A statement was released to Lil Durk‘s Instagram as the rapper remains behind bars pending trial for murder-for-hire. In a social media post, the message claimed that the “government presented false evidence” to secure an indictment against the Chicago musician.
“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,” explained the video. “This isn’t justice. That’s a violation of the very system that’s supposed to protect all of us.”
The statement continued to detail, “Durk has always used music to tell stories, to express pain to heal—and yet those same lyrics are now being used against him,” adding, “We refuse to stay silent as Black artists continue to be criminalized for their creativity. Rap is art.”
Lil Durk performs during iHeart Powerhouse 105.1 at Prudential Center on October 28, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey.
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for iHeartRadio
In the end, the memo pleaded with the rapper’s followers and asked, “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.”
Lil Durk, legal name Devontay Durk Banks, was arrested in October 2024 and the following month he was officially charged with “one count of conspiracy, one count of use of interstate facilities to commit murder-for-hire resulting in death, and one count of using, carrying, and discharging firearms and a machine gun and possession of such firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death.”
In December 2024, the Grammy winner was denied bond as he pleaded not guilty to the federal charges.
Earlier this year, the rapper’s legal team claimed prosecutors provided the grand jury with “false evidence,” and filed to have the indictment dismissed.
“The government told the grand jury that Mr. Banks, through specific lyrics in his music, celebrated and profited from a revenge murder that he had ordered,” explained lawyer Drew Findling in the filing. “That claim is demonstrably false,” he continued, noting that the song “Wonderful Wayne & Jackie Boy,” a collaboration with Detroit rapper Babyface Ray, was “written “seven months before the incident even happened.”
Earlier this week, the “Backdoor” rapper called Akademiks from behind bars with an update for fans.
“I’ve been good, man. Mentally, spiritually, I been on top of my sh*t,” exclaimed the 32-year-old. “I’ll be back out there, you hear me?” adding “Thank you—I need all the prayers. I appreciate you.”
He continued, “Ain’t nothing changed, bro. I’ve just been focused on life, my family. I’m trying to learn Arabic in here…A couple guys in here that know how to speak Arabic fluently, so I’ve been picking up words, just tightening up my Arabic. Just building knowledge.”
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