Ghanaian fans of Lil Durk hit the streets to support him after his arrest

Following the recent arrest of American rapper Lil Durk, fans in Ghana have taken to the streets to express their support for the music icon.

The Ghanaian fans of rapper Lil Durk hit the streets on 28 October 2024, displaying banners and shirts bearing the mark of his On The Family crew.

Videos and photos circulating on social media show groups of young fans marching, holding signs, and chanting in solidarity with the rapper, which have since gone viral.

Their demand is for the release of the 32-year-old Chicago rapper, who was recently arrested in Miami en route to Italy over a murder-for-hire plot.

Why he was arrested

Grammy-winning rapper Lil Durk was detained in Florida last week, “as he attempted to leave the United States,” over allegations he financed an attempted murder of rival rapper Quando Rondo in 2022, which led to a shooting resulting in the death of Rondo’s cousin, Saviay’a Robinson.

This arrest follows a lawsuit filed earlier this month, also involving Universal Music and Sony Music, alleging that Durk’s rap collective Only The Family (OTF) “serves as a hub for the O-Block criminal enterprise and street gang” in Chicago, essentially acting as the gang’s “media outpost.”

There are parallels to the high-profile Young Thug prosecution, where authorities allege his label, YSL, is a cover for a criminal gang.

The O-Block gang derives its name from Chicago’s Parkway Garden Apartments, dubbed ‘O Block’ after a gang member, Odee Perry, was murdered there. Earlier this year, a Chicago federal jury convicted six “members or associates of the O-Block gang” on racketeering charges, including the 2020 murder of Chicago rapper FBG Duck (real name Carlton Weekly).

Commenting on last week’s arrest, Martin Estrada, U.S. Attorney for the Central District Of California, stated that Lil Durk, real name Durk Banks, is charged with “orchestrating a cold-blooded murder that resulted in the death of a rival’s family member,” adding, “the shooting occurred in the open, at a gas station at a busy intersection, endangering many others in the area.”

According to court filings, the 2022 shooting was a response to another, this time the 2020 killing of OTF rapper King Von (real name Dayvon Bennett). He was killed in Atlanta following an altercation with Rondo (real name Tyquian Bowman), reportedly by one of Rondo’s friends. After that incident, Durk allegedly communicated a “bounty” to anyone who would kill Rondo. Nearly two years later, in August 2022, Durk’s associates supposedly learned that Rondo was in Los Angeles and allegedly travelled to the city to murder him.

Four associates, Deandre Wilson, Keith Jones, David Lindsey, and Asa Houston, along with a fifth unnamed individual, allegedly travelled from Chicago to Los Angeles. Reports claim that they were funded by Durk. Once in LA, another OTF associate, Kayon Grant, allegedly provided them with vehicles, ski masks, and firearms.

The group reportedly tailed Rondo and Robinson to various locations before ultimately firing at them at a gas station, killing Robinson but missing Rondo.

The FBI reported that following these arrests, Durk attempted to flee the U.S., booking flights from South Florida to Switzerland and Dubai before chartering a private jet to Italy, but he was detained in Miami before his departure.

If convicted, prosecutors indicate that Durk and all the defendants could face life sentences.

Earlier in October, a lawsuit was filed against Durk and OTF related to FBG Duck’s murder, in which the rapper’s mother, LaSheena Weekly, claims Durk and other OTF artists glorified her son’s death through their music and social media, “monetising the killing of FBG Duck.”

The lawsuit named Durk’s label, Alamo Records, as a defendant, which collaborates with Universal Music and Sony Music, thus implicating both corporations in the lawsuit.

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