A federal murder-for-hire case involving Lil Durk has opened a familiar but contentious argument over the role of rap music in criminal trials. Defense attorneys are challenging prosecutors who want to introduce the Chicago rapper’s songs and videos as evidence, arguing that artistic expression should not be treated as proof of criminal intent.
Prosecutors plan to present nine music videos and three audio recordings tied to Durk and people connected to him. According to court filings, the government believes the material reflects a violent mindset connected to an alleged retaliation plot. The case centers on a long-running feud involving rapper Quando Rondo that intensified after the 2020 killing of King Von, a close associate of Durk, during a confrontation with Rondo’s group.
Federal authorities allege that Durk later ordered revenge, which they say led to a shooting in Los Angeles that resulted in the death of Rondo’s cousin, Saviay’a Robinson. The prosecution argues that Durk’s music mirrors the emotions and motives they attribute to him during that period.
One of the key examples cited is a lyric from “All My Life,” Durk’s collaboration with J. Cole. In the song, Durk raps, “They be on my page like ‘Slide for Von’, I know they trollin me… Got it back in blood, y’all just don’t know, that’s how it ‘posed to be.” Prosecutors claim the line reflects a retaliatory response to King Von’s death.
The government has also pointed to lyrics from an unreleased track titled “Scoom His Ass,” which investigators say was found on a co-defendant’s phone. The song references Beverly Hills, a detail prosecutors argue is significant because of its proximity to the location where Robinson was killed.
Durk’s legal team maintains that lyrics are narrative and performance, not confessions. The court must now decide whether art can be treated as evidence of real-world crimes.