What label is YNW Melly signed to? Rapper's team claims his record label is prepared to cover his bond if the judge grants his pretrial release
On Tuesday, May 6, YNW Melly appeared in a Broward County courtroom with a renewed push for a pretrial release. Melly - born Jamell Demons - has been behind bars without bail since his arrest in 2019.
YNW Melly, who was arrested on charges of first-degree murder over the 2018 killings of Christopher Thomas Jr. and Anthony Williams (both YNW collaborators), has since spent more than 2,000 days in prison, his attorney, Raven Liberty, argued in court.
The attorney also added that Melly's label is prepared to post his bail bond. The 772 Love rapper is signed to two record labels: 300 Entertainment and Atlantic Records. Which one will pay his bail bond hasn't been clarified yet.
YNW Melly's attorney proposed strict terms to secure his pretrial release
While appealing for YNW Melly's pretrial release, attorney Raven Liberty highlighted that the Unannounced rapper merited a reconsideration, especially in light of his 2023 trial, which ended in a mistrial.
Liberty also proposed strict terms for his client's release, including house arrest, 24-hour private security, GPS monitoring, and oversight shared between law enforcement and the court. The attorney said to the Judge:
"They would be reporting if there was any infractions by Mr. Demons, they would be reporting directly to myself, to the legal team, the state attorney and to the court. So it would be basically [havhing] your own deputy, paid deputy, with him."
However, the request was strongly pushed back by the prosecutors in the courtroom, one of whom - Assistant State Attorney Justin Griffiths - cited ballistic evidence and phone data tying the 26-year-old to the crime scene. Griffiths also cited a pending witness tampering case against Demons, arguing that he threatened public safety and the judicial process.
In addition to the prosecution, the family of one of the victims who lost his life in the 2018 shooting, Anthony Williams, was also opposed to Melly's pretrial release. Per Hot97, a representative of the Williams family urged Judge Martin Fein to deny the rapper's bail bond while addressing him directly.
The courtroom was filled with Melly's family and supporters, including his mother, Jamie Demons-King, who expressed hope for her son's return, saying:
"We are really hopeful today that he’s going to get a bond and be able to come home. He’s been through a lot these last six years in jail, three years with no phone calls, no visitation. The only time I do see him is in the courtroom and we aren’t able to conversate with each other."
The judge has yet to decide about YNW Melly's release request, which is another attempt by his legal team, despite the fact that all past requests have been denied.
Melly's retrial is scheduled to begin on September 10. If the rapper is convicted of the charges pressed against him, he could face the death penalty.
The latest request for YNW Melly's pretrial release comes two months after his legal team filed a motion claiming the No Heart rapper had been denied communication with his family and legal counsel while in custody.
