Chocolate MC, the Cuban rapper and Reggaeton star, has been convicted for orchestrating a murder-for-hire plan against the man accused of killing his close friend, El Taiger.
Chocolate—born Yosvanis Sierra Hernández, 34—was found guilty in Miami on Wednesday (Nov. 12) for soliciting first-degree murder and issuing written threats to kill or inflict bodily harm, per AllHipHop.
Prosecutors said Chocolate took to Instagram, offering $20,000 and a full year of commissary to Miami-area inmates willing to kill Damían Valdés-Galloso.
Valdés-Galloso is currently facing first-degree murder charges for allegedly shooting and killing fellow reggaeton artist El Taiger—real name José Manuel Carbajal Zaldívar—in October 2024.
In courtroom footage shared by local outlet WPLG, Chocolate broke down in tears as he reflected on his longtime bond with El Taiger, a friendship that started when they were teenagers.
“Maybe at one point I didn’t express myself the right way, or the way I should have,” the MC said in Spanish. “But I’m not capable of killing anyone.”
His girlfriend, Yelena, echoed the sentiment as the guilty verdict was delivered. “They said he’s guilty, but it’s an injustice,” she cried. “He didn’t kill anyone. He’s not a killer.”
During the trial, prosecutors highlighted Chocolate’s track “Pincha Lo” (“Stab Him”) as a key piece of evidence. He now faces a possible sentence of up to 15 years in prison.
Chocolate has been locked up at Metro West Detention Center since June, following accusations that he kidnapped and robbed a fan who asked for a photo and was later held at gunpoint in the rapper’s car.
The MC has also previously faced charges including sexual battery, armed kidnapping, battery, and grand theft, along with a separate domestic violence battery charge for allegedly getting into a fight with his then-girlfriend.
