Jurors were not asked to solve every mystery that has attached itself to Shakur’s death. Prosecutors did not argue that Davis pulled the trigger, nor did they need to prove who did. Their case was that he supplied the gun and helped direct the retaliation that ended with Shakur being shot just off the Las Vegas Strip. The defense countered by emphasizing what investigators lacked, including surveillance footage, phone records, or other physical evidence placing Davis inside the white Cadillac. Yet some of the state’s most consequential evidence came from Davis himself, through accounts he had repeated in interviews, in conversations with investigators, and in a memoir.

Read More: Keefe D Found Guilty In Tupac Shakur Murder Trial

That is what makes the conviction such a strange endpoint for one of Hip Hop’s most persistent mysteries. Davis spent years presenting himself as one of the few people still alive who could explain what happened from inside the story. His connection to Orlando Anderson and his repeated claims that he rode in the Cadillac gave his words a weight that conspiracy theorists and outside observers could never quite claim. Eventually, those same stories followed him into a courtroom.

A guilty verdict settles the question Nevada prosecutors put before the jury. However, it can’t erase the competing versions of the murder that have circulated since 1996, or the documentaries, interviews, and books that turned Shakur’s death into something larger than the criminal investigation itself. Tupac’s murder finally has its first conviction. What it does not have is the kind of ending capable of undoing everything built around it.

Keefe D Wasn’t Just Another Man With A Tupac Theory

Plenty of people have spent the last three decades claiming to know who killed Tupac Shakur. Former detectives have offered theories. Death Row associates have disputed one another’s versions of events. Documentaries and interviews introduced enough alleged insiders to make the case feel crowded with people who were somehow one conversation removed from the truth. Davis occupied a different position. He was Orlando “Baby Lane” Anderson’s uncle, a former leader of the South Side Compton Crips and, by his own repeated account, one of four men riding in the Cadillac when Tupac was shot.

That proximity is what made people listen. Davis was not working backward from police reports or recycling something he heard from somebody else. When he discussed the shooting, he described the night as someone who claimed to have witnessed it from inside the alleged murder vehicle. In a 2008 interview with investigators, he said he obtained the gun and passed it toward the back seat after the Cadillac pulled alongside the BMW carrying Tupac and Suge Knight. He identified Anderson as the shooter in that conversation, although the question of who fired the weapon remained outside what prosecutors ultimately needed to prove against Davis.

Read More: Keefe D Suffers Major Blow As Judge Allows 2008 Police Interview At Tupac Murder Trial

His connection to Anderson also made the account harder to dismiss as ordinary Tupac lore. The MGM Grand fight earlier that night was not a distant piece of the story to Davis. Anderson was his nephew, and prosecutors convinced jurors that the beating became the motive for retaliation. Davis’ descriptions put him with Anderson afterward, armed and looking for Tupac and Knight. Whatever contradictions emerged over the years, he was speaking about people in his own family and gang circle rather than inserting himself into a story populated by strangers.

Time made his position even more unusual. Anderson died in 1998. Terry “Bubble Up” Brown and DeAndre “Dre” Smith, the other men prosecutors said were inside the Cadillac, also died before Davis was charged. By the time Nevada prosecutors brought the case to trial, Davis was the only surviving member of the group alleged to have been inside the car. For anyone trying to reconstruct what happened there, his voice carried a kind of access that was increasingly impossible to find elsewhere.

Being Close To The Mystery Became Its Own Currency

Access to one of Hip Hop’s most infamous unsolved murders carried its own value, and Keefe D eventually understood how much people wanted what he claimed to know. His account had already entered the public record through Greg Kading’s Murder Rap, which drew from Davis’ protected conversations with investigators. When Davis began speaking for himself years later, he was stepping into an audience that had already spent decades demanding answers about Tupac’s death.

He acknowledged that during BET’s Death Row Chronicles. “People have been pursuing me for 20 years. Newspapers, magazines,” Davis said while explaining why he had finally become willing to speak publicly, per Sky News. He also described himself as the only person still alive who could tell what happened that night. It established the role he would increasingly occupy in the Tupac story. Davis was selling proximity that almost nobody else could offer.

Read More: Tupac Told Police ‘We’ll Take Care Of It’ After 1996 Shooting, Officer Says

His 2019 memoir made the proposition even clearer. Compton Street Legend did not market Davis simply as a former gang figure telling his life story. Its full title promised “street-level accounts” of the Tupac and Biggie murders, Death Row Records, and some of the most long-lasting controversies of 1990s Hip Hop. Promotional material emphasized his firsthand connections, while his growing list of television appearances became part of the reason readers were supposed to trust him. The mystery surrounding Tupac was no longer just something Davis knew about. It had become part of his public identity.

Then, VladTV showed how large the appetite could be. Davis’ first full interview with the platform in 2019 was split into multiple clips focused on Tupac, Orlando Anderson, Suge Knight, and Diddy, and the full conversation also promoted his memoir. VladTV later ranked Davis among its biggest interviews of the year, reporting roughly 12 million combined YouTube views across the interview and its clips. He returned in 2023 to revisit old claims and offer still more details about a murder he had already discussed extensively.

That is the currency Davis possessed. His access gave him authority, and the absence of a conviction kept that authority renewable. For years, there was always another unanswered question about Tupac’s murder. Keefe D had positioned himself as someone who could answer it.

The Stories That Made Keefe D Valuable Became Evidence Against Him

The bargain changed once Keefe D was charged. Publicly, his value had depended on the idea that he possessed firsthand knowledge no one else could offer. In court, his defense needed jurors to see those same interviews and memoir passages as exaggeration, performance or storytelling shaped by money and attention. The persona that had made him useful to documentaries, publishers and interview platforms suddenly became something his attorneys had to dismantle.

That reversal gave the prosecution an unusual advantage. They did not have to present Davis as a perfectly reliable narrator. His accounts changed over the years, and prosecutors acknowledged as much. What mattered to the state was that certain elements remained intact across versions, particularly his claim that he was involved in the retaliation after Orlando Anderson was attacked. His own archive gave prosecutors years of material to compare against itself.

The irony is difficult to miss. Keefe D spent years benefiting from audiences believing he knew the truth about Tupac’s murder. Once his freedom depended on it, the argument became that people had believed him too much. Jurors rejected that version and found him guilty in less than three hours. The storyteller had become part of the story he spent years helping keep alive.

A Guilty Verdict Still Cannot Untangle What Tupac’s Murder Became

A conviction can establish criminal responsibility without settling the story people have spent 30 years building around a murder. Keefe D is now legally responsible for Tupac’s killing, but that verdict does not make every account he gave over the years true, identify the gunman through a judicial finding, or erase the competing narratives that flourished while no one was being prosecuted. As Reuters noted after the verdict, prosecutors still have not publicly identified who fired the fatal shots.

The longer Tupac’s murder remained unsolved, the more people surrounding it became characters in a story that could be retold indefinitely. Former associates became interview subjects. Detectives became authors and documentary figures. Claims that might once have disappeared into old police files could be revived years later on television or YouTube. Keefe D was particularly effective inside that environment, but he did not create it. He became one of its most recognizable products.

Read More: Keefe D Demands An Appeal Following Conviction, Receives Sentencing Date

There is an uncomfortable consequence to all of that attention. Tupac can become secondary in conversations about his own murder. The focus shifts toward who was in the car, whose account changed, which investigator believed whom, and which new interview promises another revelation. A 25-year-old man was killed, yet nearly three decades without a conviction allowed the unanswered questions surrounding his death to become their own form of entertainment.

Keefe D’s conviction changes his place in that history, but it cannot dismantle the culture that grew around the absence of an answer. His attorney has already said the verdict will be appealed, and FOX5 Las Vegas reports that sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 13. The first conviction in Tupac Shakur’s murder is historic. Still, it can’t make 30 years of competing stories disappear.

The post A Guilty Verdict Still Doesn’t Bring Closure To Tupac’s Murder appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

The testimony also found Vonnie explaining how Lil Durk’s lyrics also connected to his plot for revenge. Prosecutors brought forth one particular bar (“If you can’t get the main n***a, then you better get his guy”) and asked Vonnie, “That’s what you did in LA, right?” Vonnie responded, “Accidentally, yes.”

Vonnie also revealed that he and Durk communicated during the hit as the alleged hitmen followed Quando Rondo around, with Vonnie saying, “We moving sloppy so far… It’s not really planned. It’s like a free-for-all.” When Durk asked if they “got him,” Vonnie said he wasn’t at the scene. However, Durk’s attorney, Drew Findling later applied pressure during cross-examination by playing a recording of jail call where Vonnie says it’s his “time to perform.”

This led to a contentious back-and-forth when Findling asked if his cooperation was for a reduced sentence. “You were hoping for home confinement,” Findling said.

“Same as your client,” Grant responded while maintaining that his testimony has been truthful.

Read More: How Hip-Hop Media Is Dividing Over The Lil Durk Trial

Vonnie Testifies In Durk Trial 

According to reports from Complex and additional reporting from Taylor Parise and youvegtMEL, he also detailed the first alleged attempted hit on Quando Rondo in Georgia in 2021.  Vonnie said that they initially began plotting on Quando Rondo’s whereabouts at Von’s Atlanta home hours after his death. He also testified that Durk expressed issues about people in his circle not taking immediate action. “I ain’t celebrating cause my dawg dead and nun happen,” Durk allegedly wrote. “I’m not putting a dollar up till mf show me it’s a team thing from this day on.”

Vonnie said that “everybody’s antennas went up” after they found out that Quando Rondo had a concert in Waycross, Georgia. Vonnie said that Durk told him to “put it together” shortly after within 48-60 hours ahead of the concert.

“We left our cell phones, had masks, guns, normal stuff, typical for when you’re going to commit a crime,” Grant said, according to youvegtMEL. There was footage shown in the courtroom from May 2, 2021 at 3:18 a.m. with Vonnie, MuWop and two others ambusing Rondo at a gas station, though Parise noted that Vonnie was the driver.

Elsewhere, Vonnie also testified that 6ix9ine’s constant mockery of Lil Durk over King Von’s death “drew more attention like lighter fluid to a fire.” “It’s already a problem, now this person is talking about it,” he said. 

Read More: How Hip-Hop Media Is Dividing Over The Lil Durk Trial

The post OTF Vonnie Reveals Lil Durk’s Reaction To Lul Pab Shooting, Details First Attempted Hit On Quando Rondo appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Release Date: September 2, 2026

Genre: Hip-Hop

Tracklist for B.I.L.L.Y

1. BLACK COFFEE
2. LABELS STILL CALLIN’
3. CRUCIAL ft. 1900Rugrat
4. LINDSEY
5. STILL A YOUNGBOY ft. Maxo Kream
6. BANDZ 2 MAKE
7. EYE LIED ft. Ski Mask The Slump God
8. FUCK FAIRYTALES
9. LOVE STORY
10. PARANOID
11. SHOTS
12. DENIM BLUES
13. STILL
14. TESTIMONIES
15. BILLY

The post B.I.L.L.Y – Album by Mike Dimes appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Release Date: September 2, 2026

Genre: Hip-Hop

Tracklist for Last Night Out

1. If I, Pt. 3 (feat. Ty Dolla $ign)
2. 2 Seater (feat. Desto Dubb)
3. Your Apartment (Raindrops) (feat. Wallie The Sensei)
4. White Lies
5. Fine China
6. Fill The Void
7. F Love
8. BTA (feat. Wallie The Sensei & Kalan.FrFr)
9. Cougar

The post Last Night Out – EP by 03 Greedo appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Its cultural influence over the world cannot be understated. In fact, people from other countries are covering the song and are going to great lengths to do so. Unfortunately, sometimes these lengths look a lot like cultural appropriation.

Case in point, a South Korean Air Force soldier by the name of Corporal Eom Jun performed “Not Like Us” and “tv off” during KFN (Korean Forces Network)’s Troop Support Train.

As you can see below, some of the flourishes from Kendrick’s Super Bowl performance were present. Furthermore, the soldiers’ outfit was very much a case of appropriation.

Read More: How Hip-Hop Media Is Dividing Over The Lil Durk Trial

Kendrick Lamar Covered In South Korea

While some on social media were impressed with what they were seeing, others felt as though they were being played with. “They hate us but love everything our culture offers,” one person wrote. Others simply felt as though this is an example of “Not Like Us” becoming corny. One X user even posted the infamous photo of white people wearing “Not Like Us” shirts at the Pop Out.

Whatever you may think of the performance, there is no denying that it’s simply another example of just how global this song is. Diss tracks have become Billboard hits in the past, but “Not Like Us” is on a completely different level. So much so that it can be easy to forget that at its core, it is one of the most brutal diss tracks in hip-hop history.

Let us know what you thought of the performance, in the comments below.

Read More: The 10 Most Iconic Nike Signature Shoes Of All Time

The post South Korean Air Force Soldier Accused Of Blatant Cultural Appropriation Following “Not Like Us” Performance appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

His tactics on the platform have certainly earned him lots of attention. Overall, the artist makes over $50K per week on the platform. More new fans continue to subscribe, and with more viewers comes more cash.

In fact, it appears as though Blueface is getting more brazen with what he is willing to say and admit while doing these streams. Last night, while streaming with Jaidyn Alexis, he made a truly baffling admission that is turning some heads.

As you will hear, he copped to putting peanut butter on his privates, and letting his dog lick it off. This happened many years ago, although his audience was still completely disgusted, and understandably so.

Read More: How 50 Cent’s Reebok Deal Changed Hip-Hop Sneaker Culture Forever

Blueface Continues To Stream

This kind of thing should not be a surprise to those who have been familiar with the Kick attention economy. It has become clear that the creators over there will do and say anything for a bit of clout. Blueface, despite his pre-established fame, is no exception. Even if his story is true, there is no doubt that he is click farming here.

Streaming is the new wave for artists. It pays better than the music industry, and there is less pressure to deliver good art. Antics are simply more lucrative than being creative.

Given Blueface’s success on the Kick platform, it is doubtful that he will stop with these stories anytime soon. At the end of the day, this is what the attention economy demands.

Read More: How Hip-Hop Media Is Dividing Over The Lil Durk Trial

The post Blueface Recounts Disgusting Story Involving A Chihuahua And Peanut Butter appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

According to TMZ, some of the body cam footage from the arrest has been obtained. In this body cam footage, Dex and the officer seemed to have a good rapport. They fist-bumped numerous times throughout the video. Furthermore, Dex had the cop impressed when he said he was performing at MGM Grand Garden Arena that night.

Interestingly, at one point in the video, Famous Dex even says that he was going to be performing with Future and Playboi Carti. As TMZ points out, this was not close to the truth. Carti was performing in Ireland, and Future did not have a scheduled concert.

Read More: How Hip-Hop Media Is Dividing Over The Lil Durk Trial

Famous Dex Name Drops Famous Rappers

As it pertains to the actual arrest, Dex was adamant with the officer that he did nothing wrong. He claims they never fought and that he never got physical. Dex also asked if he could go back to their hotel room to fetch some laptops and other belongings.

The police have alleged that Dex scratched and poked Rodriguez the day before his arrest. One day prior to that, Rodriguez accused Famous Dex of giving her a black eye and a busted lip after punching her in the face.

These are extremely serious accusations that Dex continues to deny. This is an ongoing legal case, and there have been few updates since the initial arrest and the subsequent body cam footage.

Stay tuned to HNHH for all of the latest news and updates.

Read More: Who Is Trim? Charleston’s New Rap Wild Card

The post Famous Dex Named Future & Playboi Carti During Domestic Violence Arrest appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Subsequently, Steel went to work on the Diddy trial. While Diddy was convicted of transportation for prostitution, he was acquitted on the sex trafficking and racketeering charges. This led to a 50-month sentence, with Diddy expected to come home in 2028.

Now, Steel is back in the courtroom, this time for the Lil Durk trial. The defense lawyer has been engaging in cross-examinations of people like OTF Jam, who are testifying against Durk.

Steel’s inclusion in the case has led to quite a bit of fanfare. In fact, outside of the courthouse this week, some fans who were there in support of Durk told Steel that he is certified by YSL, OTF, and now, OVO.

Read More: The 10 Most Iconic Nike Signature Shoes Of All Time

Brian Steel Heads To Court

While Steel has not done work for OVO, he has been mentioned by Drake on a few occasions. Of course, Drake even released a song called “Brian Steel” back in 2025. It just goes to show that Steel is becoming a cultural icon, in many respects.

Furthermore, it appears as though Drake might be funding part of Steel’s legal bill in this Durk case. Earlier this week, it was revealed that Drizzy was spending upwards of $1 million on this case. Meanwhile, Kanye West was also contributing a few hundred thousand dollars.

Lil Durk’s trial is expected to wrap up shortly as the defense and prosecution look to make closing arguments. In fact, there is a chance the trial is wrapped up by the end of the week.

Read More: How Hip-Hop Media Is Dividing Over The Lil Durk Trial

The post Brian Steel Given OVO Seal Of Approval Outside Lil Durk Trial appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

However, Young Thug’s lawyer Brian Steel is part of Durk’s defense team, and has been a major player throughout the trial so far. Some have wondered whether or not Steel’s inclusion in the trial was Thugger’s doing. After all, Durk initially just had Drew Findling, but added Steel later on.

On X, Thug clarified some things this morning. Firstly, he made it clear that he thinks it is unfortunate that bloggers are speculating on how much money was contributed. He says the bigger story is Durk’s friend’s telling on him. Secondly, Thug said Steel would not be on Durk’s case without him.

Read More: Who Is Trim? Charleston’s New Rap Wild Card

Young Thug Speaks Out

“N***a best friends on the stand saying he did serious shit “”lying”” and yall asking blogs who paid for lawyers lol if I didn’t say he was my brother my lawyer wouldn’t have even took the case,” Thug explained. “I sent Brian to get with him and take the case. Stop making me the bad guy and pray harder for him cause I am.”

These statements come amidst a difficult week for Lil Durk. OTF Jam, OTF Vonni, and Flacka have all taken the stand against Durk. Furthermore, closing statements are expected later today. This means a verdict could come sooner rather than later.

This is an ongoing story, so be sure to stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the music world.

Read More: How Hip-Hop Media Is Dividing Over The Lil Durk Trial

The post Young Thug Clarifies Role In Securing Brian Steel For Lil Durk’s Trial appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Osaka’s entrance piece was a gray, frayed hooded gown covered in newspaper clippings from her own career. Underneath, she wore a black tank top and skirt for the actual match. The custom look came from designers Tela D’Amore and Ev Bravado of Who Decides War.

She beat Anastasia Zakharova in straight sets to reach round 2. Osaka called the outfit her personal tribute to Iverson afterward. She said Nike pushed a basketball theme for this year’s collection, and she ran with it.

Iverson wasn’t just a random pick either. Osaka wore a shirt with his image on it before the tournament even started. She’s called him a trailblazer who reshaped how NBA players approach style entirely.

Read More: Upcoming Air Jordan 8 “New Orleans Hornets” Is Inspired By Chris Paul’s PE

Naomi Osaka Brought “The Answer” To Arthur Ashe

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by US Open (@usopen)

Iverson’s influence on fashion has always stretched way past basketball. His cornrows, headbands, and baggy fits helped define an entire era of style. Also that crossover into hip-hop and streetwear culture never really faded. Iverson is still one of the most influential NBA players of all time, and he hasn’t been in the NBA for 16 years.

Osaka’s tribute leaned into that legacy instead of copying his uniform outright. The hooded gown nodded to his off-court sweats more than his jersey. It’s the kind of reference that lands with anyone who grew up watching him.

Iverson noticed too. He posted about Osaka’s outfit on Instagram not long after her match ended. He called it an honor and said he can’t wait to meet her.

Osaka’s Grand Slam entrances have become their own kind of tradition lately. She’s referenced her family, her Japanese heritage, and now the NBA. Each one comes with a story attached, and this one clearly connected.

Read More: Air Jordan 5 “Laney” Officially Returning After 15 Years

The post Naomi Osaka Channels Allen Iverson-Inspired US Open Outfit appeared first on HotNewHipHop.