UK drill artist CB was convicted of murder Thursday at London’s Old Bailey after an eight-year investigation linked him to the fatal stabbing of a 24-year-old man in a convenience store ambush tied to gang violence.
The 27-year-old, born Lekan Akinsoji and also known as “Cracky Blacks,” was found guilty alongside Sundjata Keita, also 27, for the 2017 killing of Ahmed Deen-Jah in Custom House, East London.
Prosecutors said the attack was part of a cycle of retaliation between rival gangs.
Deen-Jah had stepped into a corner shop to buy a lighter when he was chased and stabbed by a masked man. Surveillance footage showed him re-entering the store seconds later, bleeding from a chest wound. He died at the scene.
“Eight years on from Ahmed’s vicious murder, today his family finally have the justice they deserve,” said Detective Superintendent Kelly Allen. “Akinsoji and Keita have spent years thinking they have got away with murdering Ahmed, a man who they had never met and didn’t know.”
The case had stalled for years after both men were arrested within days of the April 2, 2017, killing, but were released due to a lack of evidence.
A review of the case in 2023 reignited the investigation, leading to a breakthrough through phone data analysis and forensic testing.
Footage of UK Drill rapper CB and his accomplice SK getting arrested for Ahmed Deen-Jahs murder. pic.twitter.com/nyETI64s3V
— VE Media (@ve_ldn) October 10, 2025
Keita’s phone was traced to the getaway vehicle used in the murder, which was later found burned in Epping Forest.
Investigators also discovered a knife sheath near the crime scene that carried Keita’s DNA. DNA matching Akinsoji was recovered from the victim’s hand.
Akinsoji emerged in the UK drill scene in 2017 with his debut track “Take That Risk,” gaining notoriety for his raw lyrics and street-focused narratives.
Drill music has long drawn criticism from authorities and the public over its perceived ties to street crime and gang culture.
Prosecutors argued that the killing was a targeted act of gang rivalry. Both defendants had been driving a stolen car through the neighborhood, allegedly searching for members of a rival crew when they encountered Deen-Jah, who had no known ties to either group.
Ahmed’s father expressed gratitude after the verdict, saying he was “overwhelmed with relief” and praised the detectives for their persistence.
Both men are scheduled to return to court for sentencing on October 24 and face life behind bars.