August 23, 2008 - Da Brat was sentenced Friday to three years in prison for hitting a hostess in the head with a rum bottle during an altercation at a suburban Atlanta nightclub last fall. The 34-year-old rapper, whose given name is Shawntae Harris, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault in DeKalb County. Superior Court Judge Gail Flake sentenced her to three years behind bars and seven on probation, plus 200 hours of community service and completion of substance abuse treatment, mental evaluation and anger management classes.

Harris was at a private Halloween party at Studio 72, a club in Tucker, when she struck then-Atlanta Falcons cheerleader Shayla Stevens, who was working part-time as a hostess. A police report indicated Harris and Stevens got into a squabble after they bumped into each other. Stevens walked away and moments later was hit in the face with the bottle. She sustained a deep cut to the cheek and some swelling on the forehead, and has a permanent scar on her face as a result, officials said.

Recordings by Da Brat, a native of Chicago and a protege of Jermaine Dupri, include the song "Funkdafied." She also has appeared on reality shows such as "Celebrity Fit Club" and "The Surreal Life."