Lil Durk has received support from two of hip-hop's biggest stars as he seeks release from jail following his acquittal on murder-for-hire charges.
Jay-Z and J. Cole submitted letters to a federal judge on Tuesday in support of the Chicago rapper's bid for bail, according to Billboard.
The two music stars are backing Durk's request to be released from custody while awaiting his next trial.
The rapper, whose real name is Durk Banks, was found not guilty last month of arranging a hit on fellow rapper Quando Rondo. However, he remains behind bars ahead of a second racketeering trial.
In his letter, Jay-Z described Durk as “kind, respectful and focused on his career”, recalling their meeting several years ago.
“What stood out most to me was how he used his success,” he wrote.
“Durk was signing young artists from his community to recording contracts and giving them a real path into a legitimate industry. Many of us come from neighbourhoods where the options are limited, and the risks are high. Durk understood that, and he worked to help others find a way out of those conditions rather than leaving them behind.
“Release would allow him to support his family and continue the work in his community that I saw firsthand,” Jay-Z concluded.
J. Cole's letter highlighted his work with Durk on their Grammy-winning 2023 collaboration, All My Life.
Cole pointed to the song's themes of peace and personal growth, which he said reflected the message Durk had been promoting.
“It speaks to the vision of Durk to mature and realise the impact his art could have, and then to be willing to fight for the chance to make that impact a positive one, even if it meant going against the instincts of an artist he respects and looks up to,” J. Cole wrote.
Durk was previously denied bail after being considered a flight risk.
A hearing to reconsider his bond is scheduled for 4 November.
