One fact cannot be disputed about YNW Melly: the rapper has remained in insanely good spirits throughout his double murder case, where he is currently facing the death penalty. This week, he and his associate YNW Bortlen were ordered to a court hearing where we were updated on his status in the justice system. Cameras were apparently allowed in the courtroom and, as a result, pictures of the rapper have now surfaced online.

Sharing a trio of shots on his social media page, YNW Melly reminded his fans that he’s doing A-OK after spending over a year in jail. At this stage, he has not been proven guilty of murdering his two friends. He is expected to go to trial but his attorneys are reportedly confident that he’ll be coming home. 

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In the pictures uploaded to Melly’s account, the 20-year-old has a huge smile on his face, which is something that seemingly hasn’t left in months. He wears a white and black striped jumpsuit.

In another image, his boy YNW Bortlen is seen sitting down in handcuffs, with his hair tied up.

The incarcerated Florida rapper is releasing the remix to his popular song “Suicidal” tonight, featuring a posthumous verse from Juice WRLD. Do you think he’ll make it out of this predicament?

Ever since early last year, YNW Melly and his friend YNW Bortlen, real names Jamell Demons and Cortlen Malik Henry, have been in jail on double murder charges. The two rappers allegedly killed their friends before bringing them to the emergency room and claiming that they were targeted in a drive-by shooting. That much has not been proven yet as we await their trials to begin. On Wednesday morning, both men were present for a court hearing and more insight was offered on the status of their case.

According to sources inside the courtroom, there is not much of an update regarding YNW Melly’s freedom but his associate may be heading home soon. 

“The proof against Mr. Henry isn’t that strong. My client is not guilty, period,” said YNW Bortlen’s attorney ahead of Wednesday’s hearing.

Melly and Bortlen were quietly interacting with their family and friends, who were at the hearing. Melly’s mother, younger brother, grandfather, and friends were all in attendance, rocking iced-out YNW chains. The 20-year-old was reportedly happy throughout, smiling at his loved ones.

Broward’s Sheriff’s Office Getty Images

His mother was also warned to be more vigilant about what she posts online and says to reporters, noting that her past interactions could potentially have been costly. “They are watching you like a hawk,” said lead attorney Stuart Adelstein to Melly’s mom.

YNW Melly previously teased his own jail release by sharing Friday’s date on his social pages without much explanation. It turns out that he was simply promoting the release of his “Suicidal” remix with Juice WRLD.

We will keep you updated on all potential happenings in the case.

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Without any final resolution being reached in Megan Thee Stallion‘s highly-publicized dispute with her record label, she announced today that she would be dropping her debut album Suga this Friday (Mar. 6). It was reported earlier this week that the Houston rapper had obtained a temporary restraining order against her label, 1501 Certified Entertainment, which would allow her to release new music as soon as she wished. Fans rejoiced when they discovered they’d be receiving her whole album imminently, rather than just a single, but now 1501 is threatening to sabotage everything. 

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According to TMZ, Carl Crawford, the CEO of 1501, has filed a motion to dissolve the temporary restraining order, as Meg’s contract supposedly stipulates that all disputes must be settled in arbitration. Therefore, he claims she had no right running to the court for a judge to intervene. Crawford is imploring that an emergency court hearing be held in Harris County, Texas today to put a halt to the Houston Hottie’s plans. 

While the $1 million lawsuit that Meg filed against her label on Sunday (Mar. 1) highlighted the lopsidedness of her recording contract and the disappointment Crawford’s despotism would be causing her fans, he’s arguing that she’s still obligated to abide by the contract that places control of her music distribution in his hands. Unless his demands are met – he alleges that Meg hasn’t paid him his rightful share of her profits for months – then he will do all in his power to block the release of Suga. 

While Pierre “Pee” Thomas has enjoyed much success as the head of one of hip hop’s biggest record labels, Quality Control Music, he has been experiencing some setbacks in his personal life. He has been embroiled in a messy legal battle with his ex-partner Lira Galore over child support and custody. The two have both alleged that the other had been abusive during their relationship, taking their feud into even uglier territory. The latest development in this case is that Thomas has denied taunting Galore during a recent court hearing and wishes for her restraining order request to be dismissed. 

Galore, who also happens to be a social media star, accused Thomas of menacing her at a hearing in January. He supposedly glowered at her, shouted at her and snapped pictures of her in the courtroom. This left Galore feeling threatened and incited her to seek a restraining order that keeps him at a minimum distance of 100 feet. She also felt that Thomas’ behavior warranted a court-sanctioned psychiatric evaluation to determine whether he is stable enough to see their recently-born daughter, Khaleesi.  

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According to Bossip, court documents filed last week show that Thomas denied displaying any “menacing behavior” towards Galore at the hearing. While he confirmed that they’d sat across from each other, he claims he didn’t exhibit any of the intimidation tactics that his baby mama alleged. He also admitted to having spoken to her at the end of the hearing to request time with his daughter, but insists that their interaction didn’t get heated. For these reasons, he’s asking the court to dismiss Galore’s request for a restraining order and a mental eval. 

Galore is also suing Thomas for $15 million for allegedly abusing her while she was pregnant. 

Until recently, Future‘s baby mama drama could be boiled down to cases of he said/she said, or more fittingly, she said/he refrained from commenting on the matter. There are two women, Cindy Parker and Eliza Seraphin, who have been going after him for months, trying to prove that he is the father of their young children and secure child support from him. The Atlanta rapper has been masterfully evading these accusations, so Parker and Seraphin have formed a coalition to pin him down. 

Given the circumstances, taking Future to court would be the most promising course of action. Last month, his two accusers revealed on Instagram that DNA tests showed there to be a 99.9% chance that their children are biological siblings. According to The Blast, Parker submitted these DNA results to the court and a Texas judge has set a hearing for January 17. 

Parker has repeatedly attempted to serve Future with legal documents, but has come out unsuccessful. She also claimed that Future tried to bury the situation by offering her hush money, but turned it down in hopes that a court will order Future to pay child support and accept partial custody. If the judge determines that Parker has convincing arguments that Future could be the father of her child, Future may be forced to settle this matter in court once and for all.

While Parker pursues legal channels to resolve the issue, Seraphin has been taking to social media. Future reportedly requested a gag order against Seraphin right before Christmas, but no update has been provided on whether it was approved.