Ludacris’ Longtime Manager Chaka Zulu Charged With Murder in Atlanta Shooting

Ludacris’ longtime supervisor Chaka Zulu was charged with homicide this week in connection to an Atlanta taking pictures in June the place three individuals, together with himself, had been shot and one individual was killed.

Fulton County Jail information present that Zulu, authorized identify Ahmed Obafemi, turned himself in on Tuesday on prices of homicide, aggravated assault, easy battery and possession of a firearm in the course of the fee of a felony. He was launched that very same day on $200,000 bond.

The taking pictures occurred June 26 round 11:35 p.m. exterior an Atlanta-area restaurant, following an altercation in a car parking zone. Three males, together with Zulu, had been taken to the hospital with gunshot wounds, the place one individual — later recognized as Artez Benton of Scottdale, Georgia – died of his accidents.

“We’re lucky to report that Chaka Zulu is in secure situation and recovering,” former Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed, performing as a household spokesperson, mentioned on the time (by way of the Atlanta Journal-Structure).

Whereas investigators didn’t elaborate on the motive of the taking pictures or the circumstances that led them to arrest the music government, Zulu’s lawyer Gabe Banks has insisted that his consumer acted in self-defense after he was attacked by “a gang of no less than 4 people and was pressured to defend himself after this gang repeatedly stomped, punched, and kicked him whereas he was on the bottom in a defenseless posture.”

“Mr. Zulu was shot within the again in the course of the taking pictures and practically misplaced his life, and remains to be recovering from the practically deadly accidents he sustained that night. Mr. Zulu was at his place of job that evening and had each proper to defend himself,” Banks mentioned in an announcement to Rolling Stone.

“In an try to save lots of his life, Mr. Zulu lawfully discharged his weapon in self-defense; a weapon that he’s licensed to hold,” Banks mentioned, including that Zulu “stays assured that his identify might be cleared of all prices by means of the judicial course of. It isn’t misplaced on Mr. Zulu that somebody misplaced his life, however had Mr. Zulu not lawfully defended himself, Mr. Zulu would have been killed that evening.”

Banks additionally mentioned that Zulu was “disillusioned” by the Atlanta Police Division’s determination to convey prices in opposition to him.

Zulu, alongside together with his brother Jeff Dixon and Christopher “Ludacris” Bridges, based Atlanta’s Disturbing tha Peace Data in 1998, with Ludacris the primary artist signed to the impartial label. Zulu had served because the rapper’s supervisor because the late Nineties, and has additionally represented Atlanta rappers like Huge Okay.R.I.T. and Jeezy. In 2019, Zulu joined Spotify because the Head of Artist and Expertise Relations.