‘I met the Grim Reaper in prison’ - Stamma Gramma opens up about his rise, fall and redemption

With a university degree in computer information systems and a promising future in entertainment, dancehall artiste Stamma Gramma wasn't supposed to end up in a federal prison. But a dangerous desire for attention and validation led him to trade integrity for hype - choices that ultimately landed him behind bars.

After serving a two-year sentence in federal prison for producing false identification documents and committing bank fraud, Stamma Gramma says many entertainers often get caught between their lyrics and the realities that unfold in their lives.

The entertainer, whose given name is Michael Williams, served his sentence at the Allenwood Federal Correctional Institution in Pennsylvania after pleading guilty to a multi-state identity fraud scheme. Now a free man, he is sharing his story as a cautionary tale.

"I believe we get caught up in the hype and the glamorisation of these activities. I am guilty of it. It's almost as if I was manifesting my own destiny by singing about scamming. I put it in the atmosphere and I reaped the consequences," said Stamma Gramma.

The entertainer made waves in 2013 with his hit Scammer Anthem but found himself sucked in by the desire to "maintain a status or a way of life fuelled by materialism and hype".

At the time of his arrest, Stamma Gramma was living between New York and Connecticut. A coordinated raid on his properties in both states unearthed evidence of the identity fraud ring, and in July 2022, he was sentenced to serve time in one of the most notorious prisons in the federal system.

The seeds of the scheme, he admitted, were planted during his college years while pursuing his degree in computer information systems.

"I started the scheme while I was in college selling to college kids, trying to juggle a full-time college schedule and the entertainment world, and the responsibilities that come with living in America. It was not premeditated, but something that exploded very quickly and went nationwide," he said.

"The truth is, living in America is not bed of roses. The burdens, the cost of living and the realities of the economy can lead you down a very dark path; you either sink or swim sometimes. Only the fittest of the fittest survive and sometimes survival means surviving by any means necessary," he reasoned.

With the illegal business booming, the fast-rising entertainer found himself living a life he never imagined. No longer scraping to pay bills, he was now bringing in thousands of dollars a week.

"Looking back, I have to admit that in the moment of doing it, it was because I went from not being able to pay rent to making thousands a dollars a week. But when you compromise your integrity for money, the Grim Reaper always comes calling for the soul you sold at a discount. I met the Grim Reaper in prison and now, in hindsight, I can say that it was never worth it. Money don't buy happiness, nor peace, nor respect, and the consequences can be life crippling," he said.

Despite the harsh reality of prison life, the experience forced him into deep self-reflection. During his incarceration, he wrote 368 songs and two books, both still unpublished. He also buried himself in literature, completing more than 200 books on psychology, philosophy, trauma, faith, and leadership.

Now, with a renewed sense of purpose and clarity, Stamma Gramma is preparing to release a new album titled, Baby Face Assassin, a project born out of pain, growth, and redemption.