Boosie Badazz faces a critical moment in his legal battle as federal prosecutors push for a two-year prison sentence ahead of a Jan. 9 sentencing hearing on gun possession charges.
The Baton Rouge rapper remains defiant despite federal authorities recommending a 24-month prison sentence and three years of supervised release for his gun conviction. Federal prosecutors filed a sentencing memorandum last week arguing that Busey should serve time as a convicted felon for violating federal gun laws.
The case stems from an arrest in San Diego in June 2023, when police discovered a firearm in Boosie’s possession during a traffic stop. Boosie’s legal team, led by attorney Meghan Blanco, asked for zero jail time and asked the court to impose probation instead of jail time.
The rapper accepted a plea deal in August 2025 that dropped the second gun charge in exchange for pleading guilty to the remaining counts. State charges related to the same incident were dismissed in 2024, but federal prosecutors chose to pursue the case within federal jurisdiction because Bussey is a convicted felon.
Appearing on The Breakfast Club radio, Busey expressed unwavering confidence in his chances of avoiding jail, despite the federal government’s advice.
“I’m as confident as a motherfucker,” Busey said in the interview. “I’m not going to jail. I’m not going to say it out of my mouth. I’m from the South. Your words, your mouth, are a powerful source.”
The 42-year-old artist acknowledged that the final decision rests with a federal judge, but he remains optimistic about the outcome.
“It still depends on the judge,” he said. “It’s up to God, but it’s also up to the judge. You know, people say, ‘He has to serve two years.'” That’s not the fact of this case. It depends on what the judge wants to do. “
Busey won’t take any chances, though. He also hired the Washington, D.C. lobbying firm JM Burkman & Associates to petition Donald Trump for a presidential pardon. Representatives for the lobbying firm, Jack Burkman and Jacob Wohl, described their mission as “seeking a presidential pardon” for the rapper, whom they described as a “rapper and world-class musician.”
Busey appealed directly to Trump on X, formerly known as Twitter, posting information about his case and claiming he faced extraordinary circumstances.
“Trump checked my case and my case was dismissed, but the Biden DOJ recharged me with the same gun charges and Biden pardoned his son,” Busey wrote in a social media post.
Busey’s request for clemency comes as Trump has previously expressed a willingness to grant clemency to hip-hop artists during his presidency.
In January 2021, in his final hours in office, Trump fully pardoned rapper Lil Wayne on federal firearms charges and commuted the sentences of rappers Kodak Black and NBA YoungBoy.
All rappers face similar violations as convicted felons, making Boosie’s case potentially comparable to previous clemency decisions.
