Nassau County authorities arrested a Brooklyn man Tuesday for a 2021 acid attack that left a Long Island college student permanently blinded in one eye—and investigators say the suspect’s own rap lyrics ultimately led to his capture.
Rap Lyrics Allegedly Detail Gruesome Attack
A wannabe rapper’s boastful song about an acid attack eerily mirrored the real-life assault on a Hofstra student, prompting a police investigation that culminated in an arrest.
- Terrell Campbell, 29, known as “Yung Based Prince,” was charged with assault and related offenses.
- Nafiah Ikram, then 21, was attacked with 70% sulfuric acid while returning home from work in Elmont, New York.
- Campbell allegedly bragged about the attack in a little-seen YouTube music video titled “Obsidian.”
- Investigators found searches on a Google account linked to Campbell for “sulfuric acid remover” shortly after the attack.
Terrell Campbell, 29, appeared in Nassau County Court Tuesday facing charges related to the assault on Nafiah Ikram, which occurred in her Elmont driveway in March 2021. Prosecutors allege Campbell splashed Ikram with a corrosive mixture of sulfuric acid, causing devastating injuries.
The case took a bizarre turn when detectives discovered a YouTube music video uploaded two years after the attack. In the song, titled “Obsidian,” Campbell raps, “On the street in the night like a hitman assassin, try to run up, have your face burning in acid.” The video had garnered fewer than 100 views before Campbell’s arrest.
“Campbell apparently thought he was in the clear as time dragged on—leaving him confident enough to brag about it in his failed rap song,” District Attorney Anne Donnelly said during the arraignment.
Campbell, dressed in lumberjack-pattern pajama pants and a red coat, kept his head down as Assistant District Attorney Brian Rodriguez detailed the horrific injuries Ikram sustained. Rodriguez told the court, “Her life has not been and never will be the same since that night,” adding, “This is one of the most vicious and barbaric acts this county has ever seen.”
Campbell pleaded not guilty to charges of assault, criminal possession of a weapon, and unlawful possession of noxious material and was ordered held without bail.
The attack occurred as Ikram, a 21-year-old pre-med student at Hofstra University, returned home from her job at CVS. A masked assailant threw a cup containing 70% sulfuric acid directly into her face. The liquid melted her contact lenses and caused second- and third-degree burns to her face, arms, and chest. Ikram previously described the experience as “worse than death.”
What motivated the attack? Prosecutors have stated the assault was not random, though the specific motive remains unclear.
Investigators uncovered a series of disturbing Google searches linked to Campbell’s account shortly after the attack. These included queries for “sulfuric acid remover,” “whether FaceTime can be tracked,” “eye for an eye” under Hammurabi’s law, whether police protect victims, and how to recover from sulfuric acid burns—all before the attack received media attention.
Police footage showed a vehicle lingering near Ikram’s home for approximately 30 minutes before the attack, with a hooded and gloved figure rushing toward her, throwing the acid, and fleeing back to the car.
Donnelly emphasized the callousness of Campbell’s actions, stating, “It is clear, this heartless defendant intended to cause her irreversible harm. And later, he cared so little about the traumatic life-altering injuries he caused, he used the attack to try to further his rap career.” She added, “Two years after he ambushed Nafiah and left her screaming in pain on her front lawn, he actually produced and uploaded a music video to YouTube boasting about throwing acid in a woman’s face.”
Ikram, now 26, has undergone numerous surgeries and continues to battle anxiety and depression as a result of the attack. She has publicly expressed frustration with the initial pace of the investigation but remains determined to complete her education and become a doctor.
The brave survivor, accompanied by her family and attorneys, confronted Campbell in court. They declined to comment to reporters.
Campbell’s father was present at the arraignment and reportedly flipped off reporters as he left the courthouse. His defense attorney, Greg Zak, argued that the allegations were shocking but not conclusive proof of guilt, noting Campbell’s lack of criminal history, employment as a flower delivery driver, and college degree. The judge, however, remained unmoved and denied bail.
Campbell faces up to 25 years in prison. His next court appearance is scheduled for February 18.
