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Artist News Legal
Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five’s The Kidd Creole sentenced to sixteen years in prison for manslaughter
By Andy Malt | Published on Friday 6 May 2022
Founding member of Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five, The Kidd Creole – real name Nathaniel Glover – has been sentenced to sixteen years in prison for the manslaughter of a homeless man.
The rapper – not to be confused with the frontman of Kid Creole And The Coconuts – stabbed John Jolly twice in the chest with a steak knife during an altercation in August 2017, which began after Jolly approached Glover on a New York street.
Glover told police that Jolly had said “what’s up” as he approached. He assumed that Jolly was making a pass at him, stating: “I was a little annoyed by that. He approached me. I got a little nervous. So then I tried to back up a little bit, and he moved forward, and then I just took the knife and stabbed him … I wish I never would have seen him”.
Admitting that he had killed Jolly, he added: “It’s all my fault, because I chose to stab him. I have to take responsibility for that”.
However, in court Glover claimed that the stabbing was actually self-defence, telling the jury: “This is New York City. It’s twelve o’clock at night. Who’s saying ‘What’s up?’ to you with good intentions?”
But the court did not accept Glover’s claim that he was afraid for his life, the prosecution having noted that there was nothing to stop him from simply running away when Jolly first approached him. As a result – although not convicted for murder – he was found guilty of first-degree manslaughter last month.
In a statement following Glover’s sentencing, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L Bragg Jr said: “Mr Jolly’s death was devastating to his family and those who knew him. Every life we lose to violent crime ripples throughout our entire city, and we will continue to ensure everyone in our borough can live their lives with the sense of safety and security they deserve”.
“This case makes clear that if you commit violent crime, we will hold you accountable”, he added, “and I thank our team for their hard work achieving justice in this matter”.
However, Glover’s lawyer, Scottie Celestin, told Rolling Stone that they plan to appeal the sentence, calling it “egregious and extreme”.
“While I am disappointed, I continue to have faith in our judicial system”, said Celestin. “My focus is now on the appeal process. There are many appealable issues, specifically the denial of Mr Glover being able to assert the justification of self-defence, despite the fact that he was retreating and the victim followed behind him”.
“While some may be happy with the the presumed victory of the acquittal on the top charge of murder, we don’t view it as win”, he added. “I believe the sixteen years given are heavy handed, and motivated not by the evidence and mitigating facts but by external factors”.
Glover was one of the original members of Grandmaster Flash And The Furious Five, alongside his brother Melle Mel, when the group formed in 1978. He appeared on and co-wrote both of the group’s albums, 1982’s ‘The Message’ and 1988’s ‘On The Strength’.
