Grammy winning rapper Lil Durk was arrested in Florida last week, “as he attempted to leave the United States”, over allegations he paid for the attempted murder of rival rapper Quando Rondo in 2022, instigating a shooting in which Rondo’s cousin Saviay’a Robinson was killed.
It follows the filing of a lawsuit earlier this month, also involving Universal Music and Sony Music, which claims that Durk’s rap collective Only The Family - or OTF - “serves as a hub for the O-Block criminal enterprise and street gang” in Chicago, basically operating as the gang’s “media outpost”.
There are parallels to the long-running Young Thug prosecution, where prosecutors claim his label YSL is a front for a criminal gang.
That O-Block gang gets its name from Chicago housing complex Parkway Garden Apartments, which was dubbed ‘O Block’ after murdered gang member Odee Perry. In January of this year, a Chicago federal jury convicted six “members or associates of the O-Block gang” on racketeering charges, including the 2020 murder of Carlton Weekly, a Chigago rapper known as FBG Duck.
Commenting on last week’s arrest, Martin Estrada, US Attorney for the Central District Of California, says that Lil Durk, real name Durk Banks, is charged with “orchestrating a cold-blooded murder that resulted in the death of a rival’s family member”, adding “the shooting occurred in the open, at a gas station at a busy intersection, endangering many others in the area”.
According to court filings, the shooting in 2022 was a response to another shooting, this time the November 2020 killing of OTF rapper King Von, real name Dayvon Bennett. He was killed in Atlanta following an altercation with Rondo, real name Tyquian Bowman. Records state that Von was killed by a friend of Rondo.
Following that incident, Durk allegedly let it be known that he would “pay a bounty” to anyone who killed Rondo. Nearly two years later, in August 2022, Durk’s associates learned that Rondo was in LA, so allegedly arranged to travel to the city in order to murder the rapper.
Four of those associates - Deandre Wilson, Keith Jones, David Lindsey and Asa Houston - as well as an unnamed fifth person flew from Chicago to San Diego and then drove to LA, apparently using funds supplied by Durk. Once in LA they were met by another associate of Durk and OTF, Kayon Grant, who, it’s claimed, provided two vehicles, ski masks and various firearms.
The next day, the group followed Rondo and his cousin Saviay'a Robinson as they drove around LA to a marijuana dispensary, clothing store and gas station. It was at the gas station that they began shooting, missing Rondo but killing Robinson.
Wilson, Jones, Lindsey, Houston and Grant were all arrested in Chicago on Thursday, charged with conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire.
Following those arrests, according to the FBI, Durk attempted to flee the country, booking two flights from South Florida airports - to Switzerland and Dubai - before chartering a private jet to take him to Italy. However, he was arrested in Miami before he could board that flight.
If convicted, prosecutors say all the defendants, including Durk, could face life sentences.
Earlier this month, Durk and OTF were sued in relation to that 2020 murder of FBG Duck. His mother, LaSheena Weekly, claims Durk and other OTF rappers glorified her son’s death through their music and social media content, in essence “monetising the killing of FBG Duck”.
That lawsuit also named Durk’s label Alamo Records as a defendant, which has worked with both Universal Music and Sony Music, meaning both majors were also named as defendants in the lawsuit.
