Lil Durk's Murder Arrest Shows Drill Rap is a Dead-End

Fans have speculated about the details of Durk's supposed murder-for-hire scheme for years.

The most notable drill rapper in the world could potentially face a long time behind bars—and no one should aspire to take his place. This week, Chicago artist Lil Durk was apprehended in connection with a suspected murder-for-hire scheme targeting Savannah, Georgia’s rapper Quando Rondo in Los Angeles back in August 2022. Instead, Quando's cousin, Lul Pab, was killed, leading to Quando's heartbreaking reactions at the scene. Later, Durk incorporated those “no” cries into the intro of an unreleased track, leaving the same spectators and online commentators, who previously enjoyed the drama, now criticizing Durk for getting involved in the feud they had been closely following.

Durk's recent arrest highlights the ongoing tension between him and his late friend King Von, who was part of OTF and was killed in 2020, along with their rivals, Youngboy Never Broke Again (currently in prison) and Quando Rondo (who is facing sentencing next week for a federal drug charge). What’s particularly upsetting is that the reason for this feud remains unclear, as all of these artists were once on good terms. Chicago rapper Lil Reese, a good friend of Durk, shared on No Jumper that NBA Youngboy's crew would sometimes visit him in Chicago. Back in 2019, Durk even posted on X saying, "Young boy so hard." There was a friendly relationship between King Von and Rondo, who is now signed to NBA Youngboy’s label, Never Broke Again.

It seems that something went wrong behind the scenes, causing a rift between them. In March 2019, during an Instagram Live session, King Von criticized NBA Youngboy's music, stating, "you've got cap in your raps." However, he later backtracked, saying it was all in good fun and that they had a collaboration in the works. By February 2020, Von took to X to encourage Youngboy to release their joint track. Then, in August 2020, Von shared a photo of himself holding hands with someone whom fans speculated was Jania Meshell, Youngboy’s mother's child (she later claimed they were just collaborating on a song). The following day, Youngboy responded on Instagram with a post saying, “I’m gone make sure my son mess with your daughter since you’re trolling,” which many believed was directed at Von. During this same period, Quando Rondo and Lil Reese also began exchanging jabs online.

Just a few days before Von passed away, a track featuring YoungBoy and his on-and-off girlfriend, rapper Asian Doll, was leaked. In November 2020, King Von tried to downplay the tension during an interview with DJ Akademiks, stating, “It’s not that serious” and suggesting that social media was exaggerating the situation. This turned out to be his final interview; later that evening, he encountered Quando at a club in Atlanta, got into a fight, and was reportedly shot fatally by Quando’s friend, Lul Timm. Following Von's death, things escalated beyond repair. Durk had been friends with Von for many years, signing him after he was released from jail in 2017, where he had beaten a murder charge. Together, they had transformed Durk’s OTF (Only The Family) label into a powerful force in the rap scene.

In the following years, Durk and the pair of Youngboy and Quando started a nonstop exchange of insults on social media and through diss tracks. Fans fueled the rivalry, flooding Durk’s Instagram comments with messages urging him to take action for Von. For these followers, who often treated the street violence associated with rap as entertainment, Von’s death didn’t indicate a point of no return; it was merely another dramatic twist in the ongoing story. The lines of conflict were drawn by the artists but intensified by the fans, who scoured Twitter (now X), Instagram Live sessions, and music for hidden jabs aimed at each other.

The tension that existed between them prior to Von's passing appears to be a type of rivalry that many rappers eventually move past, viewing it as immature vanity. A notable example is rapper 50 Cent, who had a fierce dispute with Fat Joe in the early 2000s that almost turned violent. However, they managed to resolve their differences and are now good friends. In an interview with Rolling Stone last February, 50 Cent reflected on how growing older helped him understand that he was being unreasonable in his feud with Joe. He also acknowledged the situation between Durk and YoungBoy, noting that their backgrounds and experiences heavily influence their actions and music.

50 Cent shares many similarities with both artists. His background in Southside Queens has captivated numerous fans. Ice T, a pioneer of gangster rap, referred to 50 as "the last gangster rapper," expressing to Soren Baker that he truly believed in the authenticity of the artist behind *Get Rich Or Die Tryin’*. “A genuine gangster rapper should instill a sense of fear,” Ice T stated, noting that today’s newcomers don’t embody that. However, as we move into 2024, relying on fear as a primary appeal for an artist is no longer sustainable. Fans, who engage on platforms like Reddit and enjoy Trap Lore Ross videos, are drawn to artists who balance the line between reality and artistry. They seek the feeling that when Durk raps about taking out rivals, he's referencing real situations. Yet, when an artist falters in this tightrope performance, the blame falls entirely on them. They’re seen as “foolish” for squandering their chance, even though much of the allure of drill rap stems from the very authenticity that fans crave. It’s a tricky situation with no clear resolution.

Drill rap has reached a point where it no longer serves a purpose for artists. This doesn’t mean the genre lacks talent; we've seen incredible contributions from artists like Lil Durk, Chief Keef, G Herbo, Sheff G, and Pop Smoke, with others like Cash Cobain and Ice Spice bringing new, fun flavors to the scene with the "sexy drill" trend. However, the drill genre as a whole has been tainted by the issues of criminalization. Many fans view rappers through a distorted lens, often perpetuating harmful stereotypes of hypermasculinity without acknowledging the anti-Black sentiments that can surround the pressure on artists to live out their lyrics, often putting their lives and freedom at risk. Additionally, there are too many so-called "media personalities" who lack any genuine appreciation for hip-hop as an artistic expression, instead profiting by pushing a narrative of despair. Furthermore, there are more District Attorneys eager to trap artists in gang-related charges than ever before. Drill rap is suffering not because of the artists, but because of those who fail to respect it as an art form. These individuals are the very people drill artists aim to captivate, often to their own harm.

A lot of the violence happening in urban areas comes from individuals trying to defend their reputations. Unfortunately, drill music has become deeply associated with gang violence, which now impacts its listeners as well. The genre has essentially turned into a backdrop for widespread gang conflicts that are devastating a generation of Black and Brown youth. Instead of raising concern, this situation has evolved into a form of entertainment that artists feel they need to engage with. For example, on the track “Wonderful Wayne and Jackie Boy,” Durk noted, “I don’t beef on the net that shit fed years,” yet he still hinted at conflict to remind people of his identity. Following Von’s death, some of Durk's lyrics suggested a desire for vengeance that could potentially lead to legal troubles. Similarly, after Pab passed away, he included Quando’s anguish in a song and playfully remarked to DJ Akademiks that he hadn’t noticed the “slide for Von” comments on his Instagram “for some odd reason.” His approach isn’t solely focused on producing quality music; he is also catering to his audience's need to trust him. Nevertheless, with two young lives lost due to what seems like trivial matters, it raises a serious question about how many more Black lives are on the line for the sake of hip-hop’s authenticity.

These fans didn't compel Durk to engage in the actions he's accused of; he is an adult capable of making his own choices. However, the ongoing conflict over the past five years illustrates a rap culture that's being choked by its own desire for violence. In September 2022, Quando shared with Rolling Stone that he often thinks about making changes in his life, but feels he can't because people expect him to stay the same. He mentioned, "It’s like I’d lose my respect and reputation if I tried to change." The same rap enthusiasts who support Quando are part of this expectation. Their appreciation for him goes beyond just his musical talent; it's largely tied to their perception of him as a tough individual who produces great music.

In another part of the interview, Quando expressed, “People in our lives often experience violence. There’s no changing that. Some might say, ‘You can turn your life around…’ but it’s too late for a lot of us.” He seemed to believe that escape was impossible. In 2020, Durk mentioned in a rap, “When people ask where I’ll be in ten years, I replied, ‘In prison.’” Both artists appear to have accepted a grim outlook shaped by a society that let them down. Fans following the OTF-Youngboy conflict treated it like a sports competition, but ultimately, it was the system that triumphed. Even when they physically left their neighborhoods, their mental struggles remained. The spectators who eagerly watched them walk a dangerous path seemed to have no desire for them to break free.