Lil Durk Trial Update: Defense Brings in “Rap on Trial” Expert to Shut Down Lyric Evidence

Federal prosecutors want a jury to hear Lil Durk’s music. His lawyers say that could unfairly decide the case before the facts ever land. With his murder for hire trial scheduled for April, Lil Durk is challenging the government’s plan to introduce his songs, lyrics, and music videos as evidence.

In a court filing submitted Friday, January 23, Durk’s legal team asked a federal judge to block more than a dozen musical pieces from being used at trial.

The defense argues that the material “carries an extraordinary risk of unfair prejudice” and does little to prove any specific allegation. Prosecutors have filed their reasoning under seal, but Durk’s attorneys say the government claims the music is “direct evidence” and “inextricably intertwined” with the charges.

Durk’s lawyers strongly disagree. They argue there is no clear proof showing when the lyrics were written, who authored them, or how any specific line connects to the alleged conspiracy.

“The notices [of which musical evidence is being used] do not identify who authored the lyrics, when they were created, whether the defendants adopted them, or how the government connects each specific excerpt to any particular fact in dispute,” the brief states. It also warns that without this context, the court cannot determine whether the music is relevant or too far removed in time.

To support their position, the defense submitted expert testimony from Erik Nielson, co-author of “Rap on Trial: Race, Lyrics, and Guilt in America.” Nielson wrote that the themes cited by prosecutors are “common, commercial and widespread” across the genre.

The filing also accuses prosecutors of repeatedly changing which songs they plan to use. “If the song was so important, they wouldn’t abandon it and replace another at each opportunity,” the brief reads.

Durk is accused of ordering a hit on Quando Rondo following the death of King Von, an alleged order federal officials say led to the 2022 killing of Rondo’s cousin Saviay’a Robinson in Los Angeles.