In a bizarre turn of events in the continuous soap opera that seems to be playing out within Chicago’s drill music scene, five men have been federally indicted by prosecutors for alleged ties with Lil Durk’s Only The Family-OTF-crew, along with an association with a murder-for-hire plot against Quando Rondo’s cousin, Saviay’a Robinson. The indictment, which emerged from a U.S. In a detention memo filed in US District Court, prosecutors contend that defendants masterminded a shooting in Los Angeles last August in retaliation for the 2020 killing of rapper King Von, who was shot and killed during an altercation in Atlanta involving Quando Rondo’s associate, Lul Timm.
The defendants charged are Kavon London Grant, aka “Vonnie”, Deandre Dontrell Wilson, aka “DeDe,” Keith Jones, aka “Flacka”, David Brian Lindsey, aka “Browneyez,” and Asa Houston, aka “Boogie”. They face very serious charges, including conspiracy to commit murder for hire. According to the indictment, the defendants used OTF resources to book flights and purchase firearms for the killing, which tragically took Robinson’s life instead of her cousin.
It all came to a head in the ambush that took place in West Hollywood this past August. At the time, Quando Rondo-legal name Tyquian Terrel Bowman-was riding along with his sister and cousin in a black Cadillac Escalade. Gunmen opened fire on them; the result was the tragic shooting death of Robinson, 24 years young. Bowman and his sister emerged unscathed from the attack.
Indictment documents painted Grant as key to the operation, providing guns and two rental vehicles for the carrying out of the attack. It said he even booked a hotel room for the co-conspirators in the days leading up to the shooting. Security cameras captured the attackers following Bowman’s car in both a white BMW and a white Infiniti through multiple locations in Los Angeles.
Connection to King Von’s Death
A violent plot unfolding against the backdrop of near-continual conflict and rivalry within the Chicago drill rap community since King Von’s murder on November 6, 2020. Dayvon Bennett, aka Von, was killed outside a hookah bar in Atlanta in an incident that has since fed very strong fights between the different opposing factions. Federal officials said Quando Rondo was the intended target because he is suspected of murdering Von. According to the government, an unnamed co-conspirator-a member of OTF-offered significant cash payments and record deals to anyone who could commit the Bowman hit.
As noted, the indictment is rather specific in detailing how the defendants conspired to make this attack possible. Essentially, it is believed, according to this indictment, that Houston drove into an alley to drop off Jones, Lindsey, and another unidentified individual to allow them to ambush Bowman after going to a gas station. The masked gunmen, while in this confused state, fired upon Robinson instead of his target.
Legal Proceedings and Federal Investigation
The five suspects-who made their first appearance in Dirksen U.S. Courthouse in Chicago-were ordered detained by U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeffrey Gilbert. Authorities said they will be taken to Los Angeles as the case proceeds. The latest indictment in a line of OTF facing scrutiny over an outbreak of violence within the drill rap scene.
The indictment brings into full view the alleged murder-for-hire scheme, but even more, it puts into perspective the greater implications of gang culture and violence throughout the hip-hop world. As federal investigators begin to take a closer look at OTF’s activities, they are investigating how the group is connected to multiple acts of violence, including recent complaints filed by the mother of FBG Duck, another Chicago drill rapper murdered in 2020, alleging Lil Durk and his cohorts were involved in the shooting of her son.
Also Recommended Read : Paul Di’Anno, Early Iron Maiden Frontman, Dies at 66
Lil Durk's Influence on Drill Music
Lil Durk is a co-founder of OTF, which cut its teeth as part of the genre’s forebearers and helped shape Chicago’s drill sound into what it is today/raw street depictions and chronicling gang wars. As serious as his legal situation and pending investigations are, Durk has made headlines in recent years for some of his philanthropy. Most recently he was given the keys to the cities of Broadview and Bellwood in Cook County, Illinois, due to his work through the Neighborhood Heroes Foundation to bring positive change to under-resourced neighborhoods.
The duality of Durk’s legacy, however, remains one that is still debated today. Having risen through the ranks via tracks that often spoke to violence in gang culture, many of his records reflect this.
With the trial dates approaching, the outcome of this highly publicized case-which further points to the many complexities and pitfalls the hip-hop community is confronted with-remains to be seen. Meanwhile, with the continuous investigation into OTF’s activities, the entire aftermath that still goes on since King Von’s tragic death, the future of Lil Durk and his associates remains in limbo.
