Lil Durk’s father made a public plea for prayers just hours before the rapper was set to face jurors in his federal murder-for-hire case.
Dontay Banks Sr., known as “Big Durk,” shared a video ahead of Thursday’s scheduled jury selection in Los Angeles.
“That day is finally upon us,” Banks Sr. told supporters. “Tomorrow we start trial. Tomorrow is that day we all been looking for.”
Durk, born Durk Banks, has pleaded not guilty and has been jailed since his October 2024 arrest. With the case expected to last several weeks, Banks Sr. urged fans to keep his son and their family in their prayers every day.
“Don’t let a day go past that you don’t make dua for us, and we will be victorious in the end, inshallah,” he said.
Lil Durk’s father, Big Durk, speaks out ahead of his son’s murder-for-hire trial.
— No Jumper (@nojumper) August 20, 2026
“Continue to keep us in prayer. Continue to shower your love and support on us. We need it at this time right here.” pic.twitter.com/ggsUgFzGnk
Durk’s father spent nearly 25 years in federal prison himself following a drug conviction. His sentence was overturned in 2019.
Since Durk’s arrest, Banks Sr. has remained one of his most vocal supporters. Jury selection kicked off on Thursday in the Central District of California, with opening statements set to begin this morning.
The rapper has always maintained his innocence.
“For nearly two years now, federal prosecutors have desperately tried to fend off challenges to a very weak case. Now, just two months before trial, a trial that Durk Banks has demanded at every turn, they pull this pathetic pivot, recycling old accusations into a scrambling prosecutor’s back-up plan: allege racketeering and as many unrelated false claims as possible,” his attorney, Drew Findling, said back in June. “This is not a sign of strength. It’s an acknowledgment of weakness. The fact remains: Durk Banks is innocent, no matter how many indictments they want to throw at him.”
