Lil Durk’s music will officially become part of the evidence jurors hear when the Chicago rapper heads to trial on federal murder-for-hire charges later this month. U.S. District Judge Michael Fitzgerald ruled that prosecutors can introduce Durk’s 2021 single “Pissed Me Off,” along with its music video, rejecting arguments from his defense that using the record could unfairly prejudice jurors against him.
Federal prosecutors contend that the song helps establish Durk’s alleged motive to retaliate following the November 2020 death of his close friend and Only The Family artist King Von, whose real name was Dayvon Bennett. Von was killed following an altercation involving associates of Quando Rondo outside an Atlanta nightclub. Authorities allege Durk later financed a plot targeting Rondo that culminated in an August 2022 shooting in Los Angeles. Rondo survived, but his cousin Saviay’a “Lul Pab” Robinson was killed. Durk has pleaded not guilty and repeatedly denied orchestrating the attack.
The government’s argument centers on portions of “Pissed Me Off” in which Durk references spending money on a firearm and vehicle before addressing people mentioning Von’s name. Prosecutors believe those lyrics support their theory that Durk was willing to financially support retaliation. The record was released in October 2021, approximately 10 months before the Los Angeles shooting.
Durk’s attorneys argue that interpretation strips the song of its broader context. Defense attorney Marissa Goldberg noted that “Pissed Me Off” addresses multiple deaths and traumatic events in Durk’s life, including the June 2021 killing of his older brother Dontay “DThang” Banks Jr. She argued that presenting the song as evidence of a specific murder conspiracy creates a significant risk that jurors will treat artistic expression as a literal confession.
That issue has become particularly important after Judge Fitzgerald separated additional racketeering allegations from the murder for hire trial scheduled to begin August 20. Durk’s defense maintains that some of those severed allegations concern retaliation surrounding DThang’s death and fears introducing “Pissed Me Off” could indirectly expose jurors to issues belonging in the separate proceeding.
Fitzgerald ultimately sided with prosecutors on admissibility but left the door open for Durk’s attorneys to aggressively challenge the government’s interpretation before the jury. The judge also indicated he could issue limiting instructions explaining precisely how jurors are permitted to consider the music as evidence. As the trial begins on August 20, the core conflict will remain: whether the track serves as a window into criminal intent or is simply a piece of Hip Hop artistry being misconstrued by the state.
