Drake Beef Brought Up In Hearing For XXXTENTACION's Murder Suspects

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ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 9: Rapper Drake performs onstage during "Lil Baby & Friends Birthday Celebration Concert" at State Farm Arena on December 9, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)
The judge didn't think a deposition from Drake is necessary.

June will mark five years since XXXTENTACION's untimely death but this month, the accused killers will finally face trial.

Though jury selection begins on Jan. 18, the attorneys for three of the suspects -- Michael Boatwright, 28, Dedrick Williams, 26, and Trayvon Newsome, 24 -- appeared in court this week for pre-trial hearings. The judge ruled that XXXTENTACION's mother would have to disclose her earnings after her son's death. However, the attorneys also mentioned Drake.

Williams's attorney, Maurico Padilla, tried to persuade the judge to order a deposition of Drake due to his feud with XXXTENTACION. As you recall, XXXTENTACION previously took issue with the Canadian rapper stealing his flow.

During the hearing, Padilla said Drake and his associates, including Akademiks, may have had an issue with the Broward County artist. The judge denied the motion and said that there was no need for a deposition.

SUNRISE, FL - JUNE 27: Fans leave items at a makeshift memorial outside XXXTentacion Funeral & Fan Memorial at BB&T Center on June 27, 2018 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Jason Koerner/Getty Images)

"This is one of the biggest celebrities in the world," Padilla said. "Excluding an order from this court, we all know that I will never be able to take his deposition."

Additionally, the state and the defense agreed no one should be permitted to wear graphic T-shirts during the trial.

The defense suggested that there are other individuals who might have motives, whether financial or personal, to kill XXXTENTACION.

Last month, we reported that Padilla shared a list of potential witnesses for the trial, including Drake and Akademiks. Additionally, the attorney named Quavo, Offset, Joe Budden, and 6ix9ine as potential witnesses. At this point, it's unclear if a judge will order a testimony from the celebrities mentioned.

We will keep you up to speed on any further updates surrounding this case.

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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