Aubrey Graham, Canadian rapper popularly known as Drake, has been ordered by a judge to sit for a deposition in the trial of XXXTentacion’s murder.
While prosecutors in the case did not name Drake as a potential suspect in the case, Mauricio Padilla, a defence lawyer for one of the suspects has fingered Drake as a person of interest.
According to Padilla, XXX and Graham had been feuding before his death. The lawyer referenced an Instagram post by the “Look at Me” rapper in which he tagged Drake’s account back in in February 2018.
“If anyone tries to kill me it was @champagnepapi, I’m snitching right now,” the post read.
XXX however deleted the post, stating that his account was hacked.
In a filing obtained by Rolling Stone, Padilla’s stated in his opening argument that “Before X died, he said, ‘If anybody kills me, it’s Drake.’ Do you think sitting here years later, any detective has ever asked Drake or anybody like that? No.
“This is one of the biggest celebrities in the world. Excluding an order from this court, we all know that I will never be able to take his deposition.”
Judge Michael Usan of Broward Country Circuit, Florida, thereafter granted Padilla’s petition on Thursday for an “order to show cause.” Drake is expected to fulfill the order on February 24 by appearing for the deposition which will take place on Zoom.
If he refuses to appear for the deposition, he is required to present himself before the court on Monday, February 27 “so the court can determine why he should not be held in contempt.”
Also included in Padilla’s filing is a deposition by XXXTentacion’s mother, Cleopatra Bernard, who mentioned that a feud with rap trio, Migos, was also an object of concern in the murder.
According to her, she asked one of their relatives to accompany her son to the motorcycle shop the day he was killed “because of the ongoing battle with Drake and Migos.”
Born, Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy, XXXtentacion was murdered by two masked men in June 2018, as he exited a Florida RIVA Motorsports dealership.
The masked men also carted away a bag belonging to the rapper which contained $50,000 in cash.