Lil Durk Mocked Rival Quando Rondo While Rapping About Murder-for-Hire Plot, Feds Say

Rapper’s Song Referenced Shooting That Killed Quando Rondo’s Cousin

Chicago rapper Lil Durk released a song referencing the ill-fated plot he allegedly planned to target rap rival Quando Rondo in a brazen shooting in Los Angeles, federal prosecutors said this week while stacking more felony charges against him.

Additional Charges Filed Against Lil Durk

Lil Durk, real name Durk Banks, was initially charged with a murder-for-hire conspiracy in a criminal complaint filed Oct. 24 — the same day an indictment was unsealed charging five others in the 2022 attack that killed the cousin of Quando Rondo, whose real name is Tyquian Bowman.

Banks was arrested in Florida that day as he attempted to board a private jet to Italy — one of three international flights he’d booked. He remains at the federal detention center in Miami and faces up to life in prison.

Additional conspiracy and gun charges against Banks were detailed in a superseding indictment filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Prosecutors on Thursday also filed a request to keep him locked up pending trial, arguing he poses a threat to public safety.

Lil Durk’s Song Referenced Shooting

The superseding indictment notes Banks released a song that “sought to commercialize” the shooting that targeted Bowman and fatally wounded his cousin, Saviay’a Robinson.

In the song, released months after the shooting, Banks referenced a news report in which Bowman was heard screaming after seeing Robinson’s dead body, the feds say. “No, no!” Bowman said in the clip.

“Told me they got an addy, go,” Banks rapped, referring to an address. “Told me they got location, go. Green light, go, go, go. Look on the news and you see your son. You’re screaming, ‘no, no.’”

Bounty on Quando Rondo’s Head

“Banks would place bounties on individuals that he and other OTF members wants to kill, including [Bowman],” prosecutors said. “As part of the bounty, co-conspirators known and unknown … would pay anyone who took part in the killing of [Bowman] and/or reward individuals with lucrative music opportunities with OTF.”

Plot to Kill Quando Rondo

The defendants learned Bowman was staying at a hotel in Los Angeles on Aug. 18, 2022, according to the feds. An unnamed accomplice used credit cards associated with OTF to book flights and a hotel room, despite Banks insisting he didn’t want a paper trail leading back to him.

“Don’t book no flights under no names involved wit me,” Banks wrote in a text message to the accomplice that day.

Wilson, Jones, Lindsey, Houston, and an unnamed co-conspirator flew from Chicago to Los Angeles, prosecutors said. Banks and Grant traveled there separately on a private jet “to help coordinate the murder.”

On Aug. 19, 2022, Wilson, Jones, Lindsey, Houston, Grant, and the co-conspirator “used two vehicles to track, stalk, and attempt to kill [Bowman] by gunfire — including with a fully automatic firearm — resulting in the death of [Robinson].”

Background of the Case

The plot was hatched in retaliation for the killing of King Von, a Chicago rapper who was Banks’ protege. King Von, real name Dayvon Bennett, was shot and killed outside an Atlanta hookah lounge during an altercation with Bowman and his crew on Nov. 6, 2020.

An associate of Bowman’s was charged with murder, but the case was later dropped.

Bennett died while he and Banks were facing charges in connection to another shooting in Atlanta in 2019. The charges against Banks were later dismissed.

Conclusion

Lil Durk’s song and the subsequent shooting have shed light on the dangerous and violent world of hip-hop, where rivalries can lead to deadly consequences. The case serves as a reminder of the importance of addressing the root causes of violence and promoting peaceful resolutions to conflicts.

FAQs

Q: Who is Lil Durk?

A: Lil Durk is a Chicago rapper whose real name is Durk Banks.

Q: Who is Quando Rondo?

A: Quando Rondo is a rapper whose real name is Tyquian Bowman.

Q: What was the motive behind the shooting?

A: The motive behind the shooting was allegedly retaliation for the killing of King Von, a Chicago rapper who was Lil Durk’s protege.

Q: What charges has Lil Durk been facing?

A: Lil Durk has been facing charges of murder-for-hire conspiracy and additional conspiracy and gun charges.