When Is "Murder on My Mind" Rapper YNW Melly Getting Out of Jail? Here's the Latest

The Breakdown: Rapper YNW Melly has been in jail since his arrest in 2019 for double murder. As he awaits a retrial for the case, his team is fighting for his release from jail.

YNW Melly was one of the most talked-about rappers of 2018. His smash hit “Murder on My Mind” gained him attention from the masses and became one of the most played tracks of the year. Following the song’s massive success, the Young New Wave rapper has gotten features from some of the biggest names in the industry.

Kanye West, Lil Uzi Vert, Fredo Bang, Lil Baby, Lil Durk, Young Thug, and Future have all shown up on YNW Melly tracks since his rise to stardom and being in jail. Since then, "Murder on My Mind" has been certified platinum by the RIAA six times.

Although he’s released ten platinum-certified tracks, the rapper’s future in the industry remains uncertain as he awaits a trial that could lead to capital punishment. We have the latest on Melly’s release date from jail and the status of his case.

As of 2025, YNW Melly has not received a release date from jail. According to NBC 6 South Florida, the rapper is awaiting a retrial to decide his future.

The retrial date was set for Sept. 10. The retrial was set in response to the mistrial of his previous double murder case. Melly was charged with two counts of first-degree murder for being connected to the deaths of fellow YNW members.

The “Mixed Personalities” rapper was arrested for the murder of Anthony “YNW Sakchaser” Williams and Christopher “YNW Juvy” Thomas Jr. in 2019. He was prosecuted with YNW Bortlen, born Cortlen Henry, who he allegedly staged the murders as a drive-by with.

YNW Melly rose to fame after the success of his song “Murder on My Mind” in 2018. The track details the Florida rapper reminiscing in his jail cell about being home and hypothetical murders. Many have assumed that the song was about the murders of Sakchaser and Juvy, but he has dismissed these claims. That may be because he’s speaking from the perspective of his alter ego “Melly”, rather than “Melvin”.

Melly claims that he truly has two different personalities existing inside him. Melly is his “good” side, while Melvin is the personality with murderous intent. In a Genius interview for his song with Kanye West, he claimed, “[Melvin gets] 12 hours, and I get 12 hours…12 a.m., I can’t control it after that.”

Fans have speculated that Melvin is the one who killed the rapper’s friends, rather than Melly himself. Some internet critics have shown support for the artist getting mental health assistance, while others have called the claims fake.

Although Melly has released three studio albums since 2019, he’s been in pre-trial detention for over 2,000 days.

His first studio project, Melly vs. Melvin, peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200 and received a gold certification from the RIAA. His second, Just A Matter of Slime, peaked at No. 11 on the chart and contained all featured tracks except three.

His 2024 album Young New Wave didn’t perform as well as his first two, however. The album was not only Melly’s first release through the YNW4L independent label, but also exclusively featured other YNW members.

He’s been held in Broward County Jail until further notice of another hearing.

The rapper’s attorneys are fighting for him to be released on bond as he awaits his second trial in the fall. This is the second time they have asked a judge to set a bond for release since his 2023 mistrial.

The hearing, scheduled for May 6th, will decide whether Melly will continue to await his retrial in the county jail or be able to return home.