One of the most important parts of the Lil Durk trial has been prosecutors and the defense team's arguments regarding his alleged motivation to allegedly order a hit on Quando Rondo, which Durk and his defense lawyers deny. There has been a lot of talk of the "Slide for King Von" narrative on social media, with prosecutors claiming Durk acted on it. On the other hand, though, the defense team argues he merely exploited this narrative for musical engagement, much like folks such as 6ix9ine who went viral from their commentary on this perception.
According to journalist Taylor Parise for Los Angeles Magazine, the defense officially rested in this case yesterday (Thursday, September 3), which quickly followed the prosecution resting their case against Lil Durk. The defense's last witness was Justin Gibson, the Chicago rapper's sound engineer who claimed he was living with him at the rented Encino house on the day of (and the day before) the shooting on Quando Rondo.
Per Trap Lore Ross, Gibson claimed 6ix9ine inspired the songs "Pissed Me Off" and "Ahh Haa" due to his comments about the "Slide for Von demands." According to Ross, the sound engineer claimed Smurk thought he could go similarly viral by feeding into the narrative and making money from the insinuations.
What's Next In Lil Durk's Trial?
Parise for LA Mag reported Gibson's claim that Durk was "[giving] the people what they want to hear" via lyrics on "Ahhh Ha." Regarding both tracks, which he worked on, Gibson claimed Durk took the opportunity to "say something about" fans' expectations.
During the prosecutors' cross-examination, Justin Gibson claimed he was aware that lyrics about "spinning" referred to shooting, but was unaware about an attempt on Rondo's life after a Georgia concert. He also reportedly claimed the lyrics "That Rolls better be bulletproof … you know we gon' shoot at them stars" could "possibly" be about Quando Rondo.
The sound engineer reportedly told attorney Michael Morse he "had no interpretation" of The Voice's lyrics and merely "wanted to record the music." Closing arguments will begin on Tuesday, September 8, if everything goes according to the current expected schedule.
6ix9ine's intense trolling of Lil Durk and his commentary on this whole situation over the years is not getting any less incendiary. But when it comes to how it's playing into the trial, both sides' arguments point to a narrative game of back and forth.
