OTF Jam, a longtime associate of Lil Durk, took the stand Thursday and testified that the Grammy-winning rapper orchestrated a 2022 murder-for-hire plot targeting rival rapper Quando Rondo—a shooting that left an innocent man dead. Kacey Hester, known as OTF Jam, admitted he was one of three masked gunmen who fired 18 bullets at Rondo's car, killing his cousin Saviay'a Robinson (Lil Pab) instead. Now a cooperating witness, Hester's testimony marks a dramatic turning point in a case that has gripped the hip-hop world and exposed the deadly intersection of rap beef and street gang warfare.
The Shooting That Went Wrong
Hester described the August 2022 ambush as "sloppy" and said he never felt good about it. The group followed Rondo's Escalade to a West Hollywood gas station, then drove down an alley. Co-defendant David Lindsey jumped out first and opened fire from a distance, catching Hester off guard. "I'm used to walking up on people," Hester testified. The shooters ran back to a stolen car and sped away, later switching vehicles where Kavon Grant and Deondre Wilson were waiting—with Wilson on the phone with Lil Durk.
According to Hester, Durk wanted a play-by-play: "Did somebody get hit? How many times did you shoot? What did you do?" The rapper had allegedly promised a $500,000 to $1 million reward for killing Rondo. Hester said he was never paid, though he did get $10,000 for recording a track with Durk.
Why OTF Jam Turned Witness
Hester's decision to testify against his former friend is a seismic break in street code. He said the confession came after a 2023 gun charge arrest; he handed officers a note reading, "I know about murders. I don't wanna talk on camera. I know a lot." On the stand, he explained: "I had to get it off my chest. It was weighing on me."
Despite the betrayal, Hester admitted he still loves Durk. "What he did for me, you can't forget that. I still got love for him, I just got no respect for him. He probably hate me now."
The Gang War Behind the Music
Prosecutors say the motive traces back to the 2020 killing of Durk's close friend and fellow rapper King Von (Dayvon Bennett). Quando Rondo was allegedly involved in that Chicago shooting, and later celebrated Von's death in a rap song—escalating a feud between the Black Disciples gang (Durk's Lamron 300 clique) and Rondo's rival set. Hester testified that the hit was retaliation, pure and simple.
The trial has drawn celebrity spectators, including a surprise appearance from Ye (formerly Kanye West), who watched testimony for two hours in black leather pants. Durk's attorney Brian Steel grilled Hester as a "coward" and a violent criminal, suggesting he was testifying for a reduced sentence. Hester insisted: "Nothing was ever promised to me. I could still get life."
What Comes Next
Hester will retake the stand Friday. Two other shooters—Keith Jones and Kavon Grant—are expected to testify later. Lil Durk, who has pleaded not guilty to murder-for-hire charges alongside Lindsey and Wilson, maintains he had nothing to do with the planning, blaming Grant instead. The trial is likely to expose more details about how rap rivalries turn into real-world violence—and whether a superstar can be held accountable for the bodies left behind.
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