He says the officers told him if his rap wasn't good enough they wouldn't let him go.
"$30,000 in pocket that's loose change. I throw a billion in the sky like Bruce Wayne," said Quinshon Shingles lyrics.
Quinshon Shingles says those are the words that set him free.
The aspiring rapper known as "Sauce Da Boss" has filed a lawsuit against the NYPD.
Shingles says officers from the 75th precinct unlawfully entered his cousin's apartment at Lincoln Plaza Towers two years ago and handcuffed him.
After learning of his rapping skills, he says the cops made him an offer.
"They said let me hear you rap and if it's good enough we'll let you go," Shingles said.
The 27-year-old says the whole humiliating experience squashed his artistic creativity.
Only recently did he return to the recording studio.
"I felt like the old days, slavery. Like dance for the master, dance and sing for the master. It just messed me up inside," Shingles said.
Shingles says his lawsuit isn't about money. It's about doing what's right.
"This is about me being able to tell my story so this won't happen to another kid. This is outrageous. This is very disrespectful," Shingles said.
A police spokesman says the department has no comment because the litigation is pending.
Meantime, "Sauce Da Boss" who raps about the struggles of growing up, says he may now have a whole new struggle to rap about.