Grammy-winning rapper Lil Durk was acquitted Friday of all charges in a federal murder-for-hire case accusing him of orchestrating a revenge killing targeting rival rapper Quando Rondo. Durk, whose real name is Durk Banks, was accused of ordering and financing a 2022 shooting at a Los Angeles gas station near the Beverly Center. Prosecutors alleged that Banks put a bounty on Rondo, born Tyquian Bowman, in retaliation for the 2020 killing of Banks’ close friend and fellow rapper Dayvon “King Von” Bennett outside an Atlanta nightclub. The alleged hit, however, resulted in the death of Rondo’s 24-year-old cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, who prosecutors said was mistakenly targeted. Two co-defendants, Deandre Dontrell Wilson and David Brian Lindsey, were acquitted of murder-for-hire-related charges but convicted of conspiracy to commit stalking, stalking with a dangerous weapon and stalking resulting in death. Banks was found not guilty on those charges as well. Prosecutors had portrayed the 33-year-old rapper as the leader of a violent criminal organization connected to his music label, Only the Family, alleging that its associates were involved in robbery, murder and drug trafficking. Banks, who won the 2024 Grammy for Best Melodic Rap Performance for “All My Life,” was arrested at a Florida airport in October 2024 after five other suspects were charged. He has maintained his innocence, while his defense argued that a former personal assistant independently arranged the attack in an effort to impress him. Despite Friday’s acquittal, Banks will remain in federal custody and faces another trial scheduled for October 5 on separate murder-related racketeering and weapons charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles. Wilson and Lindsey are also expected to face trial on those counts. The former assistant and two other associates who were initially indicted alongside Banks reached plea agreements and testified for the prosecution during the case. Following the verdict, supporters of the Chicago-born rapper gathered outside the downtown Los Angeles federal courthouse, celebrating his acquittal.

Chicago drill rapper Bloodhound Q50, a 22-year-old artist also known as Q50 on social media, was killed after being shot early Sunday morning in Chicago’s Fuller Park neighborhood, according to police. Authorities said Q50 was sitting in the driver’s seat of his vehicle in the 4200 block of South Wentworth Avenue when two vehicles pulled alongside him and occupants opened fire. The victim suffered gunshot wounds to the chest and shoulder and was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said more than 50 rounds were fired, with at least six individuals believed to have participated in the attack. Investigators said the suspected getaway vehicles were a black Acura sedan and a silver Honda Accord, both of which fled toward the Dan Ryan Expressway. Police have not publicly confirmed the victim’s identity, and a medical examiner’s report had not yet been released. Social media posts connected to the shooting identified the rapper as Mikquale Cooper, born August 6, 2004. No arrests have been announced, and police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting while asking anyone with information to come forward. Cooper had been building a profile within Chicago’s drill scene and released his album Get Back or Die Trying on his 22nd birthday last month. The project featured Bloodhound Lil Jeff, another Chicago drill artist who was killed last year. Q50 also performed at Rolling Loud in Orlando this year and was interviewed by DJ Vlad in 2025, who described him as one of the most media-trained young artists he had spoken with. A false report claiming Q50 had been killed in St. Louis circulated in August 2025, but the rapper later confirmed on social media that he was unharmed.

A California appeals court has rejected Jay-Z’s attempt to revive his extortion and defamation lawsuit against Texas attorney Tony Buzbee, who previously represented a woman accusing the rapper of sexually assaulting her when she was 13. The allegations, which also named Sean Combs, were ultimately dismissed. In a unanimous 24-page ruling, California’s Second Appellate District concluded that Buzbee did not act with malice when he pursued the claims against Jay-Z, whose legal name is Shawn Carter. Associate Justice Anne Richardson wrote that there was no evidence Buzbee knowingly made false accusations or acted with reckless disregard for their truth. Instead, the court said declarations submitted by Buzbee indicated that investigations conducted by his firm and a referral firm led him to believe the allegations were credible. The court also determined that Buzbee’s demand letter to Carter was protected by litigation privilege because a lawsuit was genuinely being contemplated in good faith. Buzbee welcomed the ruling in a statement, arguing that sending a demand letter before filing a lawsuit does not constitute extortion. Carter filed his lawsuit against Buzbee in late 2024, alleging the attorney knew the accusations were false and had sent two demand letters seeking money to settle the matter privately. After Carter declined to participate, Buzbee publicly identified him as the previously unnamed defendant in the woman’s lawsuit. Carter’s appellate attorneys did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Detroit News reports that Gladys Knight’s son, Shanga Hankerson, is raising concerns about his mother’s continued touring schedule, claiming her husband and manager, William McDowell, has no intention of significantly reducing the 82-year-old singer’s performances. Knight, the legendary “Empress of Soul,” announced Aug. 27 that she planned to cut back on touring. However, she continued performing following a Sept. 5 concert in Tulsa that was reportedly cut short. Hankerson alleges that Knight is being subjected to elder abuse and exploitation by McDowell, 68, and claims she has exhibited early signs of cognitive decline. “My belief and fear is that he intends to literally try to work her until she passes away,” Hankerson told The Detroit News. McDowell has acknowledged that Knight has difficult days but maintains that she has not been diagnosed with dementia and wants to continue performing. The Tulsa concert has become a particular point of concern. McDowell previously said he would evaluate the performance and “pull the plug” on future dates if Knight had a rough night. Concertgoer Paul Gregory Richard claimed on Facebook that Knight performed for only about an hour before the show ended early. Knight subsequently performed in Terre Haute and was scheduled for concerts in Cincinnati and Shipshewana. Her representatives did not immediately respond to The Detroit News’ request for comment.

Former Atlanta radio host Big Tigger, whose real name is Darian Morgan, will not be prosecuted over allegations that he shoved his wife during an argument, causing her to stumble headfirst into a door. Morgan was arrested in June on battery and child cruelty charges, but court documents confirm that the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office has decided not to move forward with the case. According to an arrest affidavit, Morgan and his wife, Alicia Brown, were arguing in their bedroom over text messages he had received from a female co-worker. Morgan was accused of using “force to move the victim” and shoving her, causing her to hit an office door. Following his arrest, Morgan stepped away from The Big Tigger Morning Show on Atlanta’s V-103, his longtime radio program. The legal issues surrounding the couple continued after Brown was arrested July 6 during a traffic stop on Interstate 85 near the South Carolina line. She was taken into custody on kidnapping and custodial-interference warrants connected to a 2019 missing-persons case in Baltimore. Brown has since filed a federal lawsuit against Fulton County Sheriff Patrick Labat, alleging the warrant was faulty because a judge had granted her custody of her children less than two weeks before her arrest. She says the warrant was later recalled and the charge was not prosecuted.

R&B singer Bilal is facing allegations from Jamila Raegan, the mother of his adult son Bashir, who claims the artist has left her to handle their son’s care on her own. In an emotional Instagram post, Raegan also accused Bilal, whose full name is Bilal Oliver, of abuse, alleging that she had spent more than half her life protecting him. “I’m not okay because I’ve spent over half of my life protecting an abuser,” she wrote before identifying the singer by name. Raegan said Bashir has multiple disabilities, including autism and bipolar disorder, and accused Bilal of showing “complete disregard” as she manages his needs. Raegan said she is receiving support from relatives, friends and members of her community but remains overwhelmed by the situation. “I am caring for him alone while his father continues to live his life,” she wrote, later adding, “I am breaking. I am not okay.” She did not provide specific details about the abuse allegation or explain what financial, emotional or caregiving assistance she believes Bilal has failed to provide. Bilal briefly appeared to respond to the controversy in a comment on an Instagram post from The Jasmine Brand, writing, “Wow. This is so sad,” but he has not directly addressed or denied the allegations. The claims contrast with Bilal’s previous public discussions about fatherhood and his relationship with his children. His 2010 song “Little One,” from Airtight’s Revenge, was inspired by his children and accompanied by a video centered on a family learning that their child is autistic. In a 2011 interview, Bilal discussed using music, drumming, exercise and dietary changes as ways of supporting Bashir following his diagnosis. Bilal, who rose to prominence with his 2001 debut album 1st Born Second, has gone on to build a respected career spanning R&B, jazz and progressive soul, collaborating with artists including The Roots, Common, Erykah Badu, Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé, Jay-Z and Robert Glasper.