US rapper Lil Durk arrested in Florida on murder-for-hire charge
Grammy-winning American rapper Lil Durk has been taken into custody on a charge related to hiring someone to commit murder, as reported by CBS News, which partners with the BBC in the US.
Reports from U.S. media indicate that the celebrity, whose real name is Durk Devontay Banks, was taken into custody in Broward County, Florida, on Thursday evening, and he is currently being held without the option of bail.
The arrest happened just one day after it was reported that five individuals associated with Banks' hip-hop collective, Only The Family (OTF), were charged in Chicago for a shooting in 2022 that resulted in the death of the cousin of competing rapper Quando Rondo.
Since 2019, Lil Durk has managed to place six albums in the top five of the US Billboard chart. He has also teamed up with major artists such as Drake and J. Cole to release popular singles.
The 33-year-old from Chicago has been nominated for four Grammy Awards and won the award for Best Melodic Rap Performance in February for his song "All My Life," which features J. Cole.
Lil Durk started OTF in 2010, and the collective is a key player in the drill rap scene in the city.
Authorities claim that the five men who were charged on Wednesday orchestrated the 2022 shooting in Los Angeles as a direct response to the 2020 death of rising rapper King Von, who was signed to OTF, according to reports from US media.
A friend of Quando Rondo faced charges in connection with the murder of King Von, but those charges were eventually dismissed. Quando Rondo himself was not taken into custody or faced any charges.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the latest charges brought against five individuals claim that an undisclosed accomplice promised “cash and enticing music deals with OTF” to those involved in the murder of Quando Rondo.
In 2022, several men who were charged reportedly opened fire on a vehicle that was carrying Quando Rondo, along with his sister and cousin, Saviay'a Robinson.
Quando Rondo and his sister were safe, but Robinson lost his life.
Earlier this month, the mother of another Chicago rapper, FBG Duck, reportedly initiated a legal action claiming that Lil Durk, OTF, and King Von were involved in his murder in 2020.
In the meantime, two years ago, Lil Durk had attempted murder charges dismissed after a non-fatal shooting incident in Atlanta back in 2019.
The BBC reached out to Lil Durk's team for a statement.
