NEWS
Lil Durk and his legal team are looking to get his murder-for-hire case dismissed, claiming that prosecutors misled the jury which indicted him about the facts.
The Chicago rapper is accused of being behind the 2022 attempted murder of Quando Rondo by placing a bounty on his rap rival’s head in revenge for the death of his friend and collaborator King Von.
According to Durk’s attorneys, prosecutors’ claim that the rapper details the alleged attack on Babyface Ray‘s song “Wonderful Wayne & Jackie Boy” is wrong and that it was written months before the shooting took place.
The government’s misrepresentation in the Superseding Indictment, whether knowing or reckless, undermines the integrity of the grand jury’s true bill against Mr. Banks,” they argue in a new filing. “The Court should dismiss the Superseding Indictment against him as a result.”
In a separate filing asking for Durk to be released from jail ahead of trial, his lawyers claim that prosecutors have “attempted to hold Mr. Banks [Lil Durk] responsible for video clips that YouTubers and Instagram users have edited, produced, and posted to social media, but with whom Mr. Banks has no affiliation.”
The motion specifically mentions a fan-made video which “showing defendant’s [Lil Durk’s] rival [Quando Rondo] screaming, ‘No, no’ that was placed over these lyrics [from ‘Wonderful Wayne & Jackie Boy’],” which prosecutors then “speculated that perhaps [the song] could be a reference to some other uncharged murder.”
His legal team goes on to say: “It is unfair, misleading, and just flat-out wrong for the government to suggest that Mr. Banks is responsible for these video/audio edits or that they evidence his purported commercialization of a murder that he supposedly ordered.”
A judge has yet to rule on either motion.
Lil Durk has been behind bars since his arrest in October and has already been denied bail once, despite his attorneys proposing a bond package totaling around $3 million in cash and real estate.
Prosecutors had argued that the Grammy-winner had a pattern of “criminal behavior and interference,” which the judge sided with. It was also alleged that Durk had not exactly been following the rules at Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Los Angeles.
“Despite clear instructions to not engage in three-way calls, defendant repeatedly abused the phone system at MDC to engage in such conduct,” a legal brief read in December.
Durk’s trial is currently scheduled to begin on October 14, 2025, after being pushed back nearly a year.
The “complex” nature of the case was cited among the reasons for the delay, including “approximately 230GB of digital evidence” that prosecutors have to go through, “such as audio/video recordings and surveillance footage, and approximately 20,000 pages of reports concerning murder and other violent acts, photographs, witness statements, and medical documents.”
Durk has maintained his innocence and claimed that prosecutors have “no real evidence” linking him to the attempted murder of Quando Rondo, which resulted in the death of his cousin Saviay’a “Lul Pab” Robinson.
Zara Larsson has indicated that she may have cancelled her December 3 appearance at the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. The singer initially confirmed that she would not attend, before removing the comment and sharing a more detailed explanation of why the performance no longer feels right for her.
The Swedish star was scheduled to take the stage at Etihad Live on Yas Island during the Yasalam After-Race Concerts. Zara and Lewis Capaldi were due to launch the weekend’s entertainment. However, supporters encouraged her to reconsider the booking because of concerns surrounding the United Arab Emirates’ reported connections to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary organisation accused of committing atrocities during the nation’s civil conflict.
A fan commented: “Please read about what UAE is doing to Sudan then cancel your Abu Dhabi show!” Zara responded: “I will not be going to Abu Dhabi.” Fans later realised that both comments had been removed.
She then shared that she had been considering what it means for her, as an artist, to perform in particular countries.
The Midnight Sun singer explained: “I think about that a lot in my life as an artist… I wanna perform and spread joy and music for people in every country, because no single person is their government.
“I’ve met so many wonderful people from every corner of the world and I know this to be true in my heart. I love people, and I love my fans soooo much.”
Zara acknowledged that her original comment “maybe came off as an impulsive response,” but explained that she had given the booking serious thought. She now believes withdrawing is the decision that “aligns with me the most right now, for many different personal reasons beyond politics.”
She continued: “Maybe I’ll delete both comments and do a better statement soon. I hope to sing with you in the beautiful future!”
