Hot Boys rapper BG released from prison after 11 years
New Orleans rapper BG, known for rapping alongside Lil Wayne and Juvenile in 1990s group Hot Boys, was released from prison this week after more than a decade behind bars.
Among the first to embrace BG – real name Christopher Dorsey – was rapper and hip-hop mogul Birdman, who recruited him and Lil Wayne as tween protégés for his Cash Money Records in the early 1990s. The pair could be seen chatting with smiles on their faces while surrounded by other supporters before embracing each other to the video from Birdman’s InstagramLive This was shared online on Tuesday.
In July 2012 was Dorsey sentenced to 14 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of possession of a gun as a felon and obstruction of justice. Dorsey has been incarcerated in the Federal Correctional Institution in Herlong, California, a small, remote town in the mountains of the eastern Sierra Nevada for the past 11 years.
“It’s my last #birthday I’ll be buried alive” wrote the 43-year-old Monday on Instagram to tease his release.
“The main focus is staying focused,” he continued. “I won’t let anyone rob me of my productivity, wealth, positivity, and peace of mind. My dreams then got bigger and my vision is clearer. 13 years were more than back then [sic] enough time for me to change the reckless path I have taken.”
Bureau of Prisons records suggest that Dorsey’s release may have been ahead of schedule. Its original release date was scheduled for July 2024. It was not immediately clear what led to his early release.
However, with the support of some high-profile names, including Birdman, Dorsey had been working to get his sentence commuted in 2022, according to court documents obtained by the Times. Those who advocated reducing the sentence in court include Birdman (real name Bryan Christopher Williams), NBA Hall of Famer Gary Payton, and former music executives and talent managers.
A federal judge ultimately denied Dorsey’s request for release, arguing that the rapper “did not present exceptional and compelling reasons justifying a reduction in sentence.” In response to a later motion, the court stated, documents show, that Dorsey had not presented “new evidence that would affect the court’s previous decision.”
As news of BG’s release spread online Tuesday, many in the hip-hop community began to celebrate, including Houston rapper Bun B, one half of rap duo UGK. The rapper shared a screenshot of a FaceTime call with BG and Birdman.
“The call we’ve been waiting for!” Bun B wrote on Instagram, announcing a Hot Boys reunion. “@birdman call me to show me [B.G.] is a free man! That put a smile on my face! God is great! A Hot Boys reunion is coming soon!”
Formed in the 1990s with BG, Lil Wayne, Juvenile and Turk, Hot Boys recorded a platinum album together in 1999, Guerrilla Warfare. After the group broke up in the early 2000s, the artists launched solo careers.
Although most of the group remained connected to Birdman and Cash Money, a few artists, most notably Lil Wayne, later clashed with Birdman, leading to a $51 million lawsuit in 2015.
Wayne claimed the label withheld significant payments for his multi-delayed album Tha Carter V and that Birdman, whom he called “a surrogate father,” also exploited other artists like Drake and Nicki Minaj. Lil Wayne settled an undisclosed sum with the record label in 2018.
