The legal tug-of-war over whether Lil Durk’s lyrics and music videos can be used in his upcoming murder-for-hire trial is nearly settled.
On Friday (February 13), Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald delivered a split ruling that handed notable wins to prosecutors while also scoring key victories for the rapper. The decision follows intense back-and-forth arguments and a hearing held on Monday (February 9).
Prosecutors pushed to introduce portions of 12 songs — including nine music videos and three audio tracks — as evidence. Durk’s defense team, led by attorney Drew Findling, strongly opposed the move.
Regarding the videos, the judge ruled that screenshots would generally be enough, since prosecutors argued they needed them mainly to show associations between individuals appearing in the clips. However, he left the door open for one specific video to potentially be shown in full. Prosecutors allege that the video was used as a reward for co-defendants involved in Durk’s alleged plan to place a bounty on rival Quando Rondo — a plan that prosecutors claim ultimately led to the death of Rondo’s cousin, Saviay’a Robinson.
The judge said he would consider allowing that particular video if the government can prove it “serves as proof of the bounty” and is not overly prejudicial.
When it came to lyrics, prosecutors sought to admit 13 excerpts. The judge approved four, rejected five outright, and trimmed down portions of several that were permitted.
As for the remaining four excerpts, the judge said they could be allowed “if the Government can adequately explain their probative value in the context of how they will be presented and admitted at trial.” Prosecutors are expected to address that at the next hearing on February 23.
Many of the lyrics that were excluded described actions similar to the allegations in the case — specifically, following someone in a vehicle and opening fire. Prosecutors claim co-defendants carried out such an attack on Robinson at Durk’s direction.
While the judge acknowledged that certain lyrics — including lines like, “Fool his ass, he think we buyin’ some cars, we hop out, scoom his ass,” — had a “moderate level of relevance,” he noted there was no clear evidence tying them directly to the alleged incident involving Robinson. He also pointed out that “there is virtually no evidence of when these lyrics were written or even recorded.”
Beyond the music-related evidence, the ruling addressed other materials as well. The judge approved the inclusion of fan comments posted on Durk’s X account to support prosecutors’ argument that he faced public pressure to retaliate for King Von’s death — pressure they claim led him to target Quando Rondo. Additionally, Durk’s 2023 remarks about that pressure during an appearance on DJ Akademiks’ podcast will also be permitted in court.
