Bobby Shmurda

Ackquille Jean Pollard (born August 4, 1994), known professionally as Bobby Shmurda, is an American rapper.

Along with Rowdy Rebel, Shmurda is considered a pioneer of Brooklyn drill music.

The song uses the instrumental from Lloyd Banks' 2012 song "Jackpot".

He rose to international fame in 2014 when his song "Hot Nigga" peaked at number six on the Billboard Hot 100.

The success of the single led to him signing a deal with Epic Records.

His debut EP, Shmurda She Wrote, was released in November 2014.

In December 2014, New York City Police arrested Shmurda and charged him, along with several other members of GS9, with conspiracy to murder, weapons possession, and reckless endangerment.

According to his 2014 indictment, Pollard was the ringleader of a criminal enterprise called "GS9" that regularly entered into disputes with criminal gangs, was responsible for murders and non-fatal shootings, and engaged in drug trafficking along Kings Highway to East Flatbush.

The first song Shmurda remixed was Crime Mob's "Knuck If You Buck"; however, he did not receive any attention until 2014, with the release of his song "Hot Nigga".

The song and its accompanying music video went viral shortly after being uploaded to YouTube in the spring of 2014.

Shmurda's signature "Shmoney dance", which he performs in the video, soon became an internet meme and was featured in numerous popular Vines from the latter half of 2014; it was also replicated by Beyoncé and Jay-Z during their On the Run Tour and by Canadian rapper Drake while hosting the 2014 ESPY Awards, among other celebrities.

Freestyles over the instrumental were made by a number of rappers after its release, including Juicy J, French Montana, Lil' Kim, Gunplay, and T.I. Following the song's viral success, Shmurda was signed to Epic Records, and the song was officially released as his debut single under Epic.

The song topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart, and peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100, eventually being certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.

The song's official remix—featuring guest vocals from Fabolous, Chris Brown, Jadakiss, Rowdy Rebel, Busta Rhymes, and Yo Gotti—was released on September 4, 2014.

A reggae remix of the song was also released in August 2014 that featured Junior Reid, Mavado, Popcaan, and Jah X. Shmurda also became known for his song "Bobby Bitch" which peaked at number 92 on the Billboard Hot 100.

His debut EP, Shmurda She Wrote, was released on November 10, 2014.

On June 3, 2014, Shmurda was arrested and charged with felony criminal possession of a weapon.

Police say they saw him flashing the gun in an apartment, and when they went to investigate he tried to hide it in a couch.

He was set free on US$10,000 bail.

On December 17, 2014, police arrested Shmurda and charged him with conspiracy, reckless endangerment, and drug and gun possession; charges against the others included murder, attempted murder, assault, and drug dealing.

Shmurda pleaded not guilty and was held on $2 million bail.

Police said they had been investigating the gang for murder and shooting indiscriminately at crowds in public places long before Shmurda rose to fame.

Police said Shmurda was "the driving force" in a gang also known as GS9 (standing for "Grimey Shooters," "Gun Squad" or "G Stone Crips."), the name of his label, as they dealt crack cocaine and waged deadly battles with rival gangs for territory.

He faced a maximum sentence of 8–25 years.

In 2016, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to seven years in prison, which was reduced to five years after receiving credit for the two years he already served awaiting trial.

After over six years in prison, Shmurda was released from Clinton Correctional Facility in February 2021.

His release was widely celebrated across the hip-hop community.

Ackquille Pollard was born in Miami, Florida.

His mother is African-American and his father is Jamaican.

His mother moved to East Flatbush, Brooklyn from Florida after his father's incarceration.

Pollard had run-ins with the law while living in Brooklyn, including fifteen months spent in detention for probation violation and being arrested on gun charges that were later dropped.

Shmurda's debut studio album with Epic Records was scheduled for release in 2016 and was going to be produced by Jahlil Beats.

It was postponed, however, due to his imprisonment.

In February 2017, he freestyled for rapper Meek Mill and claimed that he was still writing music while in prison.

The following year, he featured on 6ix9ine's single "Stoopid", phoning in his verses over the prison telephone.

The single peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Shmurda made his first concert performance appearance since being released from prison at Rolling Loud Festival in Miami, Florida on Friday, July 23, 2021.

On September 3, 2021, Shmurda released his first single since his release from jail, "No Time for Sleep (Freestyle)".

On March 27, 2022, after years of conflict with Epic Records, his request for release was approved and finalized.

The music video received over 649 million views on YouTube as of July 2020.