Opening statements expected Monday in rapper’s murder-for-hire trial in LA
LOS ANGELES (KESQ) - Jury selection turned into a referendum on rap music today in the trial of the Grammy Award-winning rapper known as Lil Durk, who faces federal charges arising from a suspected murder-for-hire plot carried out near the Beverly Center in which prosecutors say a relative of the intended target was mistakenly gunned down.
Lil Durk, born Durk Banks, is accused of putting a bounty on the life of Tyquian Bowman, an Atlanta rapper known as Quando Rondo. An alleged hit team consisting of Banks' crew members traveled from Chicago to Los Angeles with the intention of killing Bowman, but a botched ambush at a gas station near the Beverly Center shopping mall resulted in the death of Bowman's cousin, who was traveling with him, according to prosecutors.
Banks allegedly ordered, bankrolled and planned the intended murder as revenge after an associate of Bowman's killed a close friend of Banks' -- Dayvon "King Von" Bennett -- two years earlier at an Atlanta nightclub.
Jury selection took place over two days in downtown Los Angeles working from a pool 80 candidates. A final panel of 16, including four alternates, was chosen at the end of the day Friday.
Earlier, during questioning from attorneys, potential jurors were asked for their feelings about so-called gangsta rap, the sort of hardcore hip-hop Lil Durk is famous for. Certain of his lyrics and videos are expected to be presented to the jury by prosecutors.
One woman said the music suggests "violence" to her. Another said the genre could impact her ability to be impartial about the defendants. A man admitted that rap had "negative connotations, at least in my mind."
But another candidate for a place on the panel told attorneys that he wasn't in the courtroom ``to judge whether rap is good or bad."
A defense attorney then asked potential jurors how they might feel if they heard music "that's not Peter, Paul and Mary or Karen Carpenter,'' and the lyrics were difficult to decipher. Would that influence their ability to remain fair and balanced while evaluating the case? A juror answered that she would like "subtitles or captions.''
A 32-page superseding indictment filed in July in Los Angeles federal court names Banks as the lead defendant in the case that also charges alleged members and associates of his rap collective -- known as Only the Family, or OTF. He is being tried along with two co-defendants.
Banks, 33, pleaded not guilty to charges of murder in aid of stalking resulting in death, conspiracy to commit stalking, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire resulting in death, and a firearms violation.
If convicted of all counts, the rapper would face a mandatory life term in federal prison, prosecutors said.
Defense motions to suppress or exclude government evidence have largely been denied by U.S. District Judge Michael Fitzgerald during pretrial hearings or in written rulings. The judge rejected an April 2025 bid by Banks' attorneys to have the case dismissed based on arguments that federal prosecutors presented false evidence to the grand jury to obtain the original indictment.
A defense attorney did not respond to a list of questions sent by City News Service this week.
The U.S. Attorney's Office contends that around Aug. 18, 2022, the alleged conspirators learned that Bowman was staying at a hotel in Los Angeles. The next day, Banks' five friends traveled from Chicago to Los Angeles "for the purpose of murdering'' Bowman, prosecutors allege.
Members and associates of OTF allegedly used two vehicles and worked in tandem to track, stalk and attempt to murder Bowman at a gas station on Beverly Boulevard, according to court papers.
The alleged co-conspirators fired at least 18 rounds at Bowman's vehicle, striking and killing Bowman's relative who was traveling with the intended target, prosecutors said. Bowman was at the scene of the shooting that killed his cousin, known as Lul Pab, court papers show.
During trial, prosecutors are expected to present Banks' music, interview segments and digital photos along with other evidence. Fitzgerald ruled the prosecution can show Banks' 2021 ``Pissed Me Off'' music video, which has lyrics prosecutors maintain illustrate the defendant's desire to avenge the death of King Von, whom prosecutors described as an OTF member and ``fellow Black Disciples gang member."
Attorneys said the case could take three weeks or more.
Banks was arrested Oct. 17, 2024, near Miami International Airport as he attempted to flee the country, the FBI said.
Since the release of his debut album in 2015, Banks has issued a total of eight solo studio albums, not including mixtapes or collaborative projects recorded with other artists. Banks was nominated for a Grammy on four occasions, winning one in 2024 for Best Melodic Rap Performance for his song, "All My Life,'' which featured J. Cole.
