Prakazrel Samuel Michel, known professionally as Pras, first emerged into the global spotlight as a founding member of the seminal hip-hop group the Fugees. Born in New York City on October 19, 1972, and raised in South Orange, New Jersey, he formed the group in 1990 alongside fellow New Jersey natives Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill. The trio achieved massive critical and commercial success with their sophomore album, The Score, in 1996, which blended hip-hop, soul, and reggae and featured their iconic cover of "Killing Me Softly." While the group disbanded shortly thereafter due to internal tensions, their influence on the genre solidified their place in music history.

Following the Fugees' initial breakup, Michel launched a solo career, signing with Columbia Records in 1996. He achieved immediate success as a solo act, earning two top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. His 1997 single "Avenues," a collaboration with the Refugee Camp All-Stars featuring Ky-Mani Marley, paved the way for his biggest solo triumph. The following year, he released "Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)," featuring Ol' Dirty Bastard and Mya, for the soundtrack of the Bulworth film. The track became a global smash, earned him a Grammy Award nomination, and served as the lead single for his debut studio album of the same name, which was released in 1998. That same year, he reunited with Wyclef Jean to collaborate with the legendary rock band Queen on a remix of "Another One Bites the Dust," a version that reached the top five on the UK Singles Chart.

Beyond his musical output, Michel expanded his creative portfolio into acting and producing. He appeared in several films, including a role in the 1999 crime drama Mystery Men and a notable part in the 2005 movie Turn It Up. His work behind the camera proved equally notable; in 2017, he won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Digital Daytime Drama Series for his role as a producer on the web series The Bay, showcasing his versatility as an entertainment industry figure.

However, Michel's career and legacy have been profoundly overshadowed by a series of serious legal troubles that began in 2019. He was charged with criminal conspiracy related to allegations of illegal contributions to President Barack Obama's 2012 re-election campaign, as well as for allegedly acting as a conduit to lobby the Trump administration to deter investigations into the 1MDB scandal involving fugitive Malaysian businessman Jho Low. In 2023, a federal jury found Michel guilty of ten criminal counts in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The legal saga culminated in November 2025 when he was sentenced to 14 years in prison in connection with the case, marking a definitive fall from grace for the once-celebrated artist. As of his sentencing, Michel's status remains that of a convicted felon, with his musical and producing accomplishments now inextricably linked to his criminal conviction.