Topic / Subject
A judge will allow some Lil Durk lyrics and music-video screenshots into evidence in his upcoming murder-for-hire trial — while blocking other proposed material.

TL;DR
The court didn’t go all-in or all-out: a limited, edited set gets in, and the rest gets fought over again at a final hearing.

Key Details

• Per XXL, Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald approved four of the 13 lyric excerpts prosecutors sought and denied five.
• XXL says the judge edited portions of the approved excerpts and required prosecutors to explain probative value at trial.
• XXL reports the judge leaned toward screenshots instead of full music videos, with the door left open for potential inclusion of one video.
• XXL also reports two other items tied to motive were allowed: fan comments posted on Durk’s X account and statements he made on DJ Akademiks’ podcast.
• XXL reports another hearing is scheduled for Feb. 23, and trial is scheduled to start April 13, 2026.

Breakdown
This is the “lyrics on trial” debate in real time — and the judge’s ruling is basically: “some of it, carefully.”

From what XXL reports, the court is allowing a narrower set than prosecutors wanted, with edits, and with conditions. That’s a meaningful difference from the fear some fans have in these cases, which is that an artist’s entire catalog becomes a highlight reel for the state.

The music video piece is also telling. If the judge prefers screenshots over full clips, it limits the emotional punch and keeps things closer to specific, arguable points rather than full visual narratives.

The big picture: this isn’t over. The admissible universe can still change depending on what happens at the next hearing and how prosecutors argue relevance at trial.

What to Watch Next

• The Feb. 23 hearing results and what evidence gets finalized
• Whether the court allows any full video beyond screenshots
• How the prosecution explains relevance (and how the defense challenges it) once trial begins

Sources

• XXL — “Lil Durk’s Lyrics and Video Screenshots to Be Used Against Him at Murder-for-Hire Trial”
• Billboard — “Lil Durk Trial: Here Are the Song Lyrics the Jury Will Hear…”
• Rolling Stone — “Judge Bans Some Lil Durk Lyrics, Weighs Others…”

Comment
Should lyrics ever be used in court without a direct, proven link to the alleged crime?