After spending more than a year behind bars, Brooklyn’s Bobby Shmurda has found a number of ways to utilize his time to better himself as a person — and an artist.

The 21-year-old rapper has been keeping his mind off the slew of charges against him and his GS9 clique by reading every book he can get his hands on, crafting movie screenplays and carefully planning a new direction to revitalize his music career.

With claims of civil injustice lingering over his case and no hope of his $2 million bail being reduced any time soon, Shmurda is ready to face several charges for conspiracy, reckless endangerment, criminal possession of a weapon — and criminally using drug paraphernalia at his upcoming trial on May 11.

Shmurda, born Ackquielle Pollard, is praying for the best and wants to encourage his family, friends, and loyal fans to keep their heads held high. “I know everyone is staying positive and everyone is praying,” Pollard told VIBE. during a phonecall. “Anything that happens is going to happen. If we’re meant to come home, we’re going to come home. Everything happens for a reason.”

Months after being moved from Rikers Island to Westchester County, Pollard was recently transferred once again to Rockland County just weeks before his long-awaited trial commences. The face of GS9 was placed on 23-hour lockdown upon his arrival, and remains secluded from the rest of the inmates.While his phone privileges are limited, we got the opportunity to check up on the Shmurdaville rapper and allowed him to vent about his unfortunate situation.

The Brooklyn local opened up about his hopes for the outcome of his upcoming trial. He also elaborated on new court documents, in which he claims the officers involved with his arrest are “dirty.”

Once we moved past his legal woes, Shmurda revealed his blueprints for success upon his release. He plans to keep his music career alive by dropping an abundance of music from his private stash. Also, he wants to push GS9’s newest signee, Hood Heffner to the forrfront.

Last month, GS9’s own Rowdy Rebel dropped off his debut mixtape Shmoney Keeps Calling to keep the Brooklyn-based imprint alive while they’re locked up. And Shmurda made sure to push the 17-track project as much as he could from behind bars, which features their joint track “Right Now” featuring French Montana.Upon dropping back-to-back albums, the “Shmoney Dance” originator hopes to one day outshine hip-hop moguls like Sean “Diddy” Combs and Jay Z by becoming a top-notch entrepreneur. The Brooklyn rap star knows theres only so much he can do while incarcerated, but he refuses to allow his mind to be locked up. Read on to find out what Bobby has been cooking up in solitary confinement and what his thoughts are on the candidates of the upcoming presidential election.

VIBE: You’ve been separated from your GS9 brethren for some time now. What do you have to say to them?
Bobby Shmurda: Man I love all of them. They know I love all of them. Those are my dawgs. Keep your heads high and we’ll get through this. They know that. Every time I talk to them or any time I see them, they still got jokes, and we laugh no matter where we at. It doesn’t matter about the bad stuff. So we’re staying positive. We’ll get through this.

I know you’re scheduled to appear in court on May 11. What are your hopes for the trial?
I’m ready for this to go to trial or get time served or something because they’re overdoing it. It’s been 16 months now, and they still ain’t ready for trial. They’re prolonging it. I don’t know if they think they can have me up in here for three years, but I’m not with it.

Recently, new court documents say that you believe the 3 cops involved with your arrest are have a history of lying. Can you elaborate on your claim?
Yeah man, I told everybody the cops that locked me up — they’re dirty. I’ve known the cops since I was 11-12 years old. They’ve been dirty for forever. They were trying to tax me for money. They tried to put guns on me. They tried to do a whole bunch of stuff.

I know the last time we spoke, you said you want to get into politics or social activism upon your release.
Yeah, after being in jail this long…if anyone knows me, I’m not one of those crazy, uptight celebrities. I talk to people. So I started learning about people’s cases. I’m seeing people get locked up for murder they ain’t even do.

Last time I was in court, I was with somebody who was taken away for 8 years. They gave him time served because they gave him 25-life. They just took 8 years away from somebody’s life for something he ain’t even do. They’re doing this to hundreds of people with no voice. I want to start being the people’s voice. They took this dude away from his family for 8 years.

I felt so sorry for him. He said he had two little girls outside, and they took him away from his family for 8 years. I know how that feels, growing up without my father. That’s crazy.

How has your family been helping you? I know you got your mom on the outside. How are they helping you through this?
Man, I just want to see my nephew. I got a newborn nephew, like 10 months old. Man, that’s my lil’ man right there. Every time I hear his little voice and every time my mom see him… it’s like he keeps me motivated to get back out there to provide for him, so that he don’t have to grow up like me.

Have you talked to your uncle Debo Wilson since he spoke to Vlad TV last year?
Oh yeah, he came and saw me in Rikers. We apologized and patched things up. Bygones will be bygones. If we can patch things up, then we patch things up. We can admit when we’re wrong because that’s family you know?

That’s great to hear. Obviously family is important and you could use as much support as possible.
Yeah, but I want to give some advice to the people out there. Even though you love your family, family is not [always] good for business.

Speaking of business, have you heard from Epic Records? Has anyone reached out to you since you’ve transferred?
I mean, they talk to my family. But as far as business, I’ve got a new artist, and I’m planning to put all my energy and support into him right now.

What’s his name?
Hood Heffner. Like Hugh Heffner, but Hood Heffner (laughs).

(Laughs) So he’s the next one out of GS9?
Yeah, he’s signed. He’s officially signed. He’s been holding it down for me and Rowdy while we up here. That’s one of our childhood friends from the playground. That’s been our bro for forever and he’s been rapping for a long time.I know there have been a few people who have tried to get you out. Martin Shkreli made a scene out of his attempt to post your bail. What’s your message to these people who have yet to come through for you?
Well I know this [Shkreli] situation. He can’t even bail me out because of his situation. I ain’t even get to talk to him, but he can’t bail me out anyways because of his situation.

They’re going to say he got locked up for fraud. He’s not even legit enough to bail me out. But besides that, a lot of people came and tried to bail me out but they all trying to offer me shady deals like power of attorney, publishing deals… The only thing I’d give up is management.

Now, two people came through but the D.A. found something wrong and said the property was not $2 million, or wasn’t enough. It was a bunch of bullsh*t. But besides that, it’s all love for trying. I give an “A” for effort.

Word. So since you’ve been moved around from Rikers to Westchester and now to Rockland County, how are you holding up?
Well I’m eating alright. I’m writing albums, mixtapes — everything, man. I’m just keeping my mind right and active. I’m on 23-hour lockdown and a good friend told me before when I first got arrested ‘they can lock your body up but don’t let them lock your mind up.’ Ever since then, I’ve just been staying active. I’m writing. I’m reading. I’m doing everything. I could talk to people. I jump on the phone every once in awhile, but I just be in my own zone.

There’s been some talk about you putting out music upon your release. What’s something can we expect from you and GS9?
When I get home man, it’s on. When I got locked up, I saw how fast you could lose things. So now I regret a lot of things that I didn’t do quick enough because the label, unfortunately, wants to wait for certain things, or wait for this and that. But when I get home, I’m dropping stuff back-to-back. Videos back-to-back. Mixtapes back-to-back. I’m going to drop like four albums in a row. I’m going hard.

How would you release it? Would you go independent or would you have to lean on Epic for that?
It depends. Right now I’m still signed but, if I’m releasing it then it’ll go through Epic, but if they drop me or something happens, then I’m going independent.

As far as your independent career goes, what kind of game plan do you have?
My game plan is to be the next Diddy, Jay Z, 50 [Cent], Baby — or even better. I’m just watching how they do things, then I’m going to do it ten times better.

Since you’re leaning towards entrepreneurship, what kind of businesses would you want to start up upon your release?
I’d definitely get into real estate. I might have to go talk to Yo Gotti about some real estate. That’s my bro and he can school me on the real estate game. I’ve been reading a little bit about it. But I would do real estate franchises. I want to do some programs for the kids. I’d definitely like to be more involved with that.

That’s awesome. Now I don’t know if you’re in tune with the presidential election or not…
Oh no, I’m gonna say one thing! Y’all better not have Donald Trump as our president. [Laughs] We cannot have Donald Trump as president. I’m going for Hillary, [Clinton] man. Not Donald Trump.

What do you like about Hillary Clinton?
I like Hillary more because she’s into the people. You know they’ve said that women can’t run the country, but I feel like she’s more independent. She’s got a strong mind state. But Donald Trump’s an asshole. I don’t care, but he’s an asshole. I definitely don’t want him as our president. [Laughs] The things that be coming out of his mouth is crazy.