Day: October 26, 2025

Lil Marlo‘s family is demanding answers from authorities, five years after the rapper was brutally gunned down, with no one ever being charged for the crime.

Now, his father, Rudolph Johnson, is demanding answers since the cops have not made a single arrest related to the homicide.

The Hip-Hop artist, born Rudolph Simmons Johnson IV, was only 30 when police found him shot to death inside a wrecked car on Interstate 285 near the Benjamin E. Mays Drive overpass on July 11, 2020.

Investigators believe he was targeted, but five years later, the case remains open, with no suspects in custody.

“We haven’t had closure yet,” Johnson told FOX 5 Atlanta. “It’s been a hard five years.”

The Quality Control Music signee had been in the studio the night he was killed. Around 11:30 P.M., someone opened fire as he drove, causing his vehicle to crash. His death left behind three children, now between the ages of 8 and 12.

“His mother called me and said, ‘Rudy is gone. He’s gone! He’s gone!’” Johnson said. “I wouldn’t want to believe it. I didn’t believe it and I couldn’t believe it.”

Lil Marlo, whose music was gaining traction in Atlanta’s Hip-Hop scene, had ambitions beyond music. According to his father, he wanted to use his platform to uplift his neighborhood and provide for his family.

“He wanted to use that to make things better, not just for him and his family, but also his community where he was from,” Johnson said.

Despite the case’s high profile and repeated media coverage, the investigation has stalled.

FOX 5 Atlanta reported that the Atlanta Police Department did not respond to multiple inquiries this week about the case’s status.

“We’re not gonna let this situation slide under the rug,” Johnson said. “I’m gonna get out and do whatever I can to make noise so that this case can be solved.”

The Fulton County Medical Examiner confirmed the rapper’s death, but the lack of movement in the case has left Johnson frustrated. His call for justice echoes the voices of many families across Atlanta still waiting for answers in unsolved killings.

“I just don’t understand how or why,” Johnson said.

He continues to urge anyone with information to come forward and contact Atlanta police, hoping that someone will finally break the silence.

​AllHipHop

Los Angeles-bred MC P.E.A.C.E., a member of Freestyle Fellowship along with Myka 9, Self Jupiter and Aceyalone, has died. Social media tributes started pouring in on Saturday (October 25).

Freestyle Fellowship posted from their official Instagram account, writing, “Rest well brother P.E.A.C.E You had a great heart and you were authentic. One of West coast Hiphop royal treasures. You will be surely missed my friend.”

Condolences from fellow members of the Los Angeles Hip-Hop community peppered each post—from Daddy Kev and Exile to the Visionaries and DJ Rhettmatic.

No cause of death has been revealed. AllHipHop has reached out to members of Freestyle Fellowship for more information.

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P.E.A.C.E. grew up mostly in L.A. and, after exploring instruments like the accordion and double bass, started rapping during high school years. Much like his crewmates, he honed his skills at The Good Life Cafe, a local open-mic venue South Central L.A.

Freestyle Fellowship’s first album, To Whom It May Concern…, was released in 1991 and highlighted their individual rhyming styles. Their second album, Innercity Griots, has been described as “an acknowledged underground masterpiece.”

P.E.A.C.E. released his first solo album, Southern Fry’d Chicken, in 2000 and followed up with Megabite in 2004.

In 2008, he was also featured in the award-winning documentary This Is the Life, which chronicled The Good Life Cafe’s impact on underground West Coast Hip-Hop.

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P.E.A.C.E. and his Freestyle Fellowship brethren played a groundbreaking role in shaping West Coast underground Hip-Hop by steering L.A. rap away from gangsta narratives toward a more experimental, lyrical and jazz-infused sound. Their aforementioned albums established the blueprint for West Coast alternative rap, influencing artists such as The Pharcyde, Hieroglyphics and even Bone Thugs-n-Harmony with their experimental cadences and harmonized flows.

In an era dominated by G-funk and commercial gangsta rap, Freestyle Fellowship helped build the foundation of L.A.’s underground Hip-Hop community, later embodied by the Project Blowed collective, their artistic home and one of the longest-running open mic workshops in the genre’s history.

AllHipHop sends our condolences to all of P.E.A.C.E.’s loved ones.

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​AllHipHop

Abdul Robinson Sr. faces a November 21 sentencing date after making the devastating decision to testify against his own son, Jacksonville rapper Ksoo, in a murder trial that ended with life sentences.

The 54-year-old father agreed to a plea deal requiring him to take the stand against Hakeem “Ksoo” Robinson in the Charles “Lil Buck” McCormick murder case.

During his testimony, Robinson Sr. identified his son as the shooter and admitted to helping burn the clothes worn during the crime.

“My son,” Robinson Sr. said after a long hesitation when asked to identify the shooter in dash camera footage shown to jurors.

The video captured McCormick being shot to death, and Robinson Sr. told the court he recognized his child in the footage because “he knows his kids.”

The plea agreement came with Robinson Sr. hoping for a reduced sentence so he could return to his younger children.

He told the court about his 8-year-old daughter wanting him to attend a dance and his 6-year-old wishing to play football together. Health concerns, including diabetes, failing kidneys and congestive heart failure, also motivated his cooperation.

Ksoo received life in prison for McCormick’s murder, along with his cousin Leroy “ATK Scotty” Whitaker. Robinson Sr.’s other son, Abdul Robinson Jr., was sentenced to 12 years on an accessory charge related to the same murder.

The sentencing hearing is scheduled for 9 A.M. on November 21, where Robinson Sr. will learn his fate after choosing family survival over family loyalty in one of Jacksonville’s most high-profile Hip-Hop murder cases.

​AllHipHop

Rising Toronto rapper Da Crook walked out of a Toronto courtroom a free man this week after Justice Sheila Ray systematically destroyed the prosecution’s case against the Hip-Hop artist known as Da Crook in a $6.5 million luxury watch heist.

The 31-year-old was accused of participating in an armed robbery at a Spadina Avenue watch dealer on October 30, 2023, where masked suspects made off with 150 watches — mainly Rolexes — valued at $6.5 million and $250,000 in cash.

The brazen daylight robbery was captured on surveillance cameras and showed one suspect posing as a FedEx delivery driver to gain entry to the sixth-floor office.

According to the Toronto Star, prosecutor Mark Friedman had presented what he called 10 “extraordinary” coincidences linking Collins to the crime, including DNA evidence on a balaclava and COVID-19 mask found at the scene, walkie-talkies purchased by Collins four days before the robbery, and $23,000 in cash found at his home during his arrest six months later.

But Justice Ray wasn’t buying it. In her acquittal decision, she methodically addressed each of the Crown’s 10 points, offering her own 10 reasons to dismiss them.

“It was entirely plausible and reasonable that Collins bought walkie-talkies for use in his music videos,” Ray found, rejecting the prosecution’s claim that the communication devices tied him to the robbery.

The judge was particularly skeptical of the DNA evidence, noting it was “unlikely the perpetrators of such a carefully planned robbery would take incriminating evidence to a crime scene.” She suggested the items in the box were simply discarded at some point rather than deliberately left behind.

When it came to physical identification, Ray delivered perhaps her most pointed rebuke: “There are thousands of people in Toronto who look like him. There are thousands, maybe more, (Black people) in Toronto who are light-skinned people — we see them every day.”

The prosecution had also tried to use Collins’ rap lyrics against him, playing his song “First Day Out” in court.

In the track, Collins raps: “Google is telling me my net worth is seven million, s—, oh really, guess I been getting busy” while standing in front of a white Rolls-Royce SUV.

“That’s this case, right, that’s the watches that you stole,” Friedman challenged Collins during cross-examination.

“I disagree,” Collins replied, explaining the lyric referenced “inaccurate” and “crazy” things people were saying about him online.

“All my music videos have nice cars in them,” he testified. “Even if a rapper is broke, he’s going to rent a vehicle or put nice clothes on to make it look like he’s doing good. No one wants to see a Honda Accord parked behind him.”

Defense lawyer Alison Craig called the Crown’s use of rap lyrics “stereotypical, inappropriate… and a dangerous submission to be making.”

Justice Ray ultimately found that even considering all the prosecution’s arguments collectively, along with “very weak eyewitness identification,” the Crown failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Collins was one of the robbers.

​AllHipHop

BET Network officially welcomes Love & Hip Hop: Miami to its Monday night lineup as the hit reality franchise makes its network debut with Season 7 on November 4 at 8 P.M. ET/PT.

The Miami-based series transitions from VH1 to BET, marking a significant shift for the popular Hip-Hop reality franchise. The move positions BET to capitalize on the show’s loyal fanbase while expanding its Monday night programming with proven content.

Season 7 centers on Miami’s dynamic music scene and the personal dramas of its cast.

Amara La Negra returns as a central figure, juggling motherhood responsibilities while navigating a brewing feud that threatens her personal peace.

The Afro-Latina artist continues to build her music career while navigating the complexities of raising her children in the public eye.

Trick Daddy steps into entrepreneur mode, expanding his Sunday’s Eatery restaurant empire throughout South Florida.

However, his business success contrasts with personal complications as former romantic interests resurface, creating tension in his current relationships.

Miami’s self-proclaimed “Diamond Princess,” Trina finds herself revisiting a past romantic connection that stirs controversy within her close-knit circle of friends and associates. The veteran rapper’s personal life becomes a focal point as old relationships create new drama.

Comedian Michael Blackson and his fiancée, Rada Darling, navigate their unconventional relationship dynamic, bringing humor and unpredictability to the season’s romantic storylines.

The season also highlights Shay Johnson’s spiritual journey as she balances faith with single motherhood, while Miami Tip attempts to transform personal vulnerability into professional strength.

New mother Chyng Diamond struggles to balance her career comeback with the demands of raising a newborn.

Powerhouse music manager Rahki Giovanni, rapper Kent Jones, and Asian Goddess Cat add additional layers of music industry drama and mysticism to the season’s narrative.

Returning favorites include Bobby Lytes and Eliza Reign, alongside viral sensation Pinkydoll, who transitions from NPC internet fame to pursuing rap stardom under Trick Daddy’s mentorship.

Songwriter Sonyae also joins the cast, stepping out from behind-the-scenes songwriting to pursue center-stage recognition.

The network move represents BET’s strategy to strengthen its reality programming slate with established franchises that resonate with its core demographic.

The Love & Hip Hop brand has consistently delivered strong ratings across multiple markets, making Miami’s addition a strategic programming decision.

​AllHipHop