Lil Durk’s family has publicly criticized the government’s approach in his ongoing murder-for-hire case, particularly the use of the rapper’s lyrics as evidence. In a statement shared on Instagram, the family condemned what they described as the presentation of “false evidence” to the grand jury in order to indict the rapper. They wrote: “The recent developments in Durk’s legal case have brought a harsh truth to light: the government presented false evidence to a grand jury to indict him. This isn’t justice. That’s a violation of the very system that’s supposed to protect all of us.”
The statement emphasized Durk’s artistic expression and the unfair treatment of Black musicians: “Durk has always used music to tell stories, to express pain to heal—and yet those same lyrics are now being used against him. We refuse to stay silent as Black artists continue to be criminalized for their creativity. Rap is art.” His family called on the community to stand by him during this time: “As a family, we are asking the public, the fans, and the culture to stand with us. Stand for truth. Stand for fairness. Stand for The Voice.”
Despite the prosecution’s reliance on Durk’s music to build their case, his defense team argues those same lyrics may actually support his innocence. They state that the lyrics referenced in connection to an attack on rapper Babyface Ray, from the song “Wonderful Wayne & Jackie Boy,” were written months prior to the alleged incident, discrediting the timeline presented by the government.
His lawyers assert that the indictment is based on misrepresented or manipulated information, which “undermines the integrity of the grand jury’s true bill against Mr. Banks.” They request that the Court dismiss the Superseding Indictment due to this misrepresentation.
In a separate motion for pretrial release, the defense also highlights how edited content made by internet users — not affiliated with Lil Durk — is being used against him. One example includes a fan-made video that overlays Durk’s lyrics with footage of rival rapper Quando Rondo, which prosecutors claim might hint at another uncharged crime. The defense counters this, stating: “It is unfair, misleading, and just flat-out wrong for the government to suggest that Mr. Banks is responsible for these video/audio edits or that they evidence his purported commercialization of a murder that he supposedly ordered.”
