Lil Durk faced a sharp rebuke from federal prosecutors Monday (May 19) after attempting to dismiss murder-for-hire charges tied to the 2022 killing of a rival rapper’s cousin in Los Angeles.
The government is insisting the case is about orchestrated violence—not lyrics.
“[Lil Durk] 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,” U.S. Attorney Bilal A. Essayli wrote in a filing opposing the motion to dismiss.
Durk, whose legal name is Durk Banks, is accused of ordering a hit on Quando Rondo , which led to the fatal shooting of Rondo’s cousin, Saviay’a Robinson—known as Lul Pab—on a Los Angeles street in August 2022. Rondo survived the ambush.
The Chicago rapper has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy, murder-for-hire and using interstate facilities to commit murder-for-hire resulting in death.
His legal team filed a motion on April 18 to toss the indictment, arguing that prosecutors improperly used lyrics from his verse on Babyface Ray’s “Wonderful Wayne Jackie Boy” to sway the grand jury.
Durk’s attorneys claim the lyrics were written and recorded in January 2022—seven months before the shooting—and had no connection to the crime.
They submitted sworn statements from producers to back that up and accused the government of presenting “false evidence” that violated due process.
Shortly after the motion was filed, Durk’s camp promoted the idea that he was being prosecuted for his music, not his actions.
In response, prosecutors revised the indictment on May 1, removing any mention of lyrics. However, they maintained that the core allegations remain unchanged.
“The motion fails to cite any legitimate basis to dismiss the indictment or unseal grand jury transcripts, particularly in this murder case where witnesses and their family members have already been threatened,” Essayli added.
The government emphasized that the charges stem from what they describe as a calculated act of retaliation for the 2020 killing of King Von, a close associate of Durk, not from artistic expression.
Durk remains in federal custody in Los Angeles. He’s scheduled to appear in court again in June for a third attempt to secure bond ahead of trial.
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