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Recently, a rumor surfaced online that OTF Jam, the member of Lil Durk’s record label who reportedly wore a wire around him, was shot dead. The claim first emerged on the social media platform X as a video, and was shared by the user Lil Rico (@IAmLilRico) in the early hours of November 4.
“Otf Jam Fatally Shot & Killed….” the post was captioned.
The 1-minute and 12-second video earned severe traction online, with over 216,800 views in a few hours. It showed an ambulance at a crime scene where a middle-aged black man kept screaming, “No” and “Let me go” to the first responders. While the ambulance soon left the scene, a bike with two men followed it.
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Meanwhile, the camera also captured a car with broken windows and visible holes as investigators were inspecting the scene, where a drive-by-shooting appeared to have taken place.
While the video is genuine, the claim that OTF Jam was fatally shot has turned out to be fake. Instead, it was a New York-based drill rapper by the name of CJ Rilla, as evident from the original video shared by the YouTube channel LLN NYC.
OTF Jam was not shot and killed
Recently, footage emerged online that showed law enforcement officers, first responders, and the public, present at a crime scene. While several X users claimed it was the clip from the fatal shooting of Lil Durk’s Only The Family (OTF) collective member OTF Jam, that is untrue and must be debunked.
The original and longer version of the video, shared by the LLN NYC channel on YouTube on October 29, revealed two middle-aged African American men, the first calling out to someone named “CJ” from outside of an ambulance, and the other lying on the road crying.
It appeared that the person inside the ambulance was either unconscious or deceased from a shooting, and his family members were pining for him, as the cops and emergency responders tried to calm them down. Later, as the ambulance went on its way to the hospital, the two men followed oin their two-wheeler.
The 6-minute and 26-second YouTube video, which earned 44,814 views at the time of writing, was captioned, “16-Year-Old Drill Rapper CJ Rilla Fatally Shot In Harlem.” The description is further elaborated with a statement from the New York Police Department.
“NYPD: On Thursday, October 24, 2024, at approximately 0137 hours, officers responded to a 911 call of a male shot at West 124 Street and Lenox Avenue, within the confines of the 28 Precinct. Upon arrival, officers observed a 16-year-old male with a gunshot wound to the torso. EMS responded and transported the victim to NYC Health and Hospitals/Harlem where he was pronounced deceased,” it read.
The description further added:
“The Medical Examiner will determine the cause of death. There are no arrests and the investigation remains ongoing. The deceased has been identified as Jones, Clarence, 16-year-old male, New York, NY.”
Thus, the rumor on X that OTF Jam was shot and killed is untrue.
In brief, exploring the snitching allegations against OTF Jam amid Lil Durk’s arrest
On October 25, Chicago rapper and OTF label founder Lil Durk was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals in South Florida reportedly for a murder-for-hire plot against Atlanta rapper Quando Rondo, in retaliation for his friend and late OTF associate King Von’s November 2020 murder. While Rondo escaped unhurt, his cousin Saviay’a Robinson, aka Lul Pab, got caught in the crossfire and was fatally shot in Los Angeles in August 2022.
In the wake of Lil Durk’s arrest, rumors arose that OTF Jam allegedly “snitched” on his label owner by wearing a wire around him. For instance, internet personality and streamer DJ Akademiks took to Instagram to suggest:
“He [OTF Jam] reportedly served a 12-year sentence in prison and came home and then got booked shortly on a gun right after allegedly Durk gave him $50k as a coming home gift.”
Similarly, music manager and hip-hop commentator Wack 100 claimed during a conversation with DJ Vlad on VLADTV:
"He [OTF Jam] did 12 years, got out, interviewed, said he kept it real. [Lil Durk] brought him cars, gave him 50,000. Made mention that ain’t no smudge on his name. He [OTF Jam] ain’t never been a rat, caught a gun case, but eventually, he flipped," Wack 100 noted.
DJ Vlad agreed and added, "He had allegedly been wearing a wire for the last two years."
The speculation surrounding OTF Jam emerged after the federal indictment against Lil Durk and five other members of OTF who were also arrested as part of the murder-for-hire plot was unsealed. As per the court documents, an OTF member worked as a federal informant for years.
However, neither the indictment nor the criminal complaint against Lil Durk mentioned Jam by name. No other link between the former’s arrest and the latter has also been found, except the unsubstantiated claim that Durk reportedly got OTF Jam’s baby mother killed because he allegedly wore a wire around him.
However, last week, DJ Akademiks shared an image of OTF Jam with McDonald’s food in front of him. While he asked netizens to “Caption this,” the internet went ahead and speculated he was in the interrogation room about Durk’s ongoing case, while snacking and looking at the surveillance camera.
Jam, whose real name is Kacey Hester, was found guilty of attempted murder in 2010 and spent 12 years in prison. He was released in February 2022. Subsequently, in May 2023, he was again arrested. So far, the status of his case remains undisclosed.
