Brooklyn rapper Rowdy Rebel rose to fame alongside Bobby Shmurda in 2014 but a gang conviction cut their careers short. When their group, GS9, was accused of murder, attempted murder, assault, and drug dealing, both rappers and a number of their associates were convicted and sentenced to long stints in prison. However, while Bobby had his parole denied due to brawling and holding contraband while inside, Rowdy Rebel apparently kept his nose clean, as he has been released today after making parole according to Complex.
Rowdy, now 29 years old, was recently featured on Pop Smoke’s song “Make It Rain” from the late Brooklyn drill rapper’s posthumous album Shoot for the Stars, Aim for the Moon, introducing him to a younger generation of fans who missed out on GS9’s summer of dominance. That means he might just have a chance at a career reboot if he can capitalize on the momentum from that guest appearance with an impressive follow-up. His last big singles before that were “Computers,” from GS9’s Shmoney Shmurda (Shmixtape) and the remix of Bobby’s breakout single “Hot N****” alongside New York veterans Busta Rhymes, Fabolous, and Jadakiss, although he made sporadic appearances on tracks from Lil Durk and Don Q via prison phone.