Kidd Creole of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five Sentenced to 16 Years for Manslaughter

After he was found guilty of first-degree manslaughter last month, Kidd Creole has been sentenced to 16 years in prison.

TMZ reports that the former musician, who was a member of Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five alongside his brother Melle Mel, was sentenced to 16 years behind bars and five years of probation for the fatal stabbing of a homeless man in 2017. The legal team for the 62-year-old, real name Nathaniel Glover, argued that he acted in self-defense.

The incident in question happened in New York just before midnight on Aug. 1, 2017. The stabbing victim, 55-year-old John Jolly, allegedly approached Creole and said, “What’s up?” The rapper then pulled out a steak knife and stabbed Jolly twice in the chest. He was later discovered bleeding out by a group of tourists and taken to a nearby hospital. He later died of his injuries. Creole is said to have fled the scene shortly after, and went to his office to change clothes and clean the knife. Police said he attempted to dispose of the knife in a sewer by a Bronx subway station, although it was recovered by authorities the next day.

Kidd Creole’s attorney argued that Jolly sustained non-life-threatening stab wounds during the altercation, and his death was actually caused by a mix of alcohol and sedatives given to him by hospital staff. Prosecutors have argued a police interview with Creole allegedly saw him admit he attacked Jolly because he believed the man was hitting on him. Speaking with the Source in 2021, he denied the attack was homophobic.