From Prison to Redemption: Former Bad Boy Rapper G. Dep’s Shocking Confession and Remarkable Comeback Story

It was just an average day. He was only 18, recently dropped out of college.

It was 1993—the lure of the streets, the drugs, the wrong people… and then a scuffle and a gunshot.

He biked away from the scene, and the next day, when an officer approached him inquiring if he knew anything about the previous night’s events, he did what any scared kid would do—he lied, and he went on living his life.

However, that one moment had unknowingly just started a cycle of events that would change his life forever.

This kid went on to work with Sean Combs’ Bad Boy Records, charting his uniquely styled songs in album after album—Child of the Ghetto, Ghetto Legend, Influential—and became known in the music industry as G. Dep, which stands for Ghetto Dependant (Trevell Gerald Coleman – Ghetto Deputy).

Seventeen years later, a spiritually burdened man approached a police department to ask about what happened that fateful day all those years ago. Was the man okay? What happened?

He said, “I was preparing myself for the possibility that the man may have died, but was hoping it was lighter than that.”

“I understood that he may have passed, but I knew I would do the time.”

G. Dep just wanted to be right with God and clear his conscience. But after confessing to the police and asking for answers, he was dismissed. G. Dep was handed a business card and instructed to wait for a phone call—but that phone call never came.

After some time had passed and G. Dep had not received a call, had lost the cellphone and the card, and still had no closure, he returned again to the police precinct to confess, to tell his story as he recalled it, and to hopefully get answers.

This time, he was not dismissed. The police officer on duty was more inquisitive and seemed truly interested in his story, his confession—asking questions like, “What were you wearing?”, “Where did this occur?”, “When?”

And it was at that point he was told the answer: the man had died.

G. Dep was charged with murder after they connected his inquiry to a cold case involving an attempted robbery on Park Ave and East 114th Street.

A trial ensued, and faced with the possibility of life in prison, the loss of his freedom, and uncertainty about whether the police had truly solved a case or blurred together details of another, he and his lawyers pled not guilty and requested to be presented with all of the evidence against him.

G. Dep was found guilty—15 years to life—serving 13. He was just released in April 2024.

Like his newly released album Lessons Never Losses, he said, “Prison either makes or breaks you,” and he was determined it was going to make him.

He kept to himself and attempted to blend in. “I associated with people, but I was on my own page,” and he used his time to focus on schooling, Bible studies, exercise, and music.

Some of that time spent on self-improvement was directed toward earning his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Business, jogging 3–4 times a week, playing basketball, and staying active.

He said, “There is a prison culture that promotes health and fitness for many reasons,” but adds, “If you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything.” Most people don’t even think about health, but “health is wealth.”

He admits that since coming home, he’s not as driven to exercise as he was in prison. “There’s just so many other options, but that’s okay— with fitness, it is always better to start small so you don’t stress your body and stop completely.”

Too much exercise or overdoing it, in his opinion, is counterproductive. So in this case, he says, “Less is better.”

In addition to still continuing his exercise, he doesn’t drink, tries to stay away from fried foods, limits his consumption of red meat, and avoids eating late at night.

Since leaving prison, he is grateful for a fresh start, with his wife Laticia Evans Coleman (Hustle Bunny) by his side.

G. Dep met his wife at an event before his incarceration, and she has been by his side throughout. She reconnected with him while he was in jail, telling him to “keep his head up, and if he needed to talk, to call her.”

Well, he called her to “kick it,” and they’ve been kicking it ever since.

He says he’s still truly in awe of her whole ideology—who she is and how she conducts herself is “pretty cool to me.”

Additionally, since being released, he has been mentoring at-risk youth and is continuing his life with a grateful heart, continuing to make music, and being a living example of taking responsibility for your actions.

“Everything I knew I should be doing, I am now clear enough to realize it now. You need to go through it to know what to appreciate. All this time, I’m grateful to be here.”

His newly dropped album Lessons Never Losses is inspiring and creative, available on multiple platforms. The songs on this album bring a sense of nostalgia and peace—the layering of the music along with the messages flow effortlessly through the lyrics.

Check out his new music, follow G. Dep on Instagram @gdepofficial, and do a deep dive like I did—look up some of the classics, including collaborations with hip hop royalty.

Finally, I asked him—if he could go back, would he have done anything differently?

He said, “I would have stayed in school.”

G. Dep Charged with Winning:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc8qqBuHCog Marine Le Pen.”