What was the beef between King Von and Quando Rondo? History explored amid Lil Durk’s arrest on reported murder-for-hire

Chicago rapper Lil Durk, born Durk Derrick Banks, was arrested in Florida today (October 25). He's being held without bond at the Broward County jail, facing allegations of involvement in a murder-for-hire case.

Prior to Lil Durk's arrest, five individuals from Chicago were arrested and federally indicted in California over "murder-for-hire" charges connected to a 2022 retaliation shoot targetting rapper Quando Rondo.

News publications like Chicago Tribune and Complex have been reporting on a possible connection between these individuals, Durk's OTF Record Label, Quando Rondo, and King Von.

The charges in this case reportedly include conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, committing murder-for-hire involving a death and use of a machine gun in a violent crime resulting in death.

Florida's legislature allows for the death penalty in cases involving such crimes, meaning the indicted individuals could face capital punishment if convicted.

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What fueled the conflict between Quando Rondo and King Von?: Relationship revisited as OTF CEO Lil Durk arrested in Florida

The Chicago rapper King Von, an emerging talent signed to Lil Durk's OTF (Only The Family) Record Label, tragically lost his life at 26 in a November 2020 shootout. The shooting was a result of a physical brawl between Von and Quando Rondo outside an Atlanta hookah lounge.

While it's unclear as to what transpired between Quando and Von that night, both rappers were cited to be affiliated with opposing groups. Rondo later referenced the incident in his 2022 track featuring NBA Youngboy titled Want Me Dead, where he raps:

"Ha, my favorite opp dead, sister talk too much, no, I don't like the b---h / Lul Timmy rollеd her brother up, got steppеd on in some Nike kicks"

The official cover art for Quando Rondo and NBA Youngboy's 2022 record 'Want Me Dead' (Image via YouTube/@QuandoRondo)

A day after Von's passing, police arrested 22-year-old Timothy Leeks and charged the rapper, who goes by the alias Lul Tim, with felony murder while he was being treated for injuries at a nearby Atlanta hospital.

Last year, Tim's attorney Noah Pines confirmed all charges against the rapper had been dropped, with prosecutors believing his actions stemmed from an act of self-defense.

Lul Tim and Quando Rondo were allegedly close associates, which can also be inferred from the former's bars on Want Me Dead. Quando has also voiced his loyalty to Timothy online, stating:

"I’d die for this man… he’d do the same for me. He almost did. I take that sh*t to heart."

Since the shooting, Quando Rondo has maintained he was only "defending himself" from Von's physical attacks. His continued, seemingly indifferent, references to the incident through social media posts and lyrics suggest an unresolved tension between the two rappers.

Although several rumors detailing King Von and Rondo's beef have surfaced over the years, a few fans believe that the two were initially friends based on old resurfaced footage of both rappers hanging out in the past.

Von's murder supposedly ignited a major feud between Lil Durk and NBA Youngboy, Rondo's mentor, which lasted for several years until Gillie Da Kid requested both parties to settle their beef.

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Five Alleged OTF Affiliates indicted in "murder-for-hire" case

The indictment, unsealed on Thursday in the U.S. District Court, names the five individuals as Kavon London Grant, Deandre Dontrell Wilson, Keith Jones, David Brian Lindsey and Asa Houston.

Supposedly all five men were involved in the 2022 gas station drive-by shooting, in Los Angeles, where Quando was reportedly targeted in retaliation for the murder of King Von.

Although Rondo survived, his cousin Lul Pab sustained several gunshot wounds and was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. This attack came two years after Lil Durk's mentee King Von was murdered, in November 2020.

The indictment further alleges that these men were offered money from an unknown individual within OTF, after being suggested "lucrative music opportunities" if an assassination on Quando Rondo was successful.

Court documents state that the accused used a credit card linked to Lil Durk's OTF to book travel from Chicago to California, where they remained for several days before their assassination attempt. Prosecutors claim that Grant oversaw the entire operation, directing their efforts in tracking down Rondo.

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Unconfirmed reports are now linking Lil Durk's arrest to OTF member Jam. Online rumors suggest that Jam may have cooperated with the authorities by wearing a wire while around Durk and other OTF members, for several years.