Lil Durk to release new album ‘Deep Thoughts’ from prison ahead of trial
Chicago emcee Lil Durk is currently behind bars as he awaits a trial that could see him receive a life sentence. The ‘Barbarian’ rhymer has pleaded not guilty to charges of conducting a murder-for-hire operation. However, he has been incarcerated since November.
The ‘All My Life’ rapper recently announced that he will release a new album from behind bars entitled Deep Thoughts on March 28th. Durk made the announcement on March 17th via social media, where his team posted the artwork and the name for the first time after months of teasing.
The announcement also included a short trailer with the caption, “The streets still need me.” In the clip, fans can see Durk’s producers in the studio working on music while talking to the incarcerated rapper on the phone. On the phone, Lil Durk compliments his producers, saying he likes “the energy” of particular tracks on the project, and he thanks them for making “bigger and better changes” to the record.
The Deep Thoughts tracklist was also partially revealed, which included tracks like ‘Connect the Dots’, ‘Notebook’, ‘Untouchable’ and ‘They Wanna Be You’, which features Future. The Deep Thoughts artwork depicts Durk sitting in a jail cell facing a wall covered in graffiti. The emcee is incarcerated in reality and has been accused of directing a murder-for-hire plot that led to the fatal shooting of Georgia rapper Quando Rondo’s cousin at a Los Angeles gas station in 2022.
Durk is facing charges for conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, committing murder-for-hire resulting in death, as well as the use of, carry and discharge of firearms and a machine gun.
If he is found guilty of the allegations made against him, he could face life imprisonment or even the death penalty.
Durk was arrested and charged on October 25th 2024, alongside five of his OTF affiliates. The arrest pertained to the 2022 murder of Saviay’a Robinson, who is the cousin of Atlanta lyricist Quando Rondo. The authorities have suggested that the murder was a retaliation to the killing of Chicago native and OTF member King Von in 2020.
Despite the allegations, there are many who are calling for his release, including fans, peers, and his loved ones. Even Afrobeats icon Burna Boy took to social media last year, writing, “The streets ain’t what it used to be. The old rules no longer apply. The way I see it, everybody is a civilian now… No more sliding, just sue your opps to court and take they money [Laughing Emoji].”
He has pled not guilty.