On July 19, "The Race" rapper Tay-K was found guilty of murder, and subsequently received a 55 year prison sentence on Tuesday. Now the Star-Telegram reports that Tay has appealed both his conviction and his sentence.
After the jury assigned to his case deliberated for three hours, the artist was ordered to pay a $10,000 fine and serve 55 years behind bars. When found guilty of murder, he was facing somewhere between 5 and 99 years in prison.
The murder sentencing stems from Tay's involvement in a 2016 shooting that led to the death of 21-year-old Ethan Walker. The man responsible for shooting Walker was sentenced to life in prison last year. The 19-year-old rapper was 16 when the shooting occurred, but was nevertheless tried as an adult.
Before the sentencing decision arrived, his video for "The Race" was shown as evidence. Jurors were shown the music video and given a print-out of its lyrics, with a witness submitting it as evidence at the direction of the prosecutors. It is unknown whether "The Race," which was released as Tay-K was on the run from authorities, factored into the decision.
Tay-K is also facing a separate capital murder charge for his alleged involvement in the murder of 23-year-old Mark Saldivar in 2017.
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