Lil Baby and his 4PF label amid speculation about a possible RICO case. The rumors grew stronger after Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis made a public declaration about filing additional high-profile RICO indictments in Atlanta in the same vein as the indictments filed against Young Thug, Gunna, and the remaining members of the YSL crew.
The actual name of Lil Baby is Dominique Armani Jones and he founded 4PF in 2017 and turned the label into a significant player in the music industry. The label, now owned by Motown and Capitol Records under the name Glass Window Entertainment, signed 42 Dugg and Rylo Rodriguez among others. Recent reports suggest that law enforcement authorities including the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) have implicated 4PF in the Crips gang and rumors have abounded that the label would be under investigation.
The possibility of another RICO case in the rap industry comes after Young Thug and YSL were charged in 2022 with the same accusations. Fani Willis has been vocal about targeting street gangs disguised as rap crews and adding to speculation regarding 4PF.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has listed 4PF as a criminal gang. Leaked reports suggest that numerous rap labels, 4PF included, have been under investigation for alleged involvement in criminal organizations. The gang unit of the Georgia PD Council has gone further to claim that Lil Baby and 4PF have been investigated in connection with a 2024 music video shoot in Atlanta that authorities believe incited gang violence and left several dead.
The Atlanta Police Department has also linked the fatalities of two 13-year-old boys to escalated gang violence between “Only My Family” (OMF) and 4PF. A music video shoot in the territory of a rival gang has been cited as the potential cause of the violence, although Lil Baby has not been named or charged in the incidents themselves.
In response to the rumors, Lil Baby has been defiant and responded to the speculation indirectly on social media. When a fan informed him about the possibility of RICO charges, he simply posted the words,
“Only God can judge me.”
Despite all the allegations leveled against him, Lil Baby has built a name outside the musical arena through philanthropy activities, job creation among the youths in Atlanta, and the formation of an investment club among Black entrepreneurs. His philanthropy activities starkly contrast with allegations regarding his participation in criminal activities and have questioned the fairness of allegations leveled against successful Black artists.
One of the key issues in such cases is the admissibility in court proceedings of rap lyrics. In the US and UK there has been growing controversy over whether lyrics—often art work—should be employed in criminal trials. It has been contended by many legal practitioners and hip-hop figures that arresting rappers based on what they write in songs constitutes racial prejudice and criminalises hip-hop culture unjustly.
There have been varied reactions to 4PF and Lil Baby rumors from within and outside the music industry. The fans have rallied to defend the rapper and called the rumors unsubstantiated attempts to bring down high-profile rappers. On the part of legal pundits, there have been calls to eschew speculation and to permit due process to run its course.
Even insiders in the industry have chimed in on the issue, with some believing that this is yet another case where authorities target rappers in the interest of cracking down on gangs and others stating that if criminality can be established, then justice will have to be served.
