Republished with permission from Lucian K. Truscott IV
Donald Trump invited two rappers who are members of the 8 Trey Crips gang onstage with him at his rally in the Bronx May 23rd. Tegan “Sleepy Hallow” Chambers did eight months in prison on charges of gun possession and criminal conspiracy. Michael “Sheff G” Williams served two years in prison for criminal possession of a firearm. Both men were arrested last year along with 32 other gang members in a 140-count indictment for gang activity, murder, and conspiracy.
“Sheff G” Williams was released on a $1 million bond after being arrested on conspiracy charges “and multiple counts of murder, assault and criminal possession of a weapon in the case covering 27 different acts of violence—including a dozen shootings,” according to a report in the New York Daily News. “Sleepy Hallow” Chambers put up a $150,000 bond and was released on conspiracy charges as part of the larger gang indictment. According to The Source, both men were “connected to 27 occasions of violence, which included at minimum a dozen shootings. The arrested men and women are alleged members of 8 Trey Crips and 9 Way gangs.”
According to the Daily News, the two rappers treated fellow gang members to a dinner at a steakhouse called The Brooklyn Chophouse to celebrate a 2020 gang shooting that killed one man and injured five others. Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzales said that one gang member was rewarded at the dinner with a gold chain and medallion emblazoned with the name of the street the dead rival gang member had lived on.
“Sheff G takes the shooters from this incident and some other gang members for a very lavish steak dinner where they celebrate the score against their rivals,” Gonzalez told the press at the time of the indictment. “Sheff G” Williams is also charged with being the getaway driver in another shooting on Flatbush Avenue in 2021, during which three gang members got out of William’s Trackhawk SUV and shot at a rival gang member, but instead hit two innocent bystanders. “Sheff G” Williams is facing up to 25 years in prison, according to Gonzales.
Donald Trump called “Sheff G” Williams and “Sleepy Hallow” Chambers up on the rally stage with him in the Bronx yesterday. Both men used the occasion to endorse Trump for president, Chambers calling out to the crowd, “make America great again.” “Sheff G” Williams took the microphone from Trump and said, “One thing I want to say, they’re always going to whisper your wins and shout your failures. Trump’s gonna shout the wins for all of us.”
According to the 140-count indictment, rap lyrics written and recorded by “Sheff G” from his 2018 song, “For the Members” were used in text messages as “a message about committing shooting on behalf of the 8 Trey Crips.” Here is an excerpt from “For the Members:”
We sendin’ shots, used to do it for fun
Now we send shots, empty clip ’til he done
Eye for a eye, but two for a shooter
Tell floss gang
Free Mani, do 20 for gang gang
Homicides that got started from gangbangin’
Heard they got shooters who bang-bangin’
Have my hitters come hit a select stranger
They act silly, act silly, but really when we pull up, ambulance stretch ’em all out
Call up billy cause billy gon’ bully for fizzy knock ’em all out
And now the author of these lyrics has enthusiastically endorsed the Republican Party’s so-called “law and order” candidate for president, Donald Trump.
Lucian K. Truscott IV
Lucian K. Truscott IV, a graduate of West Point, has had a 50-year career as a journalist, novelist and screenwriter. He has covered stories such as Watergate, the Stonewall riots and wars in Lebanon, Iraq and Afghanistan. He is also the author of five bestselling novels and several unsuccessful motion pictures. He has three children, lives in rural Pennsylvania and spends his time Worrying About the State of Our Nation and madly scribbling in a so-far fruitless attempt to Make Things Better.
