The attorney for one of the men charged with the murder of XXXTentacion wants several rappers, including Drake, Quavo, Offset, and others, to take the stand as potential witnesses.
Dedrick Williams’ lawyer Mauricio Padilla has listed several rappers as potential witnesses, including Drake, Top5, Joe Budden, 600 Breezy, 6ix9ine, Quavo, Offset, and the late Takeoff, Tankhead666, and Ski Mask The Slump God, Billboard reported.
It seems that the defense attorney is seeking to establish that the Florida rapper had beef with many others. Still, it’s unclear how this ties in with Williams’ trial, as he is said to have been spotted on surveillance footage prior to the rapper being killed.
Among the many widely known beef XXXTencion had, one was with Drake over his song “K.M.T.,” which led to him accusing Drake of “stealing his flow” after Drake’s “More Life” came out.
XXXTentacion had also written an Instagram Story claiming that Drake was planning to hurt him.
“If anyone tries to kill me it was @champagnepapi,” the rapper wrote on Instagram.
According to the Miami Herald, Williams’ lawyer wants to use the beef to introduce doubt in the minds of members of the jury. The defendant is accused of being one of four men who were involved in the murder of the Florida rapper.
XXXTentacion was shot and killed in June 2018 in what police say was a robbery as the rapper went to a dealership with a bag of money to buy a new ride. In August, one of the suspects, Robert Allen, took a plea deal to testify as a witness against the other three defendants. As part of the deal, he pleaded guilty to lesser charges of second-degree murder and robbery with a firearm.
He will be sentenced in February 2023. As for Williams, police say he was the getaway driver when the murder occurred. Allen, who said he was in the car when the rapper was shot and killed, is likely to testify against Williams.
In the meantime, prosecutors weren’t receptive to the request by Williams’ lawyer.
“It is apparent from the deliberate, late disclosure of the defendant’s witnesses and comments made between the parties that [the] defendant intended to ‘surprise’ the state and create a trial by ambush,” lead prosecutor Pascale Achille said in response to the defense request.
The presiding judge has not yet to rule on the request.
