YNW Melly’s father, Donte “tha Gift” Taylor, dropped an emotional song defending the rapper who is locked up in Florida on double murder charges.
In the song, Donte said Melly didn’t kill his friend. He regrets not being there for most of his son’s childhood. “It was out of my hands,” he said.
The song comes days after Melly’s mother cried while listening to Melly’s music on Instagram Live.
Donte was barely 14 when he fathered Melly with the rapper’s unwed teenage mom. Melly’s mother was only 14 when she gave birth to him 19 years ago.
Melly faces the death penalty for the murders of his childhood friends, aspiring rappers Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams, 21, and Christopher “YNW Juvy” Thomas, Jr., 19, in Fort Lauderdale on October 26, 2018.
Another aspiring rapper Cortlen Henry, aka YNW Bortlen, is also in jail awaiting trial in the case.
Police say the two rappers staged a drive-by shooting and concocted an alibi placing themselves as witnesses to the drive-by shooting. Surveillance footage shows Melly exiting the back seat of the vehicle where the victims were shot.
Melly is best known for his track “Mixed Personalities”, featuring Kanye West, and his single “Murder On My Mind” which garnered over 200 million streams and was certified platinum.
