Bobby Shmurda wants to be a “role model” after prison

Bobby Shmurda has said he wants to be a role model now he’s been released from prison.

The rapper – whose real name is Ackquille Pollard – was freed from jail in New York earlier this week (February 23), after serving seven years behind bars for conspiracy and weapons possession.

In a new interview, Pollard has spoken about how the letters received from fans when he was in prison impacted him. “It was 2016, I was in the box,” he told GQ. “A six-year-old girl wrote to me; she said I was her favourite rapper.”

He added: “That just let me know the kids are watching me, and I have to be a role model.”

The star continued to say that he hadn’t taken his career too seriously before his time in prison. “I didn’t really care too much for it until I went to jail and I seen how the fans were loyal,” he said. “I can’t name a week that I didn’t see at least 10 [pieces] of fan mail, throughout the whole bid.”

Since Pollard was released, streams of his music have increased by over 600 percent. When news of the rapper’s imminent release from prison broke on Monday (February 22), and when he was freed the following day, streams of his music tallied up at 3.7million in the US, up 624 per cent from the previous two-day period.

“Thank you for remaining loyal and for riding this six-year sentence out with me,” Shmurda wrote in an Instagram Story that was posted prior to his release. “I love you all and look forward to seeing you soon.”

On the day of his release, Migos rapper Quavo was on hand to personally pick Shmurda up from prison. “I’m going to get my guy,” Quavo said beforehand. “I’m personally gonna go pick up Bobby Shmurda. I’m bout to go get him. I’m gonna let him show you how I’m gonna pick him up, yessir. It’s gonna be big.”