Cyrus Langhorne
New York rapper Safaree Samuels is getting some things off his chest. The hip-hop artist has weighed-in on his publicized reaction to ex-girlfriend Nicki Minaj‘s new PAPER Magazine cover and her brother’s recent child rape conviction.
In a new interview, Safaree denied wanting to romantically reunite with Nicki and revealed his shock in learning about Jelani Maraj‘s sexual assault case.
“Of course I still care about her. I wasn’t shooting my shot [by commenting on her PAPER Magazine cover], I was just saying about the pictures what everybody else was saying. … We haven’t spoken. [Her brother’s conviction?] It’s crazy because I know everybody involved. I never would have thought in a million years what actually happened. It’s just crazy when you know the people. You can’t even wrap your brain around it. Oh, he’s in jail? I didn’t know he was in jail though. I didn’t know that.” (“The Breakfast Club”)
Recently, reports emerged about Nicki going to visit her brother for the first time since his conviction.
Sources tell us she has not had a close relationship with her brother, Jelani Maraj, since he was charged for raping his 11-year-old stepdaughter. She made an exception this time, solely because her mom wanted to go. We’re told Nicki took her mother, Carol, to the Nassau County Jail last week. Carol hadn’t seen Jelani since the guilty verdict. (TMZ)
Last week, buzz developed after a judge found Jelani guilty of sexual assault.
The verdict for Jelani Maraj came in Thursday in Long Island … he was found guilty of predatory sexual assault against a child and endangering the welfare of a child. He faces 25 years to life in prison. He’ll be sentenced on December 14. Nassau County D.A. Madeline Singas tells TMZ … “We hope that today’s verdict will help the family in the healing process.” (TMZ)
Earlier this month, Nicki and Jelani’s mom testified in the publicized court battle.
The defendant’s mother, Carol Maraj, 57, of Old Westbury, testified the alleged victim’s mother, who was then her daughter-in-law, made the comment she perceived as an extortion threat while driving her to a Hempstead court so she could try to see her son after his Dec. 1, 2015, arrest. “She said to me, ‘It’s gonna take lots of money to get out of this one,’ ” said the witness, who said she runs a foundation to benefit domestic violence victims and is a songwriter and playwright. (Newsday)
