[6][7] Its success led him to sign with Epic Records to release his debut extended play (EP), Shmurda She Wrote, (2014).

In December 2014, New York City Police arrested Shmurda and charged him, along with several other members of GS9, with conspiracy to murder, weapons possession, and reckless endangerment.

[13] Pollard had run-ins with the law while living in Brooklyn, including fifteen months spent in detention for probation violation and being arrested on gun charges that were later dropped.

[13] Shmurda's signature "Shmoney dance", which he performs in the video, soon became an internet meme and was featured in numerous popular Vines from the latter half of 2014;[17] it was also replicated by Beyoncé and Jay-Z during their On the Run Tour[18] and by Canadian rapper Drake while hosting the 2014 ESPY Awards, among other celebrities.

[19][20] Freestyles over the instrumental were made by a number of rappers after its release, including Juicy J,[21] French Montana,[22] Lil' Kim,[23] Gunplay,[24] and T.I.

[27] The song's official remix—featuring guest vocals from Fabolous, Chris Brown, Jadakiss, Rowdy Rebel, Busta Rhymes, and Yo Gotti—was released on September 4, 2014.

Shmurda made his first concert performance appearance since being released from prison at Rolling Loud Festival in Miami, Florida on Friday, July 23, 2021.

[38] Police said they had been investigating the gang for murder and shooting indiscriminately at crowds in public places long before Shmurda rose to fame.

Police said Shmurda was "the driving force" in a gang also known as GS9 (standing for "Grimey Shooters," "Gun Squad" or "G Stone Crips.

[40][41] James Essig, head of the NYPD unit that made the arrests, said Shmurda's songs and videos were "almost like a real-life document of what they were doing on the street.

[43] Between late June and early July 2015, the rapper and his ex-girlfriend were caught by officials after smuggling a knife into Rikers Island jail.

[51] In November 2016, Shmurda was involved in a brawl between several inmates that led to him losing phone privileges for an unnamed period of time and being subject to solitary confinement for a month.

[57][58] However, after a review by the Department of Corrections, his credit for good institutional behavior was restored, qualifying him for conditional release on February 23, 2021, with the rest of his sentence to be served on parole.