Remy Ma Gets Eight Years

Remy Ma will spend more than just her honeymoon in the clink after being sentenced for last summer's shooting

By Josh Grossberg May 13, 2008 5:50 PMTags
Remy MaMariela Lombard/ZUMA Press

Remy Ma will be spending more than just her honeymoon in the clink.

The PunishHER rapper was sentenced to eight years in prison today for shooting a female acquaintance outside an NYC nightclub, a spokeswoman for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office confirmed to E! News.

The 26-year-old Ma, whose real name is Remy Smith, burst into tears after learning her fate.

In March, a jury convicted her on four counts, including assault, weapons possession and attempted coercion, for shooting Makeda Barnes-Joseph in the gut last July in a dispute over $3,000. She faced more than 25 years behind bars.

After State Supreme Court Justice Rena Uviller handed down the punishment, Ma's fiancé, fellow hip-hopster Papoose, sparked a melee as he screamed invective at the victim, who took the stand earlier asking for a harsh sentence.

"Get the f--k off me. F--k y'all. F--k jail," the performer yelled as the hearing ended and bailiffs escorted him out of the Manhattan court. "I don't care. Lock me up. Lock me up. Take me to jail. Arrest me. It's all about money."

Papoose was caught by Rikers Island corrections officers last week allegedly trying to smuggle his betrothed a handcuff key as the two were about to tie the knot in a jailhouse wedding. He wasn't charged, but the nuptials were nixed.

Ma's lawyer, Ivan Fisher, told E! News Remy was heartbroken over the judge's decision.

"She's in a highly emotional state. She's very concerned about her 7-year-old son," the legal eagle said.

Asserting Ma's innocence, Fisher announced he'll appeal the sentence, especially since under state guidelines she's not eligible for parole.

"There is a 15 percent good-time reduction. There may be a halfway house kind of release no more than a year before the sentence would be up, and if that's the case, she might have to do a little under six [years]," he added. "The best-case scenario, however, is that we win that appeal."

The attorney also denied Papoose's key was meant to unlock handcuffs and said the couple still plan on swapping vows.

Before getting the bad news, Ma addressed the judge and pleaded for mercy, claiming last summer's shooting was purely accidental.

"Throughout this unfortunate case, I was advised from my attorney to stay silent, but now I want you all to see me for me and what I've gone through," the entertainer said. "Reporters and newspapers have called me a 'hard-core rapper,' a 'hip-hop harlot'—Remy Ma is just a music-industry name. A facade. I'm not a thug. I'm not a hard-core anything. I have feelings. I'm Remy Smith—No, I'm Remy Mackie. I'm a wife, mother, daughter and big sister."

Uviller, however, wasn't buying, citing Ma's history of violence.

"This is a pattern. The previous times haven't been as severe," the judge said. "Smith doesn’t take responsibility for her actions. Her letter to the court and her statement today showed no remorse. She even painted herself as the victim."

No word yet where she'll do the time.