Popular rapper Taha Fahssi, also known by his stage name ElGrande Toto, was given an eight-month suspended prison term by a Moroccan Court of First Instance in Casablanca on Wednesday for threatening a journalist who lives in Belgium.

Along with the prison term, he was also required to pay $4,900 in damages in the amount of 50,000 dirhams.

The journalist, who had made contentious remarks about cannabis, was the target of allegations of threats, insults, and defamation made against the 26-year-old singer in an online argument.

In a comment on Instagram, ElGrande Toto had written, "We'll meet in Belgium, and you won't know what happened to you."

Recall that the rapper caused controversy in September 2022 when he admitted to smoking hash to reporters following a concert. so what?, It doesn’t mean I set a bad example.

His remarks triggered anger in conservative Morocco, which bans the recreational use of the drug despite being its biggest producer, according to the United Nations. And he was accused of "inciting drug use" and defamation and publicly apologized to those "offended," AFP reported.

Reacting to the judgment, Toto’s lawyer, Abdelfattah Zahrach, said he was “partially satisfied” by the ruling but objected to the requirement to pay compensation.

Zahrach said, ”The rapper has not committed any criminal act against the plaintiff," adding that they would discuss whether to appeal.

ElGrande Toto, who has huge followers in the Arab world, is the region’s second-most streamed artist on Spotify, after Egyptian rapper Wegz.