Ye, Drake, 21 Savage and Lil Baby have all reportedly been helping Lil Durk with his legal fees throughout his murder-for-hire trial.
During a live stream on Sunday (Aug. 30), Akademiks claimed that Ye has given Durk $250,000, while Drizzy is paying whatever attorney Brian Steel’s bill ends up being. He also said he heard 21 gave a solid amount but that he doesn’t know the exact number, and while Baby has been contributing as well, it has been in smaller increments of $5,000 to $10,000, which Ak referred to as “strip club money.”
Interestingly, Ak also said he heard Young Thug and Meek Mill haven’t contributed anything, which contradicts claims Thug made just about a year ago.
In one of the many calls that were leaked from Thug’s jail bid in 2025, one found him venting about recent issues with Durk.
“I done sent him a few songs. He just taking four, five days. […] Man, a ni**a done too much sh*t for you,” he says in one part of the audio, while in another he complained that Durk had been talking about him online.
In response to the rumors that then started swirling about the status of their relationship, Thug hopped on X to say that he personally paid for Steel, who previously represented him in the YSL trial, to join Durk’s legal team.
“All yall new junkies in otf, just know I’m the one sent Brian steel to help him on my dime,” he wrote.
While that post was in September 2025, Steel did not end up officially joining Durk’s team until March 2026.
Check out the full video of Akademiks discussing the situation below.
Watch Akademiks Discuss Who’s Helping to Pay Lil Durk’s Legal Fees
See Why These 22 Rappers Are in Jail or Prison Right Now
