Florida rapper Ksoo, also known as Hakeem Robinson, has been in the news for much more lately than his music. For now, he raises an outcry over the treatment he’s experiencing inside the Duval County Jail, claiming his rights are violated. The case of Ksoo flared on the discussion about the situations in prison, particularly in dealing with convicts that have mental problems.
Ksoo has been behind bars since September 2020 while awaiting trial for the murder of his fellow rapper, Charles McCormick, who went by the stage name “Lil Buck.” His trial was set to start in August 2024 but has now been delayed until March 2025 due to attorneys requesting more time for evidence collection and witness interviews.
Meanwhile, while waiting, Ksoo has complained that being isolated with detainees with serious mental illness is itself isolation. He says that serves as cruel and unusual punishment against his Eighth Amendment rights and endangers his mental stability.
“Isolation can worsen mental health conditions,” Ksoo stated in a recent communication. “Being around individuals who are mentally ill creates an unstable environment. It’s not just about me; it’s about the overall treatment of inmates in these conditions.”
Mentally-ill prisoners are worsened further by such isolation as observed by his attorney. The proponents of reform described it further as a practice which, instead of working productively towards rehabilitation for these incarcerated individuals, is one of mere destruction. Ksoo’s case does reflect a greater scope involving system problems in criminal justice and how mentally ill persons get treated behind bars.
The case of Ksoo brings into view many broader issues with the prison system. Advocates for inmates say that segregation may make conditions even worse for inmates who have mental illnesses. It also opens debate among legal experts regarding the ethics of placing such inmates in those environments, particularly if they do not pose any threat to other inmates or themselves.
“This is not just about Ksoo,” said one local advocate. “It is about the system, how they’re treating people in crisis – people who need mental healthcare.
The conflict that is being pursued against Ksoo and the rival rappers in this case has its deep-seated origin in a gang rivalry of the most brutal sort. It all began with the murder of Zion Brown, cousin to the rapper Foolio, back in 2017, which sparked a back-and-forth series of retaliatory acts. The violence escalated, with the killings of several young artists becoming a grim fact in the Jacksonville music scene.
Two of the most well-documented murders attributed to the feud implicate Ksoo. The senseless murders of Adrian Gainer, aka Bibby, and Charles McCormick-these two deaths related to music and respect-serve to illustrate hip-hop culture gone wrong within the area.
The bottom line is that, for Ksoo, music has been and will continue to be the ways in which he has expressed himself about his struggles and through which he went; and it is the way through which one often finds himself with strong lyrics creating awareness on violence, betrayal, and how he survived the same vices. With such an ideology, even being imprisoned cannot stop his thoughts since it was still there on how he would keep in contact with his audience.
I just wanna tell my story,” said Ksoo of the thought process. “Even in here, I’m thinking about the next track, the next verse-my fans deserve to know what’s real”. changes in general to the attitude towards inmates, especially towards those with mental health problems.
