Who is Mally Mall? Rapper faces three years in prison for running a "prostitution business"

Rapper and music producer Jamal “Mally Mall” Rashid has been sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for running a “prostitution business” under the guise of an escort enterprise in Las Vegas.

According to court documents released on May 13, between 2002-2014, Rashid ran several such front businesses, which were “high-end prostitution rings that transported victims across the United States.” The transactions took place via paid websites “to advertise the victims for prostitution purposes.”

The music producer, known for being featured in the VH1 reality TV series, “Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood,” pleaded guilty in October 2019 to one count of using an interstate facility for unlawful activities.

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Mally Mall threatened victims to get tattoos of him as a sign of loyalty

According to a statement from the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada:

“Rashid exploited hundreds of victims as: (a) “independent contractors” who turned over to Rashid a portion of what they earned through prostitution; and (b) “priority girls” who turned over nearly all of the proceeds from prostitution to Rashid. He admitted to manipulating the victims, imposing rules and threatening them so that they would prostitute for him. Further, Rashid encouraged victims to get tattoos of him to demonstrate their loyalty, and led many of them to believe he would advance their careers in show business.”

The rapper sought clemency from U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro by stating he has “not engaged in any criminal activity" since 2014. He reportedly told the judge that,

"I truly apologize to the court, the government and, most importantly, the women involved."

Defense attorney David Chesnoff also asked the judge for a two-year sentence by citing his client’s rehabilitation activities working with the homeless and teenagers in crisis. However, Navarro convicted Rashid of a maximum sentence, as per the prosecution’s recommendation.

Mally Mall was also sentenced to three years of supervised release. Additionally, Navarro said she was uncomfortable with his association with vulnerable teenagers and directed him to stop engaging in those activities.

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Who is Mally Mall?

Mally Mall, a San Francisco Bay Area native, is a Brazilian-Egyptian hip-hop record producer. He gained initial stardom after getting a shout-out on Drake’s “The Motto.”

Aside from his multiple appearances on the reality show Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood, Mally Mall has also worked with other famous artists, namely Tyga, Justin Bieber, Usher, and Sean Kingston.

His collaboration track with Tyga titled “Molly” reached the 66th spot on the Billboard Hot 100.

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Mally Mall has produced for Snoop Dogg and Chris Brown

Mally Mall was initially signed on to Empire Distribution, where he earned his debut credits for producing on the Bone Thugs-N-Harmony records, "Thug stories," and "Strength & Loyalty." The rapper later transitioned to becoming a record executive, launching his label, Mally Mall Music and Future Music.

Mally Mall's team has also produced high-profile artists such as Chris Brown, Snoop Dogg, and Lupe Fiasco. But the star gained public popularity thanks to Drake mentioning him in “The Motto.”

Since then, Mally Mall has raised his profile with his singles like “Where You At,” featuring French Montana, 2 Chainz, and Iamsu.

In the meantime, it looks like the rapper will atone for his crimes, as stated by his attorneys Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld via a statement that said,

"Jamal accepted full responsibility for his conduct that occurred almost a decade ago. He will serve his sentence and looks forward to returning to the music industry."

It remains to be seen if artists such as Drake, Tyga, and others will respond to Mally Mall’s criminal charge.