Brooklyn rapper Casanova hit a major milestone yesterday the only way he could from behind federal bars. Born Caswell Senior on October 27, 1986, the “Don’t Run” star turned 40 on October 27 while serving a lengthy sentence, and new photos of him in gray prison sweats quickly spread across hip-hop accounts.
My Mixtapez and RapCatchUp shared the images, showing Casanova in glasses and a Nike sweatshirt in a close-up, plus a group shot with other inmates outdoors. His Instagram account (@bigcasanova_2x) carried this message:
“Nobody has to know what you’re fighting behind the scenes. Just make sure your circumstances never convince you to give up on yourself. I hope that doesn’t go over your head. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME !!”
My Mixtapez described the post as an emotional message about having no one to catch him if he falls—a fair read of the self-reliance theme, though not a direct quote from the caption.
Casanova quickly ascended to fame within the Brooklyn music scene of the mid-2010s. Casanova’s “Don’t Run” from 2016 received extensive play on local radios, which allowed him to sign with Memphis Bleek’s Warehouse Music Group, a subsidiary of Roc Nation headed by Jay-Z. Casanova released songs such as “Set Trippin’,” an EP called The Commissary from 2018, and a full-length album, Behind These Scars from 2019.
That momentum stopped in December 2020 when federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York indicted him and 17 others as members or associates of the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation, a Bloods-affiliated group. Authorities called him a high-profile leader whose fame helped recruitment. He surrendered on December 2, 2020. In May 2022 he pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute more than 100 kilograms of marijuana. As part of the plea he admitted involvement in a July 5, 2020, shooting at a Miami house party and an August 2018 robbery in New York City.
On June 27, 2023, U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern sentenced him to 188 months 15 years and eight months plus four years of supervised release and a $50,000 forfeiture. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said at the time that Senior was “not just a notorious recording artist, but he is also a high-profile leader of a vicious street gang and a magnet for gang violence.”
Casanova has maintained his presence from behind bars through regular fitness posts and self-reflections. In March 2025, he posted a few shirtless pictures and said,
“I lost everything and everyone but I didn’t lose myself.”
This birthday wish is consistent with the theme of staying strong throughout life. Casanova is still in federal custody, although previous reports have had him at institutions like FCI Fort Dix.
His posts give us an insight into how the former rising voice of Brooklyn is celebrating his important birthday.
