Ricky Hampton, Felon in Possession of Firearm, AR 2024

LITTLE ROCK — Memphis rapper Ricky Hampton, known as Finese2Tymes, pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to illegally possessing a firearm in Arkansas — a charge that stems from a violent incident after a concert in Forrest City where he pointed an AK-style pistol at a woman and opened fire, shattering her car window and grazing her neck.

Hampton, who has a prior felony conviction, admitted to being a felon in possession of a firearm, a violation of federal law. The plea, entered before U.S. District Judge J. Leon Holmes, includes sentencing enhancements because the weapon — a Century Arms "AK-style" pistol commonly referred to as a "Draco" — was capable of accepting a high-capacity magazine and was used during the commission of another felony, including intimidation and attempted assault.

According to court documents, the incident unfolded in the early hours of June 25, 2017, outside Club Envy in Forrest City. After performing, Hampton confronted a woman in the parking lot whose vehicle blocked his path. Witnesses say he entered a car, screamed at her to move, then aimed the Draco at her. As she reversed, he fired at least one round, striking the rear window and grazing her neck. Video and photos from bystanders, later posted on Facebook, show Hampton holding and pointing the weapon.

The investigation intensified days later when a mass shooting injured 25 people at the Power Ultra Lounge in Little Rock during another Finese2Tymes performance on July 1, 2017. Though not directly charged in that incident, federal agents moved quickly. On July 3, 2017, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and U.S. Marshals arrested Hampton in Birmingham, Alabama. The Draco used in the Forrest City shooting was recovered from the vehicle he was riding in — purchased days earlier by his bodyguard, Kentrell Gwynn, who was later added as a co-defendant.

During interviews with ATF agents, Hampton admitted he "upped the Draco" — street slang for raising and pointing the weapon — confirming his role in the Forrest City attack. U.S. Attorney Cody Hiland condemned the rapper's repeated entanglement with violence: "Violence has followed this individual, and it is time for that to end. If you're a felon with a firearm — especially using it to commit crimes — you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent."

Hampton faces up to 10 years in federal prison, a fine of $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. Sentencing is scheduled for a later date. The case was investigated by the ATF with support from the U.S. Marshal Service and the Forrest City Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Mazzanti and Chris Givens.