Dallas judge weighs rap lyrics as evidence before Yella Beezy murder trial

DALLAS - A pre-trial hearing has ended in a murder-for-hire case involving two Dallas rappers. A judge could decide soon whether Yella Beezy’s rap lyrics can be admitted as evidence.

Yella Beezy Hearing

What we know:

Attorneys for rappers MO3 and Yella Beezy returned to a Dallas courtroom on Tuesday morning.

The case centers on the murder of MO3, whose real name was Melvin Noble Jr. He was gunned down in the middle of a busy Dallas highway in 2020.

Yella Beezy, whose real name is Markies Conway, is accused of hiring the hitman.

The pre-trial hearing that started last week focused on whether Conway’s rap lyrics can be used as evidence.

Prosecutors said they are relevant because Conway put a bounty out for MO3 in a song. But the defense argued that the lyrics are artistic expression and not facts.

The judge has not yet made a final decision on whether the lyrics can be used as evidence.

What they're saying:

"The songs the state selected does not contain all of that, they are braggadocios about criminal activity, but the criminal activity mentioned is directly on point to the charged offense. They talk directly about placing bounties for reprisal, they talk about the murder, and they talk about the feud," said Dallas County's Assistant District Attorney, Ricardo Vela.

"Singing about drugs, guns and money is nothing new. It's as prevalent in our culture as it is to sing about God and Love. What these lyrics and music videos have in common, they are artistic expressions. Using someone's art in a guilt/innocence phase of a trial only as character evidence has the potential of being prejudicial. That is exactly what the state is trying to do in this case, your honor," said defense attorney, Michael Mowla.
 

MO3’s Murder

The backstory:

Conway, 33, was arrested in March 2025 after a Dallas County grand jury indicted him on a charge of capital murder while remuneration. Capital murder with remuneration means hiring someone to commit murder.

Prosecutors allege Conway orchestrated a "hit" on his rap rival. Noble was gunned down in broad daylight on Nov. 11, 2020, while driving on Interstate 35E in Dallas. 

Investigators claim Conway hired Kewon Dontrell White to carry out the shooting because of a long-standing feud between the two artists.

White was arrested in December 2020 and is currently serving an 8-year and 9-month federal prison sentence on firearm charges related to the incident.

What's next:

Conway’s trial is scheduled for next month.

If convicted of capital murder, he faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison without parole or the death penalty.

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