C-Murder

Corey Miller was born in Uptown New Orleans, Louisiana on March 9, 1971. He grew up in the Calliope Projects in the 3rd Ward of New Orleans with his brothers Master P and Silkk the Shocker and Kevin Miller that was killed early on.

In 1998, Miller released his first album Life or Death which peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard 200{{cite web|url={{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p278648|pure_url=yes}}|title=C-Murder > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums|publisher=allmusic|access-date=July 27, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131031071717/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/c-murder-mn0000527773/awards |archive-date=2013-10-31}} and was eventually certified platinum.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}

In 1999, he released Bossalinie which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}

In 2000, he released Trapped in Crime which peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard 200. The album included the single "Down for My N's" https://www.allmusic.com/artist/c-murder-mn0000527773/biography C-Murder Bio] Allmusic. Retrieved 13 May 2023

In 2001, he released C-P-3.com, his last album with No Limit Records. It peaked at No. 45 on the Billboard 200 and included the singles "What U Gonna Do" and "Im Not Just".{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}

In 2003, he was convicted of the murder of fan Steve Thomas. He recorded three hit albums while under house arrest awaiting re-trial: The Truest Shit I Ever Said (2005) which reached No. 41 on the Billboard 200, Screamin' 4 Vengeance (2008) which reached No. 130, and Calliope Click (2009) which peaked at No. 68 on the Billboard R&B Albums chart.

In 2009, he lost his appeal and pleaded no contest to two counts of attempted murder in an unrelated incident. While in prison he self-released a mixtape Ricochet (2013) and four albums, Tomorrow (2010), Ain't No Heaven in the Pen (2015), Give Me Freedom Or Give Me Death (2021), and the compilation Oldies but Goodies (2018).{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}

In 2016, he released a diss track accusing rapper 2 Chainz of using the slogan and name style of his former group TRU{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-jKzjYLyNs|title=C-Murder Disses 2 Chainz On "2 Stainz;" 2 Chainz Responds|date=January 12, 2016|access-date=December 12, 2017|publisher=YouTube}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3fPlX6Ijf8|title=@CartoonTutorBabi - C Murder 2 Stainz (2 Chainz Diss)|publisher=YouTube}} and record label TRU Global Records.{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKBonE7FZ88|title=C-Murder speaks on the return of TRU Records Part 2|date=September 17, 2016|access-date=December 12, 2017|publisher=YouTube}}

Miller acted in the No Limit films Da Game of Life, I Got the Hook Up", and Hot Boyz.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}} He is the author of the novel Death Around The Corner, published by Vibe.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}

{{too detailed|section|date=March 2024}}

In September 2003, Miller was convicted of second degree murder in connection with the January 12, 2002 beating and fatal shooting of a fan, 16-year-old Steve Thomas, at the Platinum Club, a now-closed nightclub in Harvey, Louisiana. Miller was arrested in the early hours of January 18 for causing a disturbance at the House of Blues in New Orleans, and shortly after charged in Thomas' murder.{{cite web|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020822015138/http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?%2Fnewsstory%2Fcmurder19.html|archive-date=August 22, 2002|title=Gangsta rapper booked in teen killing|author=Nelson, Rob|url=http://www.nola.com:80/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/newsstory/cmurder19.html|work=The Times-Picayune|date=January 19, 2002|access-date=June 11, 2017}} He was indicted on February 28, 2002.{{cite news|url=http://www.nola.com:80/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/newsstory/cmurder19.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030506160352/http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?%2Fnewsstory%2Fcmurder19.html|archive-date=May 6, 2003|title=Rapper indicted in Harvey shooting|work=The Times-Picayune|location=New Orleans|author=Darby, Joe|date=March 1, 2002|access-date=June 11, 2017}} Judge Martha Sassone granted a new trial in April 2004 based on the claim that prosecutors improperly withheld criminal background information on three of their witnesses.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}

On March 20, 2006, Miller was released on a $500,000 bond and placed under house arrest.{{cite news |author=Gil Kaufman |title = C-Murder Released From Prison, Placed On House Arrest|url = https://www.mtv.com/news/mclas7/c-murder-released-from-prison-placed-on-house-arrest|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20221002141140/https://www.mtv.com/news/mclas7/c-murder-released-from-prison-placed-on-house-arrest|url-status = dead|archive-date = October 2, 2022|work=MTV|date = March 21, 2006|access-date = March 18, 2024}} Sassone allowed Miller to promote his new, yet-to-be-titled CD and his novel, Death around the Corner, while under house arrest, but ruled that a gag order pertaining to the case would remain in effect. The terms of the house arrest required Sassone's permission for all visitors, including reporters.{{cite news|url=http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CPDB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=117A0F3B27386F90&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=0D0CB579A3BDA420&p_openurl=NewsBank|title=Judge lets rapper promote CD, novel|author=Purpura, Paul|work=The Times-Picayune|location=New Orleans|date=March 2, 2007|access-date=June 16, 2017}}

On March 13, 2007, Sassone granted Miller's request to work on his music career on a per-request basis, but denied his request for a 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. curfew.{{cite news|work=The Times-Picayune|location=New Orleans |date=March 13, 2007 |title=Rapper may leave house |url=http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info:sid/iw.newsbank.com:NewsBank:CPDB&rft_val_format=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rft_dat=117E00401DD6AC00&svc_dat=InfoWeb:aggregated5&req_dat=0D0CB579A3BDA420&p_openurl=NewsBank |author=Purpura, Paul}} Sassone's rulings in the case became an issue in her failed 2008 bid for re-election. Sassone was defeated by Judge Ellen Kovach; prosecutors subsequently renewed a request to have Miller returned to jail.{{cite news|url=http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/08/rapper_being_retried_in_2002_k.html|title=C-Murder's retrial in 2002 killing set to open Monday|author=Purpura, Paul|work=The Times-Picayune|location=New Orleans|date=August 2, 2009|access-date=June 16, 2017}} During January 2009, Miller was confined to his residence on house arrest, and could only leave for a documented medical emergency.

On May 27, 2009, Miller pleaded no contest to two counts of attempted second degree murder. These charges stem from a 2001 incident in Baton Rouge in which Miller fired one shot, after which it jammed, from a semi-automatic pistol at the owner and bouncer of a night club who refused to allow Miller to enter the business with the gun. Miller was sentenced to ten years with credit for time served.{{cite news|url=http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?s=10431228|title=C-Murder pleads no contest to attempted murder|last=Gates|first=Paul|date=May 27, 2009|publisher=WAFB|access-date=August 27, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090612104725/http://www.wafb.com/Global/story.asp?s=10431228|archive-date=June 12, 2009}} A surveillance video of the incident was posted on YouTube.{{citation needed|date=August 2020}}

File:LSPEntrance-.jpg in November 2009]]

On August 5, 2009, the murder trial began. The father of the victim spoke of his son being a fan of C-Murder before the incident. A bouncer also testified against Miller, saying he witnessed the shooting. He expressed fear of repercussions for his testimony. Prosecutors also charged C-Murder's associates with witness tampering.{{cite web|url=http://allhiphop.com/stories/news/archive/2009/08/06/21882487.aspx|title=Bouncer Says C-Murder Guilty of Killing Teen|last=AbduSalaam|first=Ishmael|date=August 6, 2009|publisher=AllHipHop.com|access-date=August 27, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101129135231/http://allhiphop.com/stories/news/archive/2009/08/06/21882487.aspx|archive-date=November 29, 2010}}

On August 10, 2009, the jury reported being deadlocked, but Judge Hans Liljeberg instructed them to attempt to resolve the deadlock. Three hours later, the jury returned to announce it reached a 10–2 guilty verdict. The judge suspected that, given the deadlock announced earlier followed by the quick reversal, one of the jurors decided to switch under pressure to end the trial and instructed the jury to go back and deliberate on the case longer.{{cite web|last=Lin|first=C.J.|url=http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/08/cmurder_verdict.html|title=C-Murder guilty verdict not valid, judge says, and sends jury back for more deliberations|work=The Times-Picayune|location=New Orleans|date=August 11, 2009|access-date=December 12, 2010}}

When they returned with the same 10–2 verdict, Miller was convicted of second-degree murder.{{cite news|url=http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/08/cmurder_verdict_1.html|title=C-Murder guilty of second-degree murder after topsy-turvy jury action|last=Purpura|first=Paul|author2=Lin, C. J.|date=August 11, 2009|work=The Times-Picayune|location=New Orleans|access-date=August 27, 2009}} During sentencing, the victim's father said, "I'm not rejoicing. I feel bad for [Miller's] family. But at least they can see him. What have we got but a gravesite and a photograph?"{{cite news|url=http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/US-Rapper-Corey-C-Murder-Miller-Found-Guilty-Of-Second-Degree-Murder/Article/200908215359098?lpos=World_News_First_Home_Article_Teaser_Region_5&lid=ARTICLE_15359098_US_Rapper_Corey_C-Murder_Miller_Found_Guilty_Of_Second_Degree_Murder_|title= Rapper C-Murder Shot 16-Year-Old Fan In Club|date=August 12, 2009|publisher=Sky News|access-date=August 27, 2009}} C-Murder was sentenced on August 14 by District Judge Hans Liljeberg to mandatory life imprisonment.

On August 27, 2009, Ernest Johnson, president of the Louisiana NAACP, requested an investigation into the jury deliberations.{{cite news|url=http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2009/08/la_naacp_wants_state_supreme_c.html|title=C-Murder jury deliberation needs investigation, Louisiana NAACP president says|last=Purpura|first=Paul|date=August 27, 2009|work=The Times-Picayune|location=New Orleans|access-date=August 27, 2009}} C-Murder's financial woes reportedly landed him the help of two Harvard attorneys, one of them Ronald Sullivan, who have agreed to assist with his appeal. One of the jurors, Mary Jacob, said that both she and a fellow juror, a 20-year-old student at Xavier University of Louisiana, were verbally abused by fellow jurors for their decision to acquit. According to Jacob, the abuse resulted in her switching her verdict, saying, "They literally made this 20-year-old girl so violently ill, she was shaking so bad. She ran into the bathroom. She was throwing her guts up. She couldn't function anymore. That's when I decided, the judge don't want to listen to me, doesn't want to listen to us? I told them, 'You want him to be guilty? He's guilty; now let's get the hell out of here.{{'"}} This account was partially confirmed by another juror. At the time, a 10–2 consensus was sufficient for conviction in Louisiana but a 9–3 consensus would result in a mistrial.{{cite news|title=C-Miller, rap star, kills a young fan|url=http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/celebrity/corey_miller/32.html/|publisher=TruTV|date=August 14, 2009}}

On December 28, 2011, his conviction was upheld.{{cite news|last=Kunzelman|first=Michael|title=Rapper C-Murder's Conviction, Sentence Upheld|url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/rapper-murders-conviction-sentence-upheld-15255638#.Tv2EeymNr4s|work=ABC News}}

On February 19, 2013, the Supreme Court rejected Miller v. Louisiana, which was Miller's final appeal of his conviction. After a jury voted 10–2 to convict Miller, Miller's attorneys argued that because federal juries must reach unanimous verdicts in criminal cases, Miller should have not been convicted in Louisiana.{{cite web|url=http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.22985/title.supreme-court-rejects-c-murder-s-appeal-of-murder-conviction|title=Supreme Court Rejects C-Murder's Appeal Of Murder Conviction|publisher=HipHopDX.com|access-date=December 12, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130221162703/http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.22985/title.supreme-court-rejects-c-murder-s-appeal-of-murder-conviction/|archive-date=February 21, 2013}}{{cite news|url=http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2013/02/supreme_court_rejects_appeal_f.html|title=Supreme Court rejects appeal from rapper C-Murder|newspaper=The Times-Picayine|location=New Orleans|access-date=December 12, 2017}}

On April 2, 2014, Miller's attorney, Rachel Conner, filed a post-conviction relief application in state court in Gretna. She raised 10 points to support her assertion that her client received no fair trial. Conner said she plans to raise additional points. Primary among the assertions is what she described as irregularities during the jury's deliberations, stating, "One juror cast a guilty vote not based on the evidence but because she wanted to end deliberations to protect another juror who refused to convict Miller but was targeted by other jurors to change her mind, Conner wrote."{{cite web|url=http://www.sohh.com/c-murder-says-this-cant-be-life-wants-another-shot-at-freedom/|title=C-Murder Says This Can't Be Life, Wants Another Shot At Freedom|date= April 2, 2014|publisher=Sohh.com|access-date=December 12, 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://hiphopnews24-7.com/profiles/blogs/c-murder-seeks-new-trial-in-teen-s-death-saying-this-can-t-be-lif|title=TMZ BREAKING|publisher=HipHopNews24-7.com|access-date=December 12, 2017}}{{Cite magazine |url=http://www.hiphopweekly.com/c-murder-hopes-to-escape-prison-through-new-trial/ |title=C-Murder Hopes to Escape Prison Through New trial|magazine=Hip Hop Weekly |access-date=March 15, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402133856/http://www.hiphopweekly.com/c-murder-hopes-to-escape-prison-through-new-trial/ |archive-date=April 2, 2015 }}

In August 2021, Miller went on hunger strike to protest his conditions, which he feared would result in his getting COVID-19, and the status of his trial, saying he believed the district attorney had withheld evidence.{{cite web |url=https://www.wdsu.com/article/louisiana-rapper-c-murder-on-hunger-strike-over-covid-19-trial-evidence/37243934 |title=Louisiana rapper C-Murder on hunger strike over COVID-19, trial evidence |date=August 6, 2021 |website=WDSU |access-date=August 7, 2021}} That month, he hired civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump.{{cite web |url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/c-murder-adds-civil-rights-attorney-ben-crump-to-legal-counsel-news.137112.html |title=C-Murder Adds Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump To Legal Counsel |date=August 7, 2021 |website=Hot New Hip Hop |access-date=August 7, 2021}}

In June 2018, Miller's case was featured on Investigation Discovery Reasonable Doubt. It was on this episode that Kenneth Jordan recanted and discussed his false testimony.{{Cite news |url=https://www.nola.com/news/crime_police/article_2a24afd9-f3eb-5ca2-87b9-3bf5d25e66a8.html|title=C-Murder witness recants testimony that rapper fatally shot teen in Harvey nightclub|author=Michelle Hunter |newspaper=The Times-Picayune |date=June 26, 2018 |access-date=October 13, 2021}} Jordan stated he was pressured by detectives to testify against Miller or he himself would have faced a 10-year prison sentence for unrelated criminal charges. On July 6, another witness, Darnell Jordan, recanted his testimony, saying he was detained and locked in a hotel room by the police for refusing to testify against Miller.{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8464313/c-note-shooting-murder-witness-tricked-testimony|title=Second Witness Says Detectives 'Tricked' Him Into Identifying C-Murder in Nightclub Shooting|magazine=Billboard|access-date= July 7, 2018}}

{{Main|C-Murder discography}}

{{See also|504 Boyz discography|TRU discography}}

• Life or Death (1998)
• Bossalinie (1999)
• Trapped in Crime (2000)
• C-P-3.com (2001)
• Tru Dawgs (2002)
• The Truest Shit I Ever Said (2005)
• Screamin' 4 Vengeance (2008)
• Calliope Click Volume 1 (2009)
• Tomorrow (2010)
• Ain't No Heaven in the Pen (2015){{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/aint-no-heaven-in-the-pen/972403331|title=Aint No Heaven In the Pen by C-Murder on Apple Music|date=March 24, 2015|website=iTunes|access-date=December 12, 2017}}
• Give Me Freedom or Give Me Death (2021)

• Penitentiary Chances (2016) with Boosie BadAzz{{cite web|date=April 15, 2016|title="Penitentiary Chances (Deluxe Edition)" by Boosie Badazz on iTunes|url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/penitentiary-chances-deluxe/id1087166360|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160407124709/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/penitentiary-chances-deluxe/id1087166360|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 7, 2016|access-date=December 12, 2017|website=iTunes}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{IMDb name|0127358}}
• {{Instagram|cmurder}}

{{504 Boyz}}

{{TRU (band)}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1971 births

Category:Living people

Category:2002 murders in the United States

Category:20th-century American male musicians

Category:21st-century American criminals

Category:21st-century American male musicians

Category:21st-century American rappers

Category:African-American male rappers

Category:20th-century American male rappers

Category:American male criminals

Category:American murderers of children

Category:American people convicted of attempted murder

Category:American people convicted of murder

Category:American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment

Category:Crime in Louisiana

Category:Crimes in New Orleans

Category:Criminals from Louisiana

Category:Gangsta rappers

Category:American hunger strikers

Category:Male murderers

Category:MNRK Music Group artists

Category:No Limit Records artists

Category:People convicted of murder by Louisiana

Category:Priority Records artists

Category:Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Louisiana

Category:Rappers from New Orleans

Category:RBC Records artists

Category:21st-century people from Louisiana