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Lil Durk and his family are speaking out ahead of his murder-for-hire trial in October.
On Tuesday, April 29, the Banks family released a statement to the OTF founder's social media platforms. In it, they claim "the government presented false evidence to a grand jury to indict him."
"That isn't justice," they continue. "That's a violation of the very system that's supposed to protect all of us. 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."
Lil Durk's legal team has been working to get his case dismissed over the past few months. He's been in jail since October after he was indicted on murder-for-hire charges in connection with the death of Quando Rondo's cousin Lul Pab. Prosecutors alleged Lil Durk was the mastermind who ordered five men to gun down Quando Rondo in Los Angeles in 2022. The assassins followed Rondo and opened fire on his vehicle, however, they missed and fatally struck Lul Pab.
Prosecutors pointed to Lil Durk's verse in Babyface Ray's “Wonderful Wayne & Jackie Boy” and told a grand jury that he spoke about his alleged plan on the song. However, Durk's team hit back and clarified that the lyrics were written months before the shooting happened. Although the case hasn't been dismissed, a judge approved a hearing to determine his detention status. Meanwhile, Durk said he's doing well during a recent phone call with Akademiks.
“Mentally, spiritually, I’ve been on top of my s**t," Durk told Ak. "I’ll be back out there, you hear me."
“I’ve just been focused on life, my family and stuff like that," he continued. "I’m trying to learn to speak Arabic in here. It’s a couple of guys in here that know how to speak Arabic fluently. So I’m just learning the different words and tightening up my Arabic. Just getting my knowledge together.”
The hearing will take place on May 8. Listen to his phone call with Akademiks below.