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Source: Jason Koerner / Getty

Bobby Shmurda spent almost seven years in prison while the industry he helped to shake up moved on while using his viral footprint to great effect. Now in a different mindset, Shmurda’s career is still on an upswing and a new profile examines his deal with Roc Nation and much more.

Shmurda, real name Ackquille Jean Pollard, has been the subject of focus from music fans and other outside observers eager to see what his newt moves are while also rooting for his and his close friend Rowdy Rebel’s success. In a new profile from The New York Times, Shmurda is said to be hard at work on preparing a musical return but has yet to release new tracks despite being everywhere and promising that he’s going to deliver something major.

The piece looks at the 27-year-old Brooklyn rapper’s management deal with Roc Nation, and it appears that his deal with Epic Records has been shored up with new details. Shmurda’s “Shmoney Dance” is probably one of the most enduring images of the 2010s and he’s leaning into that by putting an emphasis on dancing in his music and stage show.

Shmurda’s time away occurred just as his fame was nearing an apex. His song “Hot N*gga (Boy)” was everywhere. His GS9 crew proved to have musical ability. And he scored the major-label deal of a lifetime with Epic but his past actions in the streets finally caught up with the rising star. But prison, thankfully, has given Shmurda a reason to push ahead while focusing on the comforts of life outside the walls.

“When I was young, I used to run towards it,” Shmurda said to the Times. “I was a full animal. So I feel like being locked up, it made me smarter. It made me stronger. And it made me badder, but in a good way. Instead of saying, boom, ‘I want to go in the streets and cause hell,’ I’m saying, ‘I want to go in the streets and give back.’ I feel like that’s gangster.”

Read the full profile by following this link.

Photo: Getty