Pras Michel, the co-founder of the legendary hip-hop group The Fugees, recently spoke out in an interview with Variety for the first time since he was threatened with 22 years in prison.
Wyclef Jean, Lauryn Hill, and Pras are the members of the New Jersey band known as the Fugees, which was created in 1990.
In a corruption case involving $4.5 billion embezzled from 1Malaysia Development Berhad, or 1MDB, a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund, Michel was found guilty on 10 counts last April. Pras was found guilty by a jury of illegally influencing the Donald Trump administration in 2017 and breaking campaign finance regulations during Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign.
The 52-year-old musician faces more than 20 years in prison since the government now views him as a Chinese spy. “I don’t want to be a spy,” Michel said in his interview with the magazine.
According to Michel, “I’m not sure if it was a little exciting for me too, subconsciously.” Although I enjoy espionage films, I have never aspired to work as a spy. That doesn’t seem sexy to me. But that was how it felt in part.
“In theory, I am a foreign agent,” he added.
Press releasestatement came soon after the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs’ decision found that the rapper was also complicit in a conspiracy to make and hide foreign and conduit campaign contributions during the 2012 U.S. presidential election.
According to Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Mr. Michel attempted to influence U.S. government officials on favor of unidentified foreign interests by using his fame and connections. We will use all available instruments to hold responsible those who would covertly assist foreign entities attempting to sabotage our democratic form of governance because this is an affront to the rule of law.
Michel attended the 25th reunion of the Fugees, which took place at the Roots Picnic in Philadelphia last year. Since then, he has been avoided by the other two founding members.
Three days prior to the tour’s scheduled start, the trio canceled their announcement of a tour to commemorate Lauryn Hill’s highly lauded album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. He acknowledged the difficulties brought on by the distance, but his bail precluded him from going on tour with the band.
I’ve finished that. They are [going on tour] in Europe. In the interview, he stated, “I can’t go.” It is what it is. People cannot be given that kind of energy. You may be upset or frustrated, but I firmly believe in my trip and my path, and I think that nothing can take away what is rightfully mine. Therefore, having a small group of people who genuinely believe in you and what you’re doing is preferable to having 100 people around you and having them all go crazy the moment something goes wrong. Individuals simply vanish.
Michelt told Variety that he intends to challenge the conviction and that he could have to do it while incarcerated.
There’s a chance that I’m going in while I’m battling, but I’m going to fight and I’m going to appeal,” Michel stated. It’s simply the truth.
Stories by
Kaylyn Greene
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