Toronto rapper Top5 releases music video from jail while awaiting murder trial
Ontario's Solicitor General is trying to figure out how a man awaiting trail on a first-degree murder charge was able to record part of a music video inside his jail cell.
In a clip posted to Instagram this week, Toronto rapper Top5, appears in an orange jumpsuit in a cinderblock room.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
"I was 18 when I bought a gun, 22 when I shot your son," he says looking into the camera.
The artist, whose real name is Hassan Ali is behind bars, charged in the Jan. 2021 shooting death of Hashim Omar Hashi, a student who police say had no connections to the criminal world.
According to documents unsealed in an American extradition hearing back in 2021, Ali is a member of the “Go Getem Gang,” a criminal group that organized the botched hit trying to target his brother's killer which he shouts out several times in the music video.
Hashi was mistaken for the person the shooters believed was the killer of Ali’s brother, Said Ali, known as “Foolish”, in 2017, the court filing says.
In a statement to CTV News Toronto, Hunter Kell, a spokesperson for the Solicitor General writes:
"The ministry is aware of an unacceptable incident involving a video posted online that appears to contain images of secure areas of the Maplehurst Correctional Complex. Unauthorized photography of any kind is strictly prohibited inside provincial correctional facilities.
“The ministry has launched a full investigation into this incident and appropriate action will be taken."
Former Toronto homicide detective Mark Mendelson says contraband cellphones aren't uncommon behind bars, but the behaviour shown here is extraordinary.
"I can't think of a particular time where somebody's actually gone out of their way in custody to film a video and then have the audacity to publish it," Mendelson says.
He explains that the fact that Ali is being held in a provincial prison presents possible avenues for a phone to slip through checks.
"In the provincial jails, there are scores of prisoners going in and out every day. They're getting bail, or they're going to court and they're coming back to the facility so there's lots of prisoner transport," Mendelson says.
He adds contraband items can also be smuggled in by visitors, lawyers, staff, even dropped over a fence by drone.
This is not the first time Ali's online activity has got him into trouble.
He was initially charged with accessory to murder in Hashi's death. When he charge was upgraded, Ali allegedly cut off his GPS tracking bracelet and took off to California.
The Los Angeles Police Department says they were able to track him down, based on social media posts.
The year before, he was charged with mischief for allegedly bringing traffic on Highway 401 to a standstill to shoot a music video.
With files from Jon Woodward
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6974402.1721752977!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Laws that could get Canadians in trouble in tourism hotspots
There are some laws in popular tourist destinations around the world that could land Canadian travellers in mild-to-serious trouble if they're not careful. Don't let these local laws land you in hot water during your next vacation abroad.
Edmonton gas station employee found guilty of terrorism charges in the U.K.
An Edmonton man has been convicted of multiple charges under the Terrorism Act in the United Kingdom.
BREAKING Polar bear at Calgary Zoo died by drowning following 'crushing' injury
The Wilder Institute/Calgary Zoo has revealed the cause of death for polar bear Baffin last week.
U.S. Secret Service director resigns after Trump assassination attempt
The director of the Secret Service resigned Tuesday in the aftermath of the assassination attempt against former U.S. president Donald Trump that unleashed an outcry about how the agency failed in its core mission to protect current and former presidents.
Quebec mom devastated after man who killed her daughter in hit-and-run gets out after 5 months
A Montreal-area mother is furious with Quebec's justice system because the man who killed her 25-year-old daughter in a 2022 hit-and-run was released from jail after only serving one-sixth of his sentence behind bars.
Waterloo, Ont. woman out thousands for car totalled by stolen hit-and-run driver
A woman in Waterloo, Ont. is out thousands of dollars for a car crash she wasn’t involved in.
DEVELOPING Jasper evacuees forced into B.C. to flee fires told to make U-turn to Alberta for aid
Thousands of wildfire evacuees forced from Jasper National Park into British Columbia along smoke-choked mountain roads Monday night were directed Tuesday to make a wide U-turn and head home if they needed a place to stay.
Keanu Reeves explains why he's always thinking about death
Keanu Reeves is aging like the rest of us. And for that reason, 'The Matrix' has shared, mortality has been on his mind.
Do you need a lawyer when making a will in Canada?
Many people believe that creating a will requires the services of a lawyer, but this isn't always the case. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew explains a lawyer's role when crafting your last will and testament.