Detective Says Yella Beezy Lyrics Back Up Murder-For-Hire Theory in Mo3 Case

In the pretrial fight over whether Yella Beezy’s lyrics can be used against him, prosecutors are leaning on a very specific argument: that some of the rapper’s own songs, in detectives’ view, help explain the alleged murder-for-hire plot tied to Mo3’s death.

Last Friday, July 17, NBC5 reported that Detective Eric Barnes testified during a hearing and singled out three Beezy tracks: the 2019 song “Hittas”, 2020’s “Keep It in the Streets”, and 2020’s “On Your Head.” Barnes said the lyrics in question referenced paying for violence and putting money on someone’s head, language prosecutors appear intent on treating as more than performance.

Elsewhere in his testimony, Barnes said the state sees corroborating details beyond the songs themselves. He pointed to Kewon White, the alleged shooter, appearing onstage with Beezy at a concert shortly before Mo3 was killed, describing that as evidence of trust between the two. He also cited Beezy’s comments in a DJ Vlad interview, where he said he needed to “get my lick back,” and what Barnes described as a history of conflict between Beezy and Mo, including a concert at which police stepped in because of public safety concerns.

Beezy, who has been charged with capital murder and accused of paying someone to kill Mo3 in 2020 amid an ongoing feud, has denied the allegations. His legal team is arguing that his lyrics amount to entertainment and should not be admitted as evidence in court.

An additional pretrial hearing is underway as of this writing, and the judge has not yet ruled on whether the lyrics will be allowed into evidence. The trial is currently scheduled to begin on Aug. 24.