The federal trial of rapper Lil Durk opened Monday in Los Angeles with prosecutors and defense lawyers painting starkly different pictures of the events leading to a fatal 2022 shooting. Durk, born Durk Banks, faces life in prison if convicted. He has pleaded not guilty.

Prosecution's Case: Revenge and a Coded Order

Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Weiner told jurors in his opening statement, "This is a case about revenge," as reported by Rolling Stone. Prosecutors allege Durk used "coded language" to dispatch a group of men to Los Angeles to carry out an execution-style hit on August 19, 2022. The intended target, they say, was rapper Tyquian Terrel Bowman, known as Quando Rondo.

The alleged motive, according to prosecutors, was "payback" for the November 2020 shooting death of Durk's close friend and protégé, King Von, outside an Atlanta hookah lounge. Weiner showed jurors video of the shooting and displayed a blue title card reading "Revenge," reported Rolling Stone.

Prosecutors claim the alleged hitmen ambushed Bowman at a gas station near the Beverly Center, firing at least 18 rounds, including from a machine gun. Bowman survived, but his cousin, Saviay'a Robinson, known as Lul Pab, was killed. HotNewHipHop reported that the prosecution painted a picture of revenge, depicting Durk as the "mastermind" behind the murder-for-hire plot.

The state also revealed that three co-defendants—Kacey "OTF Jam" Hester, Kavon Grant (OTF Vonni), and Keith Jones (Flacka)—have pleaded guilty and will testify as cooperating witnesses for the prosecution, as HotNewHipHop reported.

Defense: Durk Is the 'Big Fish' Scapegoat

In stark contrast, Durk's lawyer Marissa Goldberg argued that co-defendant Kavon Grant was truly "in charge" of the deadly shooting, as reported by Rolling Stone. Goldberg said Grant, who worked for Banks at his music label Only the Family, had access to Durk's business credit card. Grant told investigators he booked travel for the alleged hitmen at Durk's behest, Goldberg said, but "that wasn't true."

Goldberg told jurors that when authorities burst into Grant's door in October 2024, he realized his "only way out of jail" was to "minimize his own involvement" and give them someone bigger. "They were pressing him about a big fish, and he thought, 'Oh man…I've got an insurance policy,'" she said. She asserted that Grant organized the ambush for his own personal reasons, bought the shooters black ski masks at R.E.I., and procured plane tickets, hotel accommodations, vehicles, and weapons.

"Mr. Banks had nothing to do with it. He was not there. He had nothing to do with it," Goldberg told the jury.

According to HotNewHipHop, the defense also placed blame on OTF Vonni for King Von's death, quoting Von telling him, "Why did you let me get shot? Why don't you do something?" The defense further noted Vonni's alleged presence during the attempt on Quando Rondo's life in May 2021 and at the murder of Lul Pab in 2022. HotNewHipHop also reported that Durk's legal team includes Drew Findling and Brian Steel, both known for winning high-profile rap-related cases.

Trial Proceedings and Witnesses

Four witnesses took the stand on the first day, according to HotNewHipHop, who cited court reporter @youvegtMEL: a custodian of records for the 911 call, an LAPD detective, a patrol officer, and the medical examiner. Court proceedings were set to resume after a lunch recess.

The judge ruled that jurors can hear lyrics from Durk's songs "Pissed Me Off," "Who Want Smoke??" and "Ahhh Ha," including a specific lyric, as reported by Rolling Stone. The use of rap lyrics as evidence in criminal trials is controversial, with critics arguing the practice chills creative expression and reinforces racist stereotypes, the outlet noted.

A Familiar Face in the Gallery

In a separate development, TMZ reported that Machine Gun Kelly made an unexpected appearance at the trial, sitting in an overflow room at the downtown Los Angeles courthouse on Monday. TMZ, citing sources with direct knowledge, said MGK's appearance was unexpected, though he and Durk have history: MGK joined Durk onstage during his 2023 Amazon Music Live performance in Los Angeles. Durk has been behind bars since his October 2024 arrest in connection with the alleged murder-for-hire plot, TMZ added.