A federal judge handed Memphis rapper Big30 a significant legal victory Thursday, ordering his release from custody ahead of a high-stakes trial that has rocked the hip-hop world since January.
The ruling, issued June 4, came after months of back-and-forth legal wrangling in which prosecutors fought hard to keep Rodney Wright Jr., known professionally as Big30, locked up before trial. The court found that the government “failed to establish that Wright is a flight risk or that the conditions of release imposed by Judge Christoff will not reasonably assure the safety of any person in the community,” according to court documents. The court vacated any stay of the release order.
The decision marks a turning point in one of the most explosive criminal cases in hip-hop history — one rooted not just in violence, but in a contract dispute that allegedly spiraled into an armed kidnapping.
On January 10, 2026, three music industry professionals, including Atlanta rapper Gucci Mane, whose legal name is Radric Davis, traveled to Dallas for what they believed was a routine business meeting to discuss a recording contract dispute involving Pooh Shiesty, also known as Lontrell Williams Jr.
Williams Jr. had been signed to Gucci Mane’s 1017 Records since 2020. Prosecutors say he asked Davis at the meeting to sign a release terminating his contract. When Davis declined, Williams Jr. became agitated, and the two began to argue.
What happened next, according to federal prosecutors, was anything but a business disagreement.
Once the victims arrived at the studio, Williams Jr. and eight co-conspirators allegedly orchestrated a coordinated armed takeover. Williams Jr. allegedly produced an AK-style pistol and forced one of the victims to sign a release from the recording contract at gunpoint. The other victims were robbed of high-value personal effects, including Rolex watches, jewelry, and cash.
Big30 is alleged to have used his body to barricade the studio door to prevent the victims from escaping, while another victim was choked to the point of near unconsciousness.
Federal investigators built what appears to be a sweeping evidentiary case. Cellphone records, surveillance footage, and license plate reader data showed several suspects traveled together from Memphis to Dallas in the days leading up to the incident and stayed overnight at a Dallas hotel after the robbery. Investigators also cited electronic monitoring data showing Pooh Shiesty was at the studio despite being on home confinement for a prior federal firearms conviction. In the hours and days after the incident, prosecutors say several suspects posted photos and videos on social media displaying large amounts of cash and jewelry believed to be stolen during the robbery. Fingerprint evidence recovered from items inside the studio, including red plastic cups, also tied multiple suspects to the scene.
The case carries extra weight because of who Pooh Shiesty is, and where he was legally standing the moment the alleged robbery took place.
Pooh Shiesty had been released from federal prison in October 2025, roughly six months before the alleged incident, after serving three years following a guilty plea to conspiring to possess firearms in furtherance of crimes of violence and drug trafficking. He was on home detention at the time of the January robbery, under terms explicitly prohibiting him from committing new crimes or possessing a firearm.
Williams Jr.’s father, Lontrell Williams Sr., is alleged to have helped plan and execute the kidnapping.
Big30’s path to Thursday’s release was far from smooth. Wright was initially granted a $100,000 secured bond with conditions including location monitoring, no contact with victims or co-defendants, and drug testing. During the April 6 detention hearing, the judge described the nature of the offense as “incredibly dangerous” and a “serious dangerous interaction.”
Prosecutors then moved aggressively to block his release, citing an unusual argument: his music career itself made him dangerous to release. Prosecutors filed motions to revoke the bond, arguing Wright was a potential flight risk due to a pending seven-figure record deal with Connect Music Group.
During an April 6 hearing in Tennessee, Kemario Brown, Senior Vice President of NLess Entertainment, testified that Big30 was finalizing a seven-figure, two-album deal with Connect Music Group, and that the Memphis rapper would have approximately 145 days from the date of signing to deliver a completed album.
The argument, that legitimate career income could be used as evidence of flight risk, was gaining traction in federal courts, setting what observers called a notable precedent where potential career earnings can be considered evidence of flight risk.
Ultimately, the court rejected that logic Thursday and ordered Wright’s release.
Big30’s freedom is temporary in the legal sense. All nine defendants are scheduled to face trial starting July 6, 2026, in Dallas federal court. The final pretrial conference is set for July 1, giving both sides just days to prepare their cases.
Big30’s attorney, Art Horne, confirmed Thursday that his client had secured release from federal detention following the legal battle that had kept him behind bars since April.
Meanwhile, Pooh Shiesty remains detained. A federal judge in Dallas determined there was no assurance he would appear in court.
All nine defendants are charged with kidnapping and conspiracy to commit kidnapping. If convicted as charged, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of up to life in federal prison.
The July trial promises to be one of the most closely watched criminal proceedings in music industry history, a case that began as a contract negotiation and ended, prosecutors allege, with guns drawn in a Dallas recording studio.
