cRapper Taxstone sentenced to 35 years for Irving Plaza shooting that killed Troy Ave’s bodyguard

[The Bobster]

Rapper Taxstone sentenced to 35 years for Irving Plaza shooting that killed Troy Ave’s bodyguard

Taxstone continued to claim he was the innocent victim of a calculated hit at the hands of Troy Ave.

nypost.com

Rapper Taxstone sentenced to 35 years for Irving Plaza shooting that killed Troy Ave’s bodyguard​

By
Katherine Donlevy


June 20, 2023 6:58pm
Updated









Former rapper and online hip-hop podcaster Taxstone was slapped with a 35-year prison sentence Tuesday for the infamous 2016 Irving Plaza shooting that left a rival musician’s bodyguard dead.
The Brooklyn-born rapper, whose real name is Daryl Campbell, was ordered to serve the sentence in state prison, followed by five years of post-release supervision for the killing of Ronald “Banga” McPhatter — the friend and bodyguard of his nemesis, rapper Troy Ave aka Roland Collins.
“Daryl Campbell used a firearm to target his rival, which led to loss of a life and serious injuries to innocent bystanders,” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg said in a statement.
“Gun violence cannot be used as a way to address conflict. The toll of guns continues to be staggeringly high and it is horrific that a night out at a concert ended tragically.”
Campbell continued to claim he was the innocent victim of a calculated hit at the hands of Collins, who prosecutors had a “longstanding feud” with the podcast leading up to the backstage bloodbath.
In a last-ditch effort, Campbell claimed “half the stuff that was told on the stand by Troy Ave — who was offered a shorter sentence for testimony — is a complete lie to protect himself from going to jail,” according to journalist Shawn Setaro.
A judge, however, said that Campbell was “obviously” engaged in “the procurement of false testimony.”

Daryl Campbell was sentenced to 35 years in state prison followed by five years of supervised release.Steven Hirsch
The podcaster — who prosecutors said was a member of the Bloods gang — was found guilty in March of first-degree manslaughter, assault and other charges for killing McPhatter and injuring three others, including Collins, in a VIP room at Irving Plaza.


Collins testified that Campbell verbally initiated the scuffle after seeing the rapper and his bodyguard enter the back room shortly before he was expected to perform at a T.I. concert.


The two had long clashed over public comments the podcaster had made about Collins, prosecutors said.

Roland Collins testified that he struggled with Campbell over the gun after he was shot in both legs.Steven Hirsch The scene of the 2016 shooting.Seth Gottfried
He said there were about 100 people packed into the room when he heard Campbell shout out, “What’s popping?” in what he perceived to be a threatening way.


“Banga turns around to me and says, ‘I’m gonna rock him,’ which means, ‘I’m gonna hit him,’” Collins testified. “And then I wink at him — I tell him, ‘Do your thing.’”


That’s when Campbell reached for his gun and began firing, striking Collins in both legs.

Ronald “Banga” McPhatter was killed in the bloody melee.
The rivals grappled over the weapon and several more bullets were fired before Collins gained control over the gun and misfired.


Campbell fled and Collins realized McPhatter was lying on the ground face down with a gunshot wound to the chest.





“I rolled his body over and I’m like, ‘Banga, get up. Come on.’ I’m smacking him, like, ‘C’mon bro. Get up,’” Collins testified. “And his eyes were rolling to the back of his head. His shirt was red so I could tell he got shot.”


Two bystanders were also wounded during the shooting.


Collins could also face a year in prison for his involvement in the shooting.


His lawyers told The Post in March that he was offered a reduced punishment — down from the 15 he could have faced — in exchange for his testimony at Campbell’s trial.