C-Murder
C-Murder | |
|---|---|
| Born | Corey Miller March 9, 1971 Uptown New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, author, actor |
| Years active | Mid-1990s–present |
| Known for | Hip-hop artist associated with No Limit Records; member of TRU; convicted of second-degree murder |
Corey Miller (born March 9, 1971), widely recognized by his stage name C-Murder, is an American hip-hop artist who gained significant attention in the mid-1990s through his association with his brother Master P’s label, No Limit Records. He was notably part of the rap collective TRU. Throughout his career, C-Murder has released multiple solo projects under No Limit Records, including the platinum-selling album Life or Death in 1998. His discography spans nine albums distributed via six different labels: No Limit Records, TRU Records, Koch Records, Asylum Records, RBC Records, and Venti Uno.
In 2002, Miller was apprehended on charges related to the killing of 16-year-old Steve Thomas and subsequently received a life sentence on August 14, 2009. He is currently incarcerated at the Louisiana State Penitentiary. The case attracted renewed attention in 2018 when two principal witnesses withdrew their statements, claiming coercion by law enforcement. Miller, alongside his family members—including his brothers and nephew Romeo Miller—has persistently advocated for a new trial.
Early life
Corey Miller entered the world on March 9, 1971, in Uptown New Orleans, Louisiana. He was raised in the Calliope Projects located within New Orleans’ 3rd Ward of New Orleans, sharing his upbringing with siblings Germaine, Silkk the Shocker, Master P, and Kevin Miller.
Military service
Following his graduation from high school, Miller joined the United States Army as a combat medic. During his military tenure, he was deployed to the Persian Gulf region amid the Gulf War conflict.
Music career
Miller’s debut studio album, Life or Death, launched in 1998, climbed to No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart and achieved platinum status. Additionally, he contributed to the theme song for the nWo Wolfpac.
His sophomore effort, Bossalinie (1999), reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold. The follow-up album Trapped in Crime (2000) peaked at No. 9 and included the track "Down for My N's."
In 2001, C-P-3.com, marking his final release with No Limit Records, attained No. 45 on the Billboard 200 and featured singles such as "What U Gonna Do" and "Im Not Just."
After his 2003 conviction for murder, Miller produced three albums while under house arrest: The Truest Shit I Ever Said (2005), which reached No. 41 on the Billboard 200; Screamin' 4 Vengeance (2008), peaking at No. 130; and Calliope Click (2009), which secured No. 68 on the R&B Albums chart.
Following a failed appeal in 2009 and entering no contest pleas for two attempted murder charges, he independently released several projects during incarceration. These include the mixtape Ricochet (2013), albums Tomorrow (2010), Ain't No Heaven in the Pen (2015), Give Me Freedom Or Give Me Death (2021), as well as a compilation titled Oldies but Goodies (2018).
In 2016, Miller issued a diss track targeting rapper 2 Chainz, accusing him of imitating the branding associated with C-Murder’s former group TRU and its affiliated label TRU Global Records.
Other ventures
Outside of music, Miller appeared in several No Limit films including Da Game of Life, I Got the Hook-Up, and Hot Boyz. He is also an author, having published the novel Death Around The Corner through Vibe.
Steve Thomas incident
In September 2003, Miller was found guilty of second-degree murder for the fatal shooting of 16-year-old fan Steve Thomas on January 12, 2002, at the Platinum Club located in Harvey, Louisiana. He was taken into custody on January 18, 2002, formally charged with murder, and subsequently indicted on February 28. Due to concerns regarding prosecutorial misconduct, a new trial was ordered in April 2004.
On March 20, 2006, Miller was released on a $500,000 bond and placed under house arrest, which permitted him to promote his music and literary work under specific court-imposed limitations. By March 2007, the presiding judge authorized restricted engagement in his music career but declined to fully lift his curfew. These judicial decisions contributed to the judge’s unsuccessful re-election campaign in 2008.
In May 2009, Miller entered a no contest plea to two counts of attempted second-degree murder stemming from a 2001 nightclub altercation in Baton Rouge. He was sentenced to ten years in prison with credit for time already served.
The murder trial recommenced in August 2009. After an initial jury deadlock and subsequent shifts in jury opinion under pressure, Miller was convicted of second-degree murder by a 10–2 jury vote and received a mandatory life sentence on August 14. The Louisiana NAACP called for an inquiry into the jury deliberation process. Miller secured two attorneys from Harvard University to handle his appeal.
His conviction was affirmed in December 2011. In February 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court denied his final appeal challenging Louisiana's law permitting non-unanimous jury verdicts.
In April 2014, Miller’s legal team submitted a post-conviction relief petition citing irregularities during jury deliberations and claims of an unfair trial.
In August 2021, Miller began a hunger strike protesting the risks posed by COVID-19 within the prison system and alleging that key trial evidence had been withheld. He also enlisted civil rights lawyer Benjamin Crump to support his ongoing legal efforts.
Investigation Discovery Reasonable Doubt
Miller’s case was spotlighted on Investigation Discovery Reasonable Doubt in June 2018. Kenneth Jordan recanted his prior false testimony, revealing that detectives coerced him into testifying against Miller to avoid a ten-year sentence on unrelated charges. On July 6, another witness named Darnell Jordan also withdrew his testimony, reporting that police confined him in a hotel room as punishment for refusing to testify against Miller.
Solo albums
- Life or Death (1998)
- Bossalinie (1999)
- Trapped in Crime (2000)
- C-P-3.com (2001)
- Tru Dawgs (2002)
- The Truest Shit I Ever Said (2005)
- Screamin' 4 Vengeance (2008)
- Calliope Click Volume 1 (2009)
- Tomorrow (2010)
- Ain't No Heaven in the Pen (2015)
- Give Me Freedom or Give Me Death (2021)
Collaborative albums
- Penitentiary Chances (2016) with Boosie BadAzz
Filmography
| Year | Title | Character | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | I'm Bout It | Q | Supporting character |
| 1998 | MP da Last Don | Cuban Guard | Brief appearance |
| I Got the Hook-Up | T-Lay Boy #1 | Brief appearance | |
| Da Game of Life | Money | Supporting character | |
| 1999 | Hot Boyz | Remo | Supporting character |
| No Tomorrow | Himself | Brief appearance | |
| 2002 | Undisputed | Gat Boyz Rapper 3 | Brief appearance |
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1971 births
- Living people
- 2002 murders in the United States
- 20th-century American male musicians
- 21st-century American male musicians
- 21st-century American rappers
- African-American male rappers
- 20th-century American male rappers
- American male criminals
- American people convicted of murder
- American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment
- Crime in Louisiana
- Gangsta rappers
- MNRK Music Group artists
- No Limit Records artists
- People convicted of murder by Louisiana
- Rappers from New Orleans
- RBC Records artists
- United States Army personnel of the Gulf War