Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles are now getting ready to bring OTF associate Kacey “OTF Jam” Hester as one of the crucial witnesses in the trial of Lil Durk for a contract killing case. The news has generated great interest just ahead of the date for jury selection, which will start around the middle of August.
The hip-hop press and sources in the courtroom have noted that Hester, aka Jam Will, is expected to narrate about a conversation in private during the shooting of a music video. In the version of the story that has been circulating on social media, Durk apparently called Hester into the bathroom where he told him to “chill” or stop killing people.
Lil Durk, whose legal name is Durk Banks, is the Chicago drill star and founder of the Only the Family collective. He faces federal charges tied to an August 2022 shooting at a Los Angeles gas station near the Beverly Center. Prosecutors allege he directed a hit on rival rapper Quando Rondo as retaliation for the 2020 killing of close friend and OTF affiliate King Von. Rondo survived. His cousin Saviay’a “Lul Pab” Robinson was killed.
Hester is a longtime Chicago OTF associate who served roughly 12 years for a 2010 shooting conviction and was released in early 2022. Reports have long linked him to the case as a potential cooperating witness, though early public filings did not name him outright and he has previously denied snitching allegations. Recent social-media and hip-hop coverage identify him as one of the prosecution’s protective witnesses expected to take the stand.
The additional information provided with the bathroom story includes allegations by which Durk had paid around $50,000 to Hester in connection with lyrics from his song called “Back Again.” This also included the obligation for loyalty on the part of Hester. There have been additional allegations regarding Hester’s recruitment related to the shooting of Lul Pab. This is all in regard to anticipated testimony based on media reports and transcripts but not unsealed court documents.
Lil Durk is presumed innocent until proven guilty and has pled not guilty to the charges. His legal representation is likely to dispute the validity of the testimony of any cooperator witnesses because of inducements and plea bargains that were involved. The government is going to introduce a variety of information, including phone information, financial transactions, and specific lyrics and videos.
The trial itself, and the cross-examination that follows, will decide whether the reported account is admitted, how the jury weighs it, and what weight it ultimately carries.
