Stamma Gramma Returns: Dancehall Artiste Vows Redemption After Federal Prison Stint

After serving two years in a U.S. federal prison, dancehall artiste Stamma Gramma is back—and he's returning with a message of caution, growth, and renewed purpose.

The entertainer, born Michael Williams, made waves in 2013 with his controversial breakout single Scammer Anthem. Ironically, the hit would come to mirror his real life, as he was later convicted of producing false identification documents and committing bank fraud. In 2022, Williams pleaded guilty and was sentenced to serve time at Allenwood Federal Correctional Institution in Pennsylvania—one of the country’s most notorious federal prisons.

Now a free man, Stamma Gramma is opening up about the dark road he walked, what he’s learned, and how he plans to make a meaningful return to music.

“It was rough. It was challenging on a mental, psychological, and spiritual level,” Williams shared. “Being investigated by the long arms of these American federal agencies really brings you to your knees. It humbles you, exposes you, and strips you to the bare bone.”

During his emotional recount, Williams painted a haunting picture of life behind bars and the internal battles he faced.

“I had sleepless nights, tormented days. Sometimes, I was physically present but mentally lost in a vacuum of emptiness. When I saw the words ‘United States vs Michael Williams,’ mi just wish the ground woulda open up and swallow me,” he admitted.“Imagine—a likkle youth from Jamaica College up against the most powerful government in the world. One man vs 100 gorillas. If it wasn’t for the grace and mercy of God, mi couldn’t manage it.”

Before his arrest, Williams was living a dream—one that began in his teens when he started doing music at just 13 years old. But as his fame rose, so did the chaos in his personal life.

“Music meant everything to me, but success came too fast. I dropped Scammer Anthem as an experiment and it exploded. I wasn’t prepared for the attention or the backlash. At the same time, I was juggling college and caring for a seriously ill girlfriend,” he explained.

A forensic psychological report submitted before sentencing revealed deeper struggles. According to Forensic Mitigation Specialist Reynaldo Cusicanqui, Williams endured a traumatic childhood marked by violence, neglect, and emotional abuse—factors that significantly impacted his mental development and decision-making.

Despite the harsh realities of incarceration, Stamma Gramma turned the experience into a period of transformation. He wrote 368 songs, completed two unpublished books, and read over 200 texts spanning psychology, faith, leadership, philosophy, and trauma.

Now, he’s preparing to release a new album titled Baby Face Assassin and is laser-focused on using his story to steer others away from similar mistakes.

“Take it from me, brethren—yuh nuh wah go federal prison, not even fi one day. The humiliation and degradation will break even the strongest man,” he warned.“Prison is a place Babylon design fi make yuh spirit dead. Mi gain the world making fake ID’s, but mi lost a piece of myself in there. I wasn’t broken—but mi was shaken.”

With renewed faith and a sharpened vision, Stamma Gramma is back—not to glorify the past, but to show others a better way forward.

Stamma Gramma