Top5, the Toronto rapper previously co-signed by Drake, is officially a free man after the murder case against him fell apart in court on Monday. Authorities originally arrested him back in 2021 for his alleged involvement in the murder of a 20-year-old accounting student. At the latest hearing, the judge in the case dismissed social media evidence on the basis of it being inadmissible.
According to the Toronto Star, Superior Court Justice Andras Shreck wrote in his decision that it "portrays Mr. Ali as a violent gang member with little regard for human life and who revels in the senseless killing of others. The risk that a jury will misuse this evidence and convict Mr. Ali because of his disposition is significant."
Top5 Leaves Courtroom After Winning His Case
Speaking about the topic afterward, Top5's lawyer, Gary Grill, explained the legal prejudice against rap artists. "The problem about prosecuting artists like Mr. Ali [Top5] based on their music; it fails to understand what the medium is, what's it about, and how drillers approach their audiences," Grill said, according to CTV News. "It's important for all drillers to portray themselves as the biggest, baddest gangsters on the planet. That's what sells. That's what all drillers are doing. The way that Mr. Ali was charged in the first place was as a result of his lyrics, it was a result of the videos that he was putting out there, as a result of his medium as a drill rap artist that attracted the attention with the police."
Top5 Shouts Out Drake For The Assist
After leaving the courthouse, Top5 shared a picture of himself on Instagram and revealed that Drake actually covered his legal fees. Shortly after the post began circulating online, he removed that note from the caption. Check out the original version as caught by DJ Akademiks below. Be on the lookout for further updates on Top5 and Drake on HotNewHipHop.
