Jacksonville rapper Ksoo, born Hakeem Robinson, has been found guilty of first degree murder in connection with the 2020 shooting death of Charles McCormick. The verdict came after a jury deliberated for three and a half hours, sealing a mandatory life sentence under Florida law.
Prosecutors argued that Robinson ambushed McCormick outside a temp agency on Merrill Road in January 2020. The motive, according to the state, was retaliation for the killing of Robinson’s stepbrother Willie Addison the year before. Addison, also known in the streets as Boss Goon, was fatally shot outside a club, in an incident that also left Robinson’s father, brother, and cousin wounded.
Authorities say the violence stemmed from an ongoing rivalry between two local gangs, ATK and 6block. Robinson and his co-defendant Leroy Whitaker are tied to ATK, while McCormick and Addison’s alleged shooter were affiliated with 6block. Prosecutors also pointed to a diss track reportedly recorded by McCormick that mocked Addison’s death, claiming it fueled Robinson’s desire for revenge.
During the trial, the state painted a detailed picture of the events leading up to the murder. Prosecutors say Robinson, Whitaker, and a third accomplice, Dominique Barner, tracked McCormick together. Surveillance footage and dashcam video were presented in court, along with posts from socials that prosecutors claimed showed Robinson bragging about the killing.
The defense pushed back, arguing the man seen in the footage was not Robinson. Several witnesses, including a police officer, testified that Robinson’s physical build did not match the person in the video. They also noted the murder weapon was never recovered and that Robinson’s phone records did not place him at the crime scene.
One of the most dramatic moments in the trial came when Robinson’s own father, a confessed accomplice, testified against his son. He identified Robinson as the shooter but admitted on the stand that doing so was “the hardest thing” he had ever done. Robinson’s legal team argued that the elder Robinson was an unreliable witness due to his own violent past and possible motive to deflect blame.
The case is part of a broader investigation into the violent feud between ATK and 6block, which has resulted in a string of deadly incidents across Florida. Robinson is still facing a second murder charge in the killing of Adrian Gainer, another case linked to this gang war. That shooting was referenced in a viral track by rapper Yungeen Ace, a known ATK affiliate.
With one conviction now in the books, Robinson’s legal battles are far from over. His upcoming trial is expected to draw just as much attention, with prosecutors continuing to unravel the tangled web of Jacksonville’s rap and gang landscape.