Lil Durk Allegedly Texted “We Got the Location” Weeks After King Von’s Death, Trial Evidence Resurfaces
An alleged text message attributed to rapper Lil Durk has resurfaced ahead of his federal murder-for-hire trial, with the message reportedly containing the words “we got the location” in reference to Quando Rondo.
The message has drawn renewed attention because it was allegedly sent only weeks after the 2020 killing of Chicago rapper King Von, a close friend and longtime associate of Durk.
According to reports, the text was recently highlighted as potential evidence ahead of Durk’s federal trial. Prosecutors allege that the rapper later helped orchestrate a retaliatory attack targeting Quando Rondo in Los Angeles.
Durk has pleaded not guilty and denies the allegations against him. The resurfaced message, therefore, should be understood as an alleged piece of evidence in a criminal case rather than proof of guilt.
The reported message reportedly appeared in a text chain discussing New Year’s celebrations.
According to the report, Durk allegedly wrote that he was not celebrating because King Von was dead and nobody was doing anything, before referring to Rondo and saying, “we got the location.” The message has since circulated widely online as prosecutors prepare to present their case.
The timing of the alleged communication is central to the renewed attention.
King Von was killed in November 2020 following a confrontation outside a nightclub in Atlanta. His death deeply affected Durk, who had been one of Von’s closest musical collaborators and friends.
Prosecutors have argued that the aftermath of Von’s death provides important context for their case against Durk.
Federal authorities allege that Durk became motivated by a desire for retaliation against Quando Rondo, who was present during the confrontation that resulted in Von’s death.
Rondo was not charged with killing Von, and the prosecution’s theory about Durk’s alleged motive remains contested.
The later Los Angeles shooting is at the center of the federal case.
In August 2022, Quando Rondo was attacked at a gas station in Los Angeles. Rondo survived the shooting, but his cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, known as Lul Pab, was killed.
Prosecutors allege that the attack was a retaliatory murder-for-hire plot connected to Durk.
According to prosecutors, several people traveled from Chicago to California as part of the alleged operation. Investigators have also pointed to financial and logistical evidence that they say connects Durk to the people accused of carrying out the attack.
The alleged “we got the location” message is significant to prosecutors because it could potentially be used to demonstrate that Durk was tracking Rondo’s whereabouts.
However, the precise meaning of the message will ultimately be a matter for the court and the jury to consider.
A text message can have different meanings depending on its surrounding conversation, the people involved and the circumstances in which it was written.
The defense is expected to challenge the government’s interpretation of evidence and argue that prosecutors cannot establish beyond a reasonable doubt that Durk participated in the alleged conspiracy.
Durk’s legal team has consistently disputed the government’s accusations.
The federal case has attracted enormous attention because of Durk’s status as one of Chicago’s most successful rappers and because of his close relationship with King Von.
The prosecution has also sought to introduce other evidence concerning the rapper’s reaction to criticism surrounding Von’s death.
According to reporting on the case, prosecutors have been permitted to use portions of an interview involving DJ Akademiks, 6ix9ine and Wack 100. The government says the material could help explain the pressure Durk allegedly faced after Von’s killing.
In the interview, 6ix9ine reportedly criticized Durk over the lack of an apparent response following Von’s death.
Prosecutors contend that Durk saw the discussion and was angered by the perception that he had failed to retaliate.
Durk’s lawyers have challenged that interpretation, including the suggestion that he had watched the interview.
The judge nevertheless ruled that portions of the material could be presented to jurors.
The prosecution’s case extends beyond the alleged text message.
Federal prosecutors have cited alleged communications, financial records, travel arrangements, photographs and other material obtained during the investigation.
They have also pointed to an alleged message in which Durk instructed an associate not to book flights using names connected to him.
The government argues that the collection of evidence demonstrates coordination surrounding the alleged attack.
The defense, meanwhile, faces the task of challenging the government’s interpretation of those individual pieces of evidence and demonstrating that they do not establish Durk’s guilt.
The trial is expected to receive significant attention from both the music industry and the wider public.
Durk has remained one of the most prominent figures in Chicago hip-hop, and his career has been closely connected to the rise of the Only The Family, or OTF, collective.
King Von was among the most successful artists associated with that movement before his death.
The relationship between the two rappers has remained an important part of their respective legacies.
Von’s death also became one of the most consequential events in the Chicago rap community, particularly because of the violence and rivalries that surrounded several artists.
The federal case against Durk has brought renewed scrutiny to the events that followed.
The alleged Lil Durk “We Got the Location” text is now receiving particular attention because of its reported timing and its alleged reference to Quando Rondo.
Still, the existence of an alleged message does not by itself establish what Durk intended or whether it was connected to a later crime.
Those questions will be central to the legal proceedings.
The trial will also require prosecutors to connect the alleged communications to the August 2022 shooting in Los Angeles.
That means establishing not only what was allegedly said but also who received the messages, what actions followed and whether the evidence demonstrates that Durk knowingly participated in a murder-for-hire conspiracy.
For the defense, challenging those connections could be crucial.
Durk’s case illustrates how text messages and social-media material can become important evidence in modern criminal trials.
Messages that may have appeared private when they were sent can later become central exhibits when investigators obtain access to phones or cloud accounts.
The alleged message involving the phrase “we got the location” is one example of how a short communication can acquire major significance when prosecutors interpret it alongside other evidence.
As jury selection begins, attention will remain focused on how prosecutors present the alleged message and how Durk’s attorneys respond.
The government will attempt to demonstrate a connection between the rapper’s alleged desire for retaliation after Von’s death and the later shooting involving Rondo.
The defense will have an opportunity to challenge that narrative and present its own interpretation of the evidence.
For now, the resurfaced message remains an allegation attributed to Durk and part of a broader federal prosecution.
The Lil Durk “We Got the Location” text has generated renewed discussion because it allegedly appeared weeks after King Von’s death and referenced Quando Rondo.
But the ultimate significance of the message will be determined in court.
Lil Durk has pleaded not guilty, and prosecutors must prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
As the trial moves forward, jurors are expected to hear evidence concerning the alleged text, the events surrounding King Von’s death, the 2022 Los Angeles shooting and the government’s broader theory of retaliation.
The proceedings could ultimately provide the clearest public examination yet of the events that unfolded after Von’s death and the allegations that followed against one of Chicago’s biggest rap stars.
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