Latest news with #LilDurk
Black America Web
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
SMH: Lil Durk Denied Bond Again Before His Trial
Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty Lil Durk has been denied bond again as he waits for his upcoming murder-for-hire trial. The rapper, whose real name is Durk Banks, went back to court on Thursday, May 8, hoping the judge would let him out on bond, but things didn't go his way. Durk's legal team argued that the whole case should be thrown out, or at least that he should be released, because the prosecutors used fake evidence. They said the grand jury was shown Durk's lyrics and fan-made social media posts, which they believe unfairly painted him as guilty. Still, the judge wasn't convinced and decided Durk would stay locked up until his trial. Durk's team came with a serious bond package: $1 million in cash, $900,000 in real estate, support from other people willing to put up money, plus a promise that Durk would be on house arrest with 24/7 security watching him. But even with all that, the court said no. Now, Durk will stay in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Center until his trial starts. The trial was supposed to begin in January but got pushed back to October 14. It's a tough break for the rapper, who has stayed quiet about the case publicly but continues to say he's innocent. Even behind bars, Durk has stayed active in music. Earlier this year, he dropped a new album called Deep Thoughts, giving fans a raw look into his mindset during this difficult time. SEE ALSO SMH: Lil Durk Denied Bond Again Before His Trial was originally published on
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Yahoo
LIl Durk's Lyrics Dropped From Murder-for-Hire Case
A new indictment against Lil Durk has nixed all references to his lyrics in the rapper's murder-for-hire case. Federal prosecutors confirmed the lyrics were removed but said it would not affect their case against him. 'Defendant Banks has presented a false narrative that he is being prosecuted and detained because of his violent lyrics. This claim is, and has always been, baseless,' prosecutors wrote in a separate court filing Friday, per Billboard. 'Just like every iteration of the indictment before it, the [new indictment] contains significant allegations that show defendant's alleged role in the execution-style murder of [the victim] on a busy street corner in Los Angeles.' The indictment also included a new charge of stalking. More from Rolling Stone Kanye West to Sue Dentist for Allegedly 'Fostering' Nitrous Gas 'Dependency' Wife of Weezer Bassist Makes First Court Appearance in LAPD Shooting Lil Durk's Lyrics 'Now Being Used Against Him' in Murder-for-Hire Case The rapper's lawyer, Drew Findling, filed a response to the new indictment and claimed 'it appears that the government has conceded' the 'hotly contested' dispute over his music, according to the publication. In October, Durk (born Durk Banks) was charged for the attempted murder of rival Quando Rondo, allegedly having ordered his own 'OTF' crew to murder Rondo. While Rondo survived the September 2022 shooting at a Los Angeles gas station, his friend Lul Pab was killed in the crossfire. Durk previously pleaded not guilty to the charges. His lawyers attempted to have the case dismissed in April, citing 'false evidence' provided to a grand jury. Prior to Friday's new indictment deleting the lyrics, prosecutors said in a court filing that Durk was not being prosecuted 'because of his lyrics,' but suggested his lyrics could be cited as evidence in their case against him. 'Unless the government is prosecuting Banks on a theory of extra-sensory prescience, the lyrics could not have soundly informed the grand jury's finding of probable cause,' Findling argued in a filing last month. Earlier this week, the rapper claimed his lyrics were 'being used against him' in the government's murder-for-hire case against him. In a video statement posted on Instagram Wednesday, the artist accused the government of weaponizing his verse on Babyface Ray's song 'Wonderful Wayne & Jackie Boy.' '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,' Durk and his family stated in the post. 'As a family, we are asking the public, the fans and the culture to stand with us. Stand for truth. Stand for fairness. Stand for The Voice.' Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lil Durk's Lyrics ‘Now Being Used Against Him' in Murder-for-Hire Case
Lil Durk claims his lyrics are 'now being used against him' in the government's murder-for-hire case against the rapper. Durk (born Durk Banks) was charged last year for the attempted murder of rival Quando Rondo, allegedly having ordered his own 'OTF' crew to murder Rondo. While Rondo survived, his friend Lul Pab was killed in the crossfire. More from Rolling Stone Lil Durk's Lawyer Files Motion to Get Murder-for-Hire Case Dismissed Lil Durk's Sleepy Prison Opus 'Deep Thoughts' Lil Durk to Drop Album 'Deep Thoughts' From Prison: 'Streets Still Need Me' The rapper previously pleaded not guilty to the charges, while his lawyers attempted to have the case dismissed earlier this month, citing 'false evidence' provided to a grand jury. In a video statement posted on Instagram Wednesday, Lil Durk summarized those recent developments, as well as the government's attempts to weaponize his verse on Babyface Ray's song 'Wonderful Wayne & Jackie Boy.' 'The recent developments in Durk's legal case have brought a harsh truth to light: the government presented false evidence to a grand jury to indict him,' a statement said. 'This isn't justice. That's a violation of the very system that's supposed to protect all of us.' One of the government's key pieces of evidence against Lil Durk is the verse from 'Wonderful Wayne & Jackie Boy,' which they claim features Lil Durk 'rapping about his revenge.'; the song arrived three months after the Quando Rondo shooting in September 2022. 'Told me they got an addy (go, go)/ Got location (go, go)/ Green light (go, go, go, go, go),' Durk raps in the song. 'Look on the news and see your son/You screamin', 'No, no' (pu–y).' However, Lil Durk's legal team presented its own evidence that the verse actually predated the shooting, as it was recorded in January 2022. Just the fact that the government is (once again controversially) using rap lyrics as evidence drew the ire of the rapper and his family. '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,' the video continued. 'As a family, we are asking the public, the fans and the culture to stand with us. Stand for truth. Stand for fairness. Stand for The Voice.' 'The government told the grand jury that Mr. Banks, through specific lyrics in his music, celebrated and profited from a revenge murder that he had ordered,' David Findling, Durk's lawyer, said in a filing earlier this month. 'That claim is demonstrably false. Unless the government is prosecuting Banks on a theory of extra-sensory prescience, the lyrics could not have soundly informed the grand jury's finding of probable cause.' Best of Rolling Stone The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lil Durk's Family Claims Rapper's Lyrics Are Being Used Against Him in Murder-for-Hire Case
Lil Durk remains behind bars in California, counting down the days until his trial is set to begin in October for his murder-for-hire case. Durk's family posted a clip to Instagram on Tuesday (April 29) giving fans an update on the Chicago rapper's legal situation, and they claimed that the prosecution is building a case that uses his own lyrics against him. More from Billboard Lil Durk Wants Murder-For-Hire Case Dismissed, Says He Recorded Lyrics Months Before Shooting Los Ángeles Azules & Thalia's 'Yo Me Lo Busqué' Soars to No. 1 on Regional Mexican Airplay Chart Lucy Dacus Explains Why Going Public With Julien Baker Romance Makes Her a Little 'Uncomfortable' 'The recent developments in Durk's legal case have brought a harsh truth to light: the government presented false evidence to a grand jury to indict him,' a statement from Durk's team in the video reads. 'This isn't justice. That's a violation of the very system that's supposed to protect all of us.' The clip goes on to explain that Durk has always been a vivid storyteller with his music, and his creative art shouldn't be held against him in a court of law. '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,' the video continued before calling for public support. 'As a family, we are asking the public, the fans and the culture to stand with us. Stand for truth. Stand for fairness. Stand for The Voice.' Lil Durk's legal team continues to fight for his freedom. Earlier in April, Durk's attorneys called for the case's dismissal and claimed that 'false evidence' was given to a grand jury. Prosecutors are attempting to tie lyrics from Durk and Babyface Ray's 'Wonderful Wayne & Jackie Boy' to the murder of Lul Pab. While the track was released in December 2022, which would be a few months after Pab's death, but Durk's team says those lyrics were penned long before the shooting in January 2022. 'Told me they got an addy (go, go)/ Got location (go, go)/ Green light (go, go, go, go, go)/ Look on the news and see your son/ You screaming 'No, no,' he raps on the track in question. 'The government told the grand jury that Mr. Banks, through specific lyrics in his music, celebrated and profited from a revenge murder that he had ordered,' Durk's attorney, Drew Findling, said in the filing. 'That claim is demonstrably false. Unless the government is prosecuting Banks on a theory of extra-sensory prescience, the lyrics could not have soundly informed the grand jury's finding of probable cause.' Lil Durk was arrested in Florida in October on a murder-for-hire charge hours after a few of his Only the Family associates were also indicted. Prosecutors believe Durk plotted to have Quando Rondo killed as retaliation for the death of his friend King Von, who was murdered by Rondo's associates in Atlanta in 2020, but the 2022 Los Angeles shooting ended up leaving Rondo's cousin Lul Pab dead. With Durk behind bars awaiting trial, the rapper's team pieced together his Deep Thoughts album, which arrived in March and debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with 64,000 album-equivalent units earned. See his family's statement below: Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lil Durk Claims 'Government Presented False Evidence' In Murder-for-Hire Case
A statement was released to Lil Durk's Instagram as the rapper remains behind bars pending trial for murder-for-hire. In a social media post, the message claimed that the 'government presented false evidence' to secure an indictment against the Chicago musician. 'The recent developments in Durk's legal case have brought a harsh truth to light: the government presented false evidence to a grand jury to indict him,' explained the video. 'This isn't justice. That's a violation of the very system that's supposed to protect all of us.' The statement continued to detail, 'Durk has always used music to tell stories, to express pain to heal—and yet those same lyrics are now being used against him,' adding, 'We refuse to stay silent as Black artists continue to be criminalized for their creativity. Rap is art.' In the end, the memo pleaded with the rapper's followers and asked, 'As a family, we are asking the public, the fans, and the culture to stand with us. Stand for truth. Stand for fairness. Stand for The Voice.' Lil Durk, legal name Devontay Durk Banks, was arrested in October 2024 and the following month he was officially charged with 'one count of conspiracy, one count of use of interstate facilities to commit murder-for-hire resulting in death, and one count of using, carrying, and discharging firearms and a machine gun and possession of such firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death.' In December 2024, the Grammy winner was denied bond as he pleaded not guilty to the federal charges. Earlier this year, the rapper's legal team claimed prosecutors provided the grand jury with 'false evidence,' and filed to have the indictment dismissed. 'The government told the grand jury that Mr. Banks, through specific lyrics in his music, celebrated and profited from a revenge murder that he had ordered,' explained lawyer Drew Findling in the filing. 'That claim is demonstrably false,' he continued, noting that the song 'Wonderful Wayne & Jackie Boy,' a collaboration with Detroit rapper Babyface Ray, was 'written 'seven months before the incident even happened.' Earlier this week, the 'Backdoor' rapper called Akademiks from behind bars with an update for fans. 'I've been good, man. Mentally, spiritually, I been on top of my sh*t,' exclaimed the 32-year-old. 'I'll be back out there, you hear me?' adding 'Thank you—I need all the prayers. I appreciate you.' He continued, 'Ain't nothing changed, bro. I've just been focused on life, my family. I'm trying to learn Arabic in here…A couple guys in here that know how to speak Arabic fluently, so I've been picking up words, just tightening up my Arabic. Just building knowledge.' More from Lil Durk Converts 13 Prison Inmates To Islam As He Awaits Murder-For-Hire Trial Lil Durk Files To Have Murder-For-Hire Indictment Dismissed Lil Durk Facing Wrongful Death Lawsuit Due To Alleged Role In Death Of Quando Rondo's Cousin
