Lil Durk is still fighting to get his murder-for-hire charges thrown out, but prosecutors are making it clear they have no plans to back down. The Chicago rapper, whose real name is Durk Banks, has been in jail since October 2023, accused of planning a deadly ambush that killed witness Quando Rondo’s cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, also known as Lul Pab, in Los Angeles in August 2022. Rondo survived the shooting.
In April, Durk’s legal team filed a motion to dismiss the charges. They argued that prosecutors wrongly used his lyrics as evidence, specifically pointing to a verse on Babyface Ray’s song “Wonderful Wayne & Jackie Boy.” According to the defense, Durk recorded the verse seven months before the shooting took place. His team said, “Durk has always used music to tell stories, to express pain to heal, and yet those same lyrics are now being used against him. We refuse to stay silent as Black artists continue to be criminalized for their creativity. Rap is art.”
Prosecutors aren’t buying it. U.S. Attorney Bilal A. Essayli responded this week, saying the indictment has nothing to do with rap lyrics. “He is not on trial for his lyrics or his music; he is on trial because he directed, orchestrated, and financed the brazen murder plot at issue in this case,” Essayli wrote. He also mentioned that witnesses and their families have already faced threats, adding that there’s no solid reason to dismiss the indictment or unseal the grand jury transcripts.
Despite the legal battle, Durk has kept himself busy. He released a new album in March titled Deep Thoughts and recently told DJ Akademiks he’s been learning Arabic while in custody. “Mentally, spiritually, I’ve been on top of my s**t,” Durk said. “I’m just getting my knowledge together.”
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