Boosie Badazz Faces Backlash and Federal Scrutiny Over Alleged Role in Duke the Jeweler’s Death

Boosie is catching all the heat right now. The streets are not messing with him after it came out that he was the one who called the hit on Duke the Jeweler. He’s straight-up blacklisted from a place he once called home. He’s already caught hands once, and if he shows his face in the hood again, he might be leaving on a stretcher. But we all know Boosie is part of the Mob Ties crew, and Duke the Jeweler died playing one of their loaded dice games – just like Takeoff. So now everyone’s asking: did Boosie sacrifice Duke? Or is he being set up to take the fall for something he knows nothing about?

HOUSTON — Rapper Boosie Badazz, whose real name is Torrence Hatch Jr., is under intense fire from the streets, fans, and law enforcement following the fatal shooting of Chicago-based jeweler Duke (real name: Darnell Davis) in September. Allegations swirling online and in street circles claim Boosie orchestrated a hit on Duke after the jeweler disrupted a high-stakes, allegedly rigged dice game tied to Houston’s influential Mob Ties crew. The rapper, a longtime associate of the group led by J Prince, has vehemently denied any involvement, but mounting suspicions—including forensic evidence and witness accounts—have led to a federal investigation and threats against Boosie in his adopted hometown.

Duke, a 32-year-old rising star in the hip-hop jewelry scene known for crafting custom pieces for artists like Lil Durk and King Von, was gunned down in a Houston parking lot on September 8 after attending a private dice game. What began as a business trip—allegedly arranged by Boosie to discuss custom jewelry—spiraled into tragedy, echoing the fatal shooting of Migos rapper Takeoff at a similar Houston dice game just a year prior. Sources close to the investigation, speaking on condition of anonymity, describe the incident as less a random robbery and more a targeted execution, fueled by Duke’s unexpected winning streak at the table.

The Dice Game That Turned Deadly

According to reports and social media breakdowns of resurfaced videos, Duke arrived in Houston carrying a duffel bag worth an estimated $1 million in unreleased jewelry designs. Boosie, 40, had reportedly invited him to a concert and subsequent after-hours gathering hosted by J Prince’s son, J Prince Jr., at a venue known for high-roller dice games. These events, often shrouded in secrecy, have long been rumored to be controlled operations where the house—allegedly including Mob Ties affiliates—ensures favorable outcomes through loaded dice and insider coordination.

Music manager Wack 100, a vocal critic of Houston’s underground gambling scene, went live on Instagram shortly after the shooting to expose what he called a “trap” for out-of-towners. “If you get invited to a dice game in Houston, especially one with J Prince, run,” Wack 100 warned. He alleged that “rotators” like Lil Cam, Wolf, and Big Caprice manipulate the dice to favor insiders, with J Prince skimming 30% of the night’s take. Duke, however, reportedly broke the script: By accident or design, he received the loaded dice and racked up hundreds of thousands in winnings, including a viral clip of him filming himself stacking cash and laughing at the table.

Eyewitness accounts and video analysis circulating online point to tense moments during the game. In one clip, Boosie is seen leaning back and signaling to his nephew across the table, followed by a shift in the room’s energy—whispers, side glances, and a sudden chill. “It went from fun to ice cold in seconds,” one anonymous attendee told urban news outlet The Shade Room. Duke, oblivious, continued winning, but the disruption allegedly threatened the crew’s profits and control.

As the game wrapped, Duke headed alone to his rental car in a dimly lit parking garage beneath the arena—no security in sight, despite carrying millions in valuables. Gunshots rang out around 2 a.m., leaving Duke dead from multiple wounds. Houston Police Department (HPD) arrived to find his body surrounded by blood, his signature diamond chains still around his neck—valuable items any opportunistic robber would likely seize. The duffel bag, however, was missing.

Shocking Discoveries and Boosie’s Denials

The plot thickened when HPD recovered the duffel bag days later— not from the crime scene, but from Boosie’s residence. It’s unclear if Duke handed it over for safekeeping during the game or if it was taken post-shooting, but its location raised immediate red flags. Boosie addressed the rumors in a frantic Instagram Live session, insisting the shooting was a random robbery by his “19-year-old cousin” acting alone. “We getting money, man. That ain’t our steelo,” he said, emphasizing his crew’s code against such violence. He claimed limited familiarity with Duke, saying they met briefly the night before and that Duke “followed us” to the concert.

Skepticism mounted quickly. In a subsequent interview with DJ Vlad, Boosie doubled down, wearing dark sunglasses and avoiding direct eye contact. “If anybody know me, bro, that ain’t my stilo,” he repeated, describing how Duke walked to his car separately and fell victim to unseen assailants. Fans dissected the clip, flooding comments with accusations of evasion: “Sunglasses on so he won’t look you in the eye while capping,” one viral post read. Others noted Boosie’s detailed recounting of Duke’s movements, suggesting he was “watching him the whole time.”

Federal agents from the ATF and FBI, already monitoring Boosie for unrelated firearms charges, expanded their probe into Duke’s death. Key findings include:

Duke’s phone last pinged at Boosie’s recording studio, hours after the shooting.
Fingerprints from Boosie’s cousin and nephew on Duke’s rental car.
A witness statement alleging Boosie’s nephew ambushed Duke in the parking lot, with no robbery attempt—just gunfire. The witness claimed Duke swung first in self-defense but was overpowered.

Authorities are now scrutinizing Boosie’s inner circle, including his son, with surveillance intensifying. “This isn’t just questions on paper; they’re building a case,” a law enforcement source told BLACKBOX.AI. Parallels to Takeoff’s 2022 death—shot at a J Prince-hosted dice game—have fueled conspiracy theories, with some online sleuths dubbing these events “sacrifices” to maintain Mob Ties’ dominance.

Street Backlash and Professional Fallout

The allegations have turned toxic for Boosie beyond the courtroom. In Chicago, where Duke hailed from and built his reputation, Boosie was reportedly jumped by a group of locals during a recent visit, leaving him battered and blacklisted from neighborhoods he once frequented. “The hood don’t play,” one Chicago rapper tweeted. “Show your face again, and it’s a stretcher.” Sources say Boosie now travels with heavy security in Houston, constantly looking over his shoulder amid whispers of retaliation.

Financially, the scandal is biting hard. Brands have distanced themselves, shelving endorsement deals, while collaborators pause projects. Even Mob Ties affiliates, once seen as Boosie’s protectors, appear to be going silent, leaving him isolated. The “check-in” culture—where out-of-town artists pay J Prince for “protection” upon arriving in Houston—has come under fire, with critics arguing it’s extortion disguised as hospitality, often ending in violence for non-payers.

Boosie has not commented further since the Vlad interview, but his team insists he’s a victim of “internet rumors” and bad optics. Duke’s family, meanwhile, mourns a self-made man whose death has sparked outrage over the dangers of hip-hop’s underbelly. A GoFundMe for his two young children has raised over $150,000, with donors decrying the “shady dice games” that claimed another life.

As the investigation deepens, questions linger: Was Duke’s death payback for beating a rigged system, or is Boosie being framed in a larger power play? In Houston’s intertwined world of music, money, and street cred, the truth may be as loaded as the dice themselves. For now, Boosie walks a tightrope, his legacy hanging in the balance amid a storm of suspicion and street justice.