The 51-year-old, whose real name is Michael Tyler, was arrested on Sunday night after local police spoke to a man who claimed he had been sexually assaulted at a nearby hospital. Tyler, who scored a global hit in 2000 with Shake Ya Ass and was subsequently nominated for two Grammy Awards, served a six-year sentence in 2004 after pleading guilty to sexual assault and extortion. Tyler pleaded guilty to forcing his hairdresser to perform what the judge called “continuous sexual acts” after he accused her of stealing his $80,000 worth of checks. The woman denied stealing the money. In 2012, Tyler was jailed for three months after being arrested for misdemeanor domestic abuse, which was later described by Tyler’s attorney as an “unfortunate incident” between two domestic partners who “have cared for each other for 10 years.” The victim was the mother of his two children. In an April 2021 interview with The Associated Press, Tyler spoke about his life change and a different approach to his music. “When I look back and listen to the music, man, I was a badass rapper,” he said. “A lot of my music now, I imagine myself rapping it to God, and if I can rap it, I’m proud.”
