The 2002 shooting sent shock waves through the music industry. The influential act he formed with Joseph "Run" Simmons and Darryl "DMC" McDaniel - famous for 1980s tracks such as It's Tricky, It's Like That and Aerosmith collaboration Walk This Way - disbanded after his death.
The case went unsolved for about two decades until federal prosecutors filed charges against the three men.
Bryant had initially pleaded not guilty in the case but changed that plea on Monday. He faces 15 to 20 years in prison over the killing and unrelated drug and gun charges.
Court documents filed last Thursday indicated that Bryant planned to change his plea and that his lawyers were negotiating a deal with federal prosecutors, the BBC's US media partner CBS News reported.
