Vallejo rapper George Harris, who fatally shot a 26-year-old Vallejo man nearly four years ago in a Fairfield home, was formally sentenced on Monday to 21 years in state prison.
Harris, aka Lul G — who, on March 2, pleaded no contest for killing Rashied Flowers — appeared in Department 9 for a morning sentencing hearing in the Justice Center in Fairfield.
Solano County Superior Court Judge Carlos R. Gutierrez, who received a pre-sentencing report on Harris, 24, handed down the sentence for voluntary manslaughter that was determined during the plea deal.
When he pleaded, Harris faced a first-degree murder charge on the verge of a jury trial. A previously convicted felon, he also admitted to the personal use of a firearm during the shooting, an enhancement.
But with the plea, Harris avoided the possibility of being found guilty of the murder charge and a sentence of 25 years to life, plus more time for the firearm charge and for a previous felony conviction.
Harris was represented by Deputy Public Defenders Max Fuentes and Denisse Tanasa, a co-counsel. Deputy District Attorney Bill Ainsworth, who confirmed some of the sentencing details, led the prosecution.
Solano County Sheriff’s Office records indicate Harris, a rising star in the Bay Area and national rap scene when accused of fatally shooting Flowers on July 24, 2019, was arrested on Sept. 21 in Clark County, Nevada.
Rolling Stone magazine and Pitchfork and XXL, among other websites, first reported the arrest.
Court records show that the Solano County District Attorney’s Office filed its complaint against Harris on Aug. 29.
He gained fame as a member of Vallejo rap group SOB x RBE and was part of the group when it had a breakout spot with “Paramedic!” on the “Black Panther” film soundtrack in 2018, curated by Pulitzer Prize-winning rapper Kendrick Lamar.
Harris left SOB x RBE in 2018, later signing a deal with Def Jam records.
Rolling Stone reported that Harris allegedly had been on probation since age 17 for armed robbery and gun charges, but the DA’s complaint only referred to a prior unspecified conviction.
Harris, who remains in custody at the Stanton Correctional Facility in Fairfield, according to jail records, awaits transfer to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
