A rapper caught with a knife at the scene of a fatal crash has released an EP from behind bars using his own mugshot as one of the cover images.
Jyrelle O’Connor stands to cash in after ‘Be Right Back’ — promoted with blood-specked prison visuals — went live on Spotify and other streaming services boosted by a trail to his 382,000 followers on Instagram.
His uncompromising music includes references to drugs, guns, deadly feuds and loose women and is promoted by images of crime exhibits.
O’Connor, who performs as Loski, issues a warning to his rivals in one of the tracks, which adapts the beat from Luniz’s hit I Got 5 On It.
The EP has already racked up tens of thousands of views across the various platforms where the six new tracks are featured or promoted.
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Despite being locked up, O’Connor, who grew up in Kennington, south London, is continuing a career that has seen him showcased on the BBC.
He raps: ‘Over 60 [grand] on my chain it’s hard to be me.
‘Know what happened to your man he got left on TV.’
The rapper goes on to warn: ‘Don’t make me act foolish.
‘Used to go other side and wet [shoot] a man for boredom.’
Norman Brennan, a retired police officer who campaigns on behalf of victims of crime, said: ‘You have to ask yourself, how is a prisoner able to release music from behind bars?
‘The public and the victims expect a prisoner to have a certain amount of privileges taken from them apart from cooking, communal and rehabilitation work and use of a gym to keep themselves fit, that should basically be it. The British criminal justice is broken from top to bottom, and this is a typical example.
‘You have someone sent to prison for possession of knife, a weapon that could seriously injure or even kill someone, thumbing their nose at the criminal justice system.’
The MOBO Awards-nominated artist was arrested by traffic officers searching for a driver who caused a fatal crash on the M40 near Beaconsfield in Buckinghamshire.
He was found in possession of a folding pocket knife after a struggle with officers near the Crown Plaza Hotel in the early hours of July 12, according to Thames Valley Police.
Three days later, O’Connor, from Farnham Royal, Buckinghamshire, was jailed for eight months by magistrates in High Wycombe after he admitted possessing a knife and obstructing a police officer.
A 27-year-old man died and his passenger was seriously injured in the crash near junction two of the motorway.
O’Connor was arrested as the force’s roads policing unit searched for those involved in the incident. He was found in possession of a knife measuring more than 7.5cm (2.9in).
He had been out of jail on licence after receiving a seven-year prison sentence in 2023 for having a loaded revolver.
Investigating officer Det Sgt Ed Crofts, of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said at the time: ‘He attempted to make off from officers and resisted arrest when the knife was located.
‘He was arrested and charged within 24 hours and has now been jailed for the offence. We will never tolerate anybody carrying dangerous weapons in our community and will seek to bring to justice those that do so.’
Loski is the latest in a long line of big name rappers who have released musical projects from behind bars.
They include Lil Wayne’s I Am Not a Human Being, Tupac Shakur’s Me Against the World and Gucci Mane’s The State vs. Radric Davis.
A Prison Service spokesperson said: ‘Whilst we have safeguards in place to ensure that money sourced from illicit means do not reach prisoners, victims and their families deserve better than to see perpetrators gloating about their crimes on social media.
‘We will not tolerate this behaviour and work with the police to investigate and remove harmful content.
‘Offenders caught using phones or social media in prison face punishment, including extra time behind bars.’
The Prison Service maintains that convicted inmates cannot receive payment for any work about their crimes or offences.
They may only receive payment for a work of literary merit if it does not violate content restrictions, including restrictions on communications and references to individual prisoners or staff.
Rules prevent them from publishing for payment any content related to their crimes or those of others, unless it constitutes a serious representation about conviction or forms part of a constructive commentary on the criminal justice or penal system.
Prisoners may receive payment for artwork or literary work only if it is processed through an approved charitable organisation, such as the Koestler Trust, according to the service.
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