An aspiring rapper's life was cut short in a tragic sequence of events that began over a dispute for a music video. Pressie Taylor Jr., a 26-year-old male from Harlem, was working to make a name for himself in the music world, even having ties to the hip-hop collective A$AP Mob. In the summer of 2016, he sought to rent a luxury car to feature in an upcoming music video, a common practice for artists looking to create a high-end image.
He contacted a man named Chester Taylor, who ran an illicit car rental business, and paid him a significant portion of the rental fee upfront.
The deal, however, soured when Chester Taylor failed to provide the promised vehicle and subsequently refused to return the money. Over the following weeks, Pressie Taylor Jr. repeatedly demanded his refund, leading to increasing frustration and hostility. The disagreement escalated dramatically on August 28, 2016, when Chester Taylor, angered by the persistent demands, decided to confront the young artist. He enlisted the help of an accomplice, Darius Hastings, and together they drove to West 137th Street in Harlem. There, they confronted Pressie and shot him in the back of the head.
Miraculously, Pressie Taylor Jr. survived the initial shooting. After a critical period of hospitalization, he recovered enough to relocate to Houston, Texas, in an attempt to move on with his life and continue pursuing his music career. However, the severe head injury left him with lasting complications. Nearly two years after the violent encounter, on March 24, 2018, while attending a music festival in Houston, he suffered a fatal seizure. The New York City Medical Examiner's Office later determined that the seizure was a direct result of the gunshot wound he had sustained in 2016, and his death was officially ruled a homicide.
Following the initial shooting, Chester Taylor and Darius Hastings were arrested and charged with assault. After Pressie Taylor Jr.'s death and the medical examiner's ruling, these charges were upgraded to murder. In February 2023, a New York State Supreme Court jury found both men guilty of second-degree murder, first-degree assault, and criminal possession of a weapon. For their roles in the death of the young Harlem rapper, both Chester Taylor and Darius Hastings were sentenced to serve 20 years to life in state prison, bringing a long-awaited measure of justice to the family and community of Pressie Taylor Jr.
