Dallas Rapper Yella Beezy Arrested and Accused of Hiring Hitman to Kill Fellow Rapper MO3

Dallas rapper Yella Beezy was arrested on March 20 and is accused of hiring a hitman to kill fellow rapper Melvin Nobles, known as MO3, in 2020. Bail for Beezy, whose birth name is Markies Deandre Conway, was initially set at $2 million but was reduced to $750,000 on Thursday. Conway was indicted by a Dallas County grand jury in connection with the murder.

The accused gunman, whom police say Conway hired in the shooting, Kewon Dontrell White, was indicted on a murder charge in Nobles’ death in 2021. In 2022, he was sentenced to nine years in federal prison on a gun charge.

Here’s what to know about Conway, the crime he is accused of committing, and the beef between him and Nobles.

Who is Yella Beezy?

Dallas rapper Yella Beezy was born Markies Deandre Conway and grew up in Dallas’ Oak Cliff area. The 33-year-old began his music career by releasing his own mixtapes on Soundcloud.

His breakout moment came with the 2017 mixtape Lite Work, Vol. 2, which included the hit song “That’s On Me.” The track climbed to No. 25 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

In 2018, a remix helped spread his name like wildfire. It featured notable rappers 2 Chainz, T.I., Boosie Badazz, Rich the Kid, Jeezy, and Trapboy Freddie. Since then, Conway has collaborated with top names in hip-hop such as Chris Brown and Young Thug and opened for Beyoncé and Jay-Z.

“You can’t ever get too comfortable because that’s when stuff starts declining,” he told The Dallas Morning News at the time. “You get full of yourself. You think you’re it. The next person trying to get your position. You don’t think they gonna take it? You gotta grind, all day. Nonstop.”

Conway has had previous run-ins with the law. He was shot in 2018 in Lewisville while driving on State Highway 121. In February 2021, Conway was arrested and faced a charge of unlawful firearm possession in Dallas County. Later that year, he was arrested again and faced charges in Collin County of sexual assault and child endangerment.

Collin County court records show the case is closed, with Conway never being convicted on the charges. Dallas County court records show the firearm possession charge was later dismissed.

Who was MO3?

Melvin Noble, also known as MO3, grew up in North Dallas. He attended Berkner High School in Richardson.

He released his debut mixtape, Shottaz, in 2014. Two years later, he would release Shottaz Reloaded, which caught the attention of notable Baton Rouge rapper Boosie Badazz.

Noble would later have a joint album with Boosie in 2020 featuring a remix of the hit single “Everybody,” which peaked at No. 136 on the U.S. Billboard 200.

According to his obituary, Noble knew he had made it when he was filming the music video for “Broken Love” featuring Louisiana rapper Kevin Gates. The song trended at No. 8 on the Top 10 chart shortly after it was released.

“He traveled all over the world, blessed his fans, touched lives, inspired kids, made a difference, and made people just want to be better, all through his music,” his obituary said.

Noble, 28 years old when he was killed in 2020, is survived by two daughters Malaysia and Malia Noble, and son Tre’Monye Noble.

History of the Yella Beezy and MO3 Beef

The feud between the Dallas rappers is part of a longstanding rivalry within the Dallas rap scene. Both rappers were rising stars from Dallas and often competed for recognition from the same audience.

According to hip-hop news outlet HypeFresh, part of the feud was rooted in a disagreement about who actually represented the Oak Cliff neighborhood of Dallas.

Yella Beezy and MO3 exchanged diss tracks and insults on social media over the years, although they denied having any issues with one another.

According to HypeFresh, the beef escalated when Roylee Pate, a Dallas-based comedian and friend of Mo3, was shot in North Dallas. Pate had questioned Conway’s connection to Oak Cliff in 2017, according to the outlet, and died in 2018, a few weeks after being shot.

The day after Pate died, Conway would be shot three times in Lewisville.

Shooting Death of MO3

Around noon on November 11, 2020, Noble and another car were traveling north on Interstate 35E near the Dallas Zoo when both cars stopped near Clarendon Drive. The driver of the other car, armed with a rifle, got out of his vehicle and approached Noble’s vehicle.

Noble left his car and began running away on the highway as the gunman opened fire, striking Nobles and another driver. While the other driver was not seriously injured, Noble later died at the hospital.

Police at the time called the midday shooting “brazen,” noting that many civilians could have been in the line of fire.

In February 2021, Kewon Dontrell White, 26, was indicted on a murder charge in Noble’s death. As of Friday, that charge is still pending. White’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.

In April 2021, a second man, Devin Maurice Brown, 32, was also indicted on a murder charge in Noble’s death. As of March 21, that charge was still pending and has not yet been set for trial.

Conclusion

The case of Yella Beezy and the death of MO3 is a complex and tragic one, with a long history of beef and rivalry between the two rappers. As the investigation continues, it remains to be seen what will happen to Conway and the other individuals involved in the case.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who is Yella Beezy?

A: Yella Beezy is a Dallas rapper whose real name is Markies Deandre Conway. He was born and raised in Dallas and began his music career by releasing mixtapes on Soundcloud.

Q: What is Yella Beezy accused of?

A: Yella Beezy is accused of hiring a hitman to kill fellow rapper Melvin Nobles, also known as MO3, in 2020.

Q: What was the cause of MO3’s death?

A: MO3 was shot and killed on November 11, 2020, while driving on Interstate 35E near the Dallas Zoo. The gunman, who was driving another car, got out of his vehicle and approached MO3’s car, opening fire and striking MO3 and another driver.

Q: What is the current status of the case?

A: The case is still ongoing, with Yella Beezy and two other individuals, Kewon Dontrell White and Devin Maurice Brown, facing charges related to MO3’s death. The investigation is continuing, and it remains to be seen what will happen to those involved.