The mother of the slain Chicago rapper FBG Duck, LaSheena Weekly, filed a lawsuit against fellow rappers Lil Durk, the estate of King Von, among other high-profile defendants. Weekly is seeking justice for her son, Carlton Weekly-aka FBG Duck-and believes these figures were involved in a conspiracy leading to his murder in 2020. The suit also holds accountable major record labels, the City of Chicago, and private security firms as they have all contributed to her son’s death.
In an amazing turn of events, a multi-count lawsuit was filed in Cook County, piecing together a story of gang violence and music-industry connections with allegations of official negligence. The defendants include such well-known figures as Derrick “Lil Durk” Banks and the Estate of Dayvon “King Von” Bennett. The labels involve Alamo Records, Sony Music, Universal Music Group, and Empire Distribution. It has also named as defendants the City of Chicago, Dolce & Gabbana, and two security companies for failing to provide adequate security and medical assistance during and after his eventual shooting.
The root of the lawsuit encompasses allegations of gang affiliations and a conspiracy due to financial motives. The legal team for Weekly contends that Only The Family, Lil Durk’s record label, was a criminal organization that encouraged the use of violence among gang members, enriching themselves every time artists released diss tracks to extend the hostilities.
King Von had reportedly put a $100,000 bounty on FBG Duck’s head before his own November 2020 death. That is the core part of the suit, using the claim to point an accusatory finger at Lil Durk for being aware of and approving the plan. The daylight rape last August 2020 of FBG Duck, a popular figure in the Chicago rap scene, while shopping in the city’s most exclusive Gold Coast neighborhood was linked to a long-standing feud between the O Block faction of the Black Disciples gang and a rival Tookaville faction of the Gangster Disciples with which Duck was affiliated.
The lawsuit highlights this rivalry, insinuating it was made more bitter by diss tracks and gang-related tensions within the industry. Perhaps the lawsuit’s most incendiary allegations are against the music industry.
One claimed that OTF was a criminal enterprise that Lil Durk had headed, leveraging the violent artist personas for attention and income. Diss tracks popularly used among raving affiliated gang rappers took the fight further, culminating in Duck’s eventual assassination. The legal team for Weekly argues that the record labels involved failed to intervene in what was taking place and benefited instead from the violent imagery and culture that surrounded the artists.
Third-party defendants further include the City of Chicago and private security firms as negligent parties. Weekly claims that paramedics did not attend to her son more than 17 minutes after he was shot, a delay that cost him his life. Moreover, Dolce & Gabbana and its contracted security firms failed in their duty to provide adequate protection against violence in an area known to be a violent gang activity hotspot.
Although King Von is now deceased, an indictment asserted him to be one of the masterminds of the hit against FBG Duck. He was killed in November 2020 in Atlanta prior to trial or responding to the claims, but his estate remains a key defendant in the case.
In the lawsuit, it is basically mentioned that King Von’s leading role in the O Block gang, together with his involvement in putting a bounty on Duck’s life, was directly related to the eventual murder.
The potential legal and cultural implications of such a lawsuit, if won, could be far-reaching. Such a case might set a precedent in holding record labels and music executives accountable for their complicity in promoting or looking a blind eye toward acts of violence related to gang culture. This also begs questions about the responsibilities of cities and private security firms to protect people from gang violence, especially when those individuals are public figures.
