Big U says his health is deteriorating and his legal defense is unraveling after being thrown in “the hole” at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles.
He also claims jail officials confiscated his CPAP breathing machine, withheld critical legal documents and stopped him from attending his murdered son’s viewing despite a court order allowing him to do so.
The jailed record industry executive told a federal judge that he has been unable to sleep safely or prepare for his complex racketeering trial since being transferred to the Special Housing Unit, commonly referred to as “the hole,” on January 1, without explanation or prior notice of disciplinary action.
“Put frankly, death can occur for those who require breathing machines when they sleep if they do not have one. Therefore, since being in the SHU without it, I simply cannot allow myself to fall asleep whatsoever,” Big U wrote in a letter to U.S. District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha.
“My additional mattress accommodation due to back and shoulder injury, and my eyeglasses have also not been provided in SHU. My knee brace was returned after a short period, but the lack of sleep support and proper bedding has made my physical discomfort worse,” Big continued.
In the same filing, Big U said his legal preparation has been severely compromised. He claims that jail staff took a USB drive containing discovery materials and personal legal paperwork and failed to properly log it.
“To my knowledge, the USB and those legal materials were not inventoried,” he wrote. “When I have asked about them, staff have not acknowledged that they exist or that they were taken.”
He also stated that his communication with his legal team has been disrupted and that his mail has been tampered with.
“Approximately twenty-five pieces of legal correspondence were extremely delayed or never reached me at all,” he wrote. “On multiple occasions, legal mail has arrived to me already opened, so of course not opened in my presence. On other occasions, I have been told mail was sent but I never received it. These problems have involved important materials such as my indictment and other case documents or legal notes.”
His filing also details a personal tragedy
While in custody, Big U’s son was fatally shot in Los Angeles in late 2025. He stated that the court granted him permission to attend a private viewing, but jail officials prevented it from occurring.
EXCLUSIVE: Big U Blocked From Son’s Burial After Court Rejects His Proposal
“Losing my child while I am in custody has been among the most challenging experiences of my life,” he wrote. “Despite that order, I was not permitted the contact or participation that the Court intended. The order was not followed. I was not able to be present for my son in the way the Court had authorized and made an exception for after his death. I was not allowed private viewing, even though there was a court order for this. Of course, I will never have that opportunity again.”
He has pleaded not guilty to all 43 counts in the indictment.
One of the most serious allegations accuses Big U of orchestrating the January 2021 murder of aspiring rapper Rayshawn Williams, allegedly in retaliation for a diss track aimed at him. The case, built on intercepted phone calls and extensive surveillance, was unsealed in March 2025.
Prosecutors argue that the scope and complexity of the charges, which include tax evasion, wire fraud, and robbery, justify delaying the trial to May 5, 2026.
Big U has elected to represent himself in certain aspects of the case and has requested additional legal support, including additional attorneys, investigators, and a communications specialist.
The trial is currently scheduled to begin on May 5, 2026.
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