Prosecutors say a pending seven-figure contract with Connect Music Group.
A seven-figure record deal was supposed to be good news for Big30. Instead, it has become one of the central arguments for keeping him locked up.
The Memphis rapper is one of nine defendants in a federal kidnapping and robbery case that has drawn significant attention since charges were filed. Prosecutors filed a brief on April 13 opposing his release on bond, and the pending music contract sits near the top of their list of concerns.
What the case actually involves
The charges stem from an alleged robbery at a Dallas recording studio involving Gucci Mane and others. According to prosecutors, the group held those present at gunpoint and forced Gucci Mane to sign documents releasing Pooh Shiesty from his recording contract with Gucci’s label. Big30, whose real name has not been the focus of public court filings, is accused of playing a direct role in the incident.
Among the specific allegations against him are retrieving a firearm at Pooh Shiesty’s direction, filming Gucci Mane as he signed the documents under duress, and physically blocking security personnel from entering the studio. When he was arrested, prosecutors say he was found with multiple firearms and had destroyed the phone used to record the video of the incident.
The bond ruling and the appeal
A magistrate judge in Tennessee ruled that Big30 and co-defendant Lontrell Williams Sr. should be released on bond while the case continues. The judge set Big30’s bond at $100,000 and Williams Sr.’s at $250,000. Prosecutors moved quickly to appeal both decisions, arguing that neither man should be free before trial.
The appeal for Big30 leans heavily on the record deal. Kemario Brown, Senior Vice President of NLess Entertainment, confirmed that Big30 is in the final stages of negotiating a two-album deal with Connect Music Group worth seven figures. The contract would reportedly require him to complete an album within approximately 145 days of signing.
Why prosecutors see the Big30 deal as a flight risk
The prosecution’s argument cuts in two directions. If the case moves forward and Big30 believes a conviction would prevent him from fulfilling his contractual obligations, they contend he has a financial incentive to flee before that happens. If the deal holds and he signs, he would suddenly have access to significant resources that could make fleeing easier.
Either way, prosecutors argue, the contract undermines the defense’s claim that Big30’s financial interests keep him tied to the jurisdiction. The brief frames the record deal not as a stabilizing factor but as a variable that introduces more risk, not less.
Williams Sr. faces his own detention argument
In a separate filing, prosecutors laid out their case for detaining Lontrell Williams Sr., the father of Pooh Shiesty. His criminal history, which prosecutors trace back to 1991, features prominently in their argument. They also detailed his alleged role in the Dallas studio incident as part of the broader conspiracy.
Both appeals now head to Texas District Court Judge Ed Kinkeade, who will decide whether the magistrate’s bond rulings stand or whether Big30 and Williams Sr. remain in custody through trial.
What comes next
For Big30, the timing is particularly sharp. A deal that would represent the biggest moment of his recording career has instead become a document prosecutors are using to argue he cannot be trusted to show up. Judge Kinkeade’s ruling will determine whether he watches that opportunity from inside a cell or from a studio.