Federal authorities have shed light on a striking link between Chicago rapper Lil Durk’s murder-for-hire case and the public statements of Los Angeles gang figure Big U regarding rapper Quando Rondo’s failure to “check in” before a deadly incident. This connection surfaced in court documents tied to Big U’s own legal troubles, where prosecutors pointed to the 2022 shooting death of Quando Rondo’s cousin as a real-world example of the consequences Big U had warned about when visitors to Los Angeles ignore local gang customs.
Big U, whose real name is Eugene Henley, faces charges filed in March 2025 for allegedly operating what prosecutors call a “mafia-like” enterprise. According to the Los Angeles Times, this organization required out-of-town entertainers and gang members to “check in” and pay a fee for protection while in Los Angeles. The Federal complaint claims that Big U’s group enforced this unwritten rule to maintain control over visitors and extract money from them, painting a picture of a structured system rooted in gang culture.
In these court filings, prosecutors referenced Big U’s earlier statements about the importance of this practice. He had specifically called out Quando Rondo, noting that the rapper contacted him after a violent 2020 clash tied to the death of King Von but was turned away because it was “too late.” The documents then tie this warning to a later event: the August 2022 murder-for-hire plot targeting Quando Rondo, which resulted in his cousin’s death and is now linked to Lil Durk.
Lil Durk, born Durk Devontay Banks, was arrested in October 2024 and charged with conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire. The case centers on a shooting near the Beverly Center in Los Angeles in August 2022. Prosecutors allege that gunmen, hired by Lil Durk, opened fire with the intent to kill Quando Rondo. Instead, the attack claimed the life of his cousin, Saviay’a Robinson. The motive, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, was revenge for the 2020 killing of King Von, a fellow Chicago rapper and close associate of Lil Durk. More details on the charges can be found in the official Justice Department press release.
Big U, a former leader in the Rollin 60s Neighborhood Crips, has long spoken about the need for outsiders, particularly those in the entertainment world, to “check in” with local figures when arriving in Los Angeles. In a 2021 interview with HotNewHipHop, he singled out Quando Rondo as an example of someone who didn’t follow this protocol properly.
“If I don’t answer the phone, it can be death for someone else,”
Big U explained, stressing the high stakes of ignoring these street codes. You can watch the full interview here. Federal prosecutors now point to this exact scenario playing out in the violent aftermath tied to Lil Durk’s alleged actions.
This connection, unveiled in the Federal case against Big U, highlights the deep ties between gang culture and the music industry. It shows how unwritten rules can carry deadly consequences and how legal battles are beginning to scrutinize these dynamics. For artists like Lil Durk and Quando Rondo, navigating these territories is part of their reality, often blurring the lines between their public personas and the street life they represent. The case also raises questions about the influence of figures like Big U, who straddle the worlds of community leadership and alleged criminal enterprise.
