possession of noxious material. He has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail.
Investigators indicated that they received a tip about Campbell, who had access to a red 2015 Nissan Altima in 2021. He is believed to have fled the scene in the same Altima, which was registered to a family member. “As we continued our investigation, we reviewed Campbell’s internet search history. In the minutes following the 2021 attack, we found searches asking, ‘how do I remove sulfuric acid from my car’s fabric?” said Donnelly.
At the time of the attack, Ikram was 21. The incident was caught on a nearby surveillance camera that showed the attacker was wearing a black hoodie and gloves. The surveillance video proved inconclusive, however, as he appeared as a blur. She suffered first and second-degree burns to her upper body and was forced to undergo multiple operations to remove scar tissue.
“She survived the attack, but that was just the beginning of a painful journey for a beautiful young woman … for the past five years, she endured this unimaginable pain. She has also lived with two heartbreaking questions — who and why?” added Donnelly. “Today, I am proud that we are finally able to answer one of those questions. As for the why, our investigation continues, and we cannot provide any additional details at this time.”