It’s no secret that life is full of surprises and unexpected turns that keep us on our toes and on the lookout for what comes next. We can face many of those challenges without breaking a sweat. But what would you do if the challenge–the life’s lemon–was the death penalty for a crime you didn’t commit?
Well, that’s what happened to Jacksonville rapper Splash Mullah. Back when he was a 16-year-old kid, he was running around with a bad bunch and got himself into trouble he couldn’t get out of. According to Splash, he was hanging out with his crew when they got into an altercation. Splash suddenly found himself standing in a middle of a crime scene.
When police picked him up, he still didn’t understand the gravity of the situation until he got charged with first-degree murder—an offense whose sentence carries the death penalty. It was a manipulative move that the prosecution used to manipulate and coerce Splash into snitching on his friends. Even though Splash’s world collapsed upon hearing “You are going to be sentenced to death if you don’t cooperate” coming out of the prosecutor’s mouth, he was determined to keep his lips sealed shut.
“It was a crazy experience. I was just a kid who made a mistake. I didn’t even shoot at anyone, but suddenly, I was counting my last days. Staring at the face of death can mess with your mind, but the streets didn’t raise a quitter so I fought it tooth and nail. I didn’t want to believe that my life was over,” says Splash Mullah.
Even though the prosecution relentlessly pursued the harshest penalty, a judge and jury only found Splash guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced him to serve 25 years in prison. While 25 years is a long time indeed, it gave Splash Mullah the opportunity to contemplate and discover his new self. You could say that Splash was productive as it was in prison that he discovered and honed in on his love for singing and rapping with the support of his cellmates and best friend and biological sister, Jamara Davis.
After being released from prison, Splash Mullah followed his dream and started performing all across the US to promote his music and grow his audience. His pursuit was nothing but success as Splash managed to rack up impressive numbers on Spotify that currently stand at over 1.5 million streams and 2500 listeners and even build a clothing brand.
Apart from discovering his passion for music, Splash Mullah also used his time in prison to reflect and repent of his past. He grew his relationship with God and vowed to bring more good into the world if given a second chance. As part of staying true to his promise, Splash Mullah uses his time to educate younger kids in his area to avoid making the same mistakes he did.
“Nobody deserves to go through what I did. There are so many kids on the streets that are just one bad decision away from completely ruining their lives, and if I can do anything about that, then I won’t stand idly by the sidelines and watch the world burn,” he says.
So far, Splash Mullahs’ journey has been an incredible one full of ups and downs – but as he points out, it’s only getting better. With each passing day, he will continue to use music as an outlet for positivity while encouraging others on their own paths toward redemption. More importantly, his inspiring story proves that no matter the challenges life throws your way, you can find the inner strength to face them and find your way to a better tomorrow.
