Troy Ave Announces Scholarship at His Former High School

Troy Ave has unveiled a scholarship at the high school he and his late friend Ronald “Banga” McPhatter attended together. Troy's lawyer, John Stella, announced last week that the currently-incarcerated Brooklyn rapper would be setting up an athletic scholarship at New Utrecht High School, and the first recipient of the scholarship is to be announced today (June 13.)

McPhatter was a close friend of Troy's and a member of the rapper’s B$B crew. McPhatter died in a shooting that occurred at Irving Plaza in late May. In the aftermath, Troy was arrested and subsequently charged. The scholarship will provide $2,000 a year to an exceptional individual for five years.

Troy Ave, born Roland Collins, may be incarcerated and facing serious legal trouble following his indictment for attempted murder in the wake of the Irving Plaza shooting, but in addition to this scholarship, he's managed to release a new mixtape, the appropriately-titled Free Troy Ave.

In a freestyle, Troy Ave claims that the Irving Plaza melee was the result of him being targeted in an assassination attempt.

“Lock in a jail but I’m gonna get free…p—- n—- tried to assassinate me / I took the gun from him and turn the tables around like a G / R-I-P my real n—- B-A-N-G,” he raps.

“It ain’t the end of Troy Ave, not at all. It’s just the beginning, I’m innocent,” he adds.

Last week, he was indicted on attempted murder charges stemming from the incident. Assistant District Attorney Christine Keenan announced the Grand Jury’s decision to indict during a court hearing in Manhattan Criminal Court on Thursday (June 9). “I’m filing a certificate of affirmative grand jury action,” she stated (via New York Post). Troy Ave waived his right to appear in court.