Dallas Rapper Yella Beezy Convicted in $40,000 Murder-For-Hire Plot Targeting MO3

Yella Beezy appears in a 2025 interview with Boss Talk 101. The Dallas rapper was convicted Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, of capital murder in the killing of fellow rapper MO3. (Boss Talk 101 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0)

Six years to the day after Dallas rapper MO3 was chased down and shot to death on a busy interstate, a jury convicted fellow rapper Yella Beezy of paying to have him killed.

Yella Beezy, 35, whose legal name is Markies Conway, was found guilty Wednesday of capital murder in the Nov. 11, 2020, killing of Melvin Noble, better known as MO3. The unanimous verdict brought a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

The conviction followed more than two weeks of testimony in a case that put a yearslong Dallas rap feud under the scrutiny of prosecutors, defense attorneys and a jury weighing allegations of a $40,000 murder-for-hire plot.

Prosecutors said Conway arranged for Kewon White to kill Noble, a rising Dallas rapper whose music had reached a wider audience through his collaborations with Boosie Badazz.

Noble, 28, was driving on Interstate 35 in south Dallas around noon when White pulled alongside his vehicle, authorities said. Noble got out and ran along the highway as White pursued him with a gun.

Prosecutors said White fired more than 40 rounds from an AK-47-style pistol. Noble was fatally wounded, and a motorist caught in the gunfire was injured but survived.

White was convicted of capital murder in September and also sentenced to life without parole.

But convicting the gunman was only part of the prosecution's case. Investigators spent years trying to establish who arranged the killing and whether money changed hands.

During Conway's trial, prosecutors presented cellphone records, financial transactions and witness testimony that they said connected him to the plot. They pointed to a $40,000 cash withdrawal and communications among men allegedly involved in coordinating the attack.

The defense disputed those connections, challenging the reliability of witnesses and arguing that investigators had built their case around assumptions about the rivalry.

Defense attorney John Gussio told jurors the prosecution had offered extensive speculation rather than sufficient proof of capital murder.

The trial also exposed conflicts in witness testimony. Rapper Jose Bodega, whose legal name is Theodore Thomas, disputed his earlier grand jury account of the feud, prompting the judge to allow prosecutors to question him as a hostile witness.

In closing arguments Tuesday, prosecutors returned to the money, the alleged coordination among the participants and statements they said demonstrated Conway's desire for revenge.

The jury rejected the defense's arguments and returned its verdict Wednesday, the sixth anniversary of Noble's death.

Another defendant, Devin Brown, faces a capital murder charge in connection with the killing and has not been tried. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

For Dallas hip-hop, the case brought two very different careers back into the same headlines.

Conway broke through nationally with his 2017 single "That's On Me" and later collaborated with Quavo and Gucci Mane on "Bacc At It Again."

Noble built a following with his raw, melodic storytelling, including "Errybody" and its popular remix with Boosie Badazz. The two also released the collaborative project "Badazz MO3" in 2020, months before Noble's death.

MO3 and Boosie Badazz in the official music video for "Everybody" (Remix), released in 2019. (HSM/YouTube)

Producers Sue Ye, Ty Dolla $ign Over Alleged Unlicensed ‘Vultures’ Recording

Ye, left, and Ty Dolla $ign are shown in a composite of separate archival photographs. The rappers face a federal copyright lawsuit alleging unauthorized use of a recording on their song "Vultures." (Composite by Célestin Denis via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

A music file sent to Ty Dolla $ign by text message is now at the center of a federal copyright lawsuit accusing him and Ye of using another pair of producers' work without permission on their hit "Vultures."


Producers Jaraed "Jae Deal" Deal and Marlon "Marlonwiththeglasses" Barrow filed the complaint Friday in Los Angeles, alleging the rappers incorporated a recording the producers created in 2018 into multiple versions of "Vultures" without securing a license or properly compensating them.

The lawsuit names Ye, formerly known as Kanye West; Ty Dolla $ign, whose legal name is Tyrone Griffin Jr.; Yeezy Record Label LLC; Yeezy LLC; and distributor Create Music Group.

According to the 24-page filing, Deal and Barrow jointly created a track called "Joint 2," including separate instrumental recordings featuring piano, brass, strings, flutes and Rhodes keyboard.

Barrow had known Ty Dolla $ign for years, the lawsuit says.

INSIDE THE "VULTURES" LAWSUIT

Producers Jae Deal and Marlonwiththeglasses allege that music they created in 2018 was used without authorization in multiple versions of Ye and Ty Dolla $ign's song.

The complaint describes an MP3 sent by text message, an unsigned licensing agreement, disputed producer credits and an attempted buyout.

Filed Nov. 6, 2026
U.S. District Court, Central District of California
Case No. 2:26-cv-13035

Read the original 24-page federal complaint

These are allegations made by the plaintiffs; no liability has been determined.

During a telephone conversation, Ty allegedly heard the recording playing in the background and expressed interest in using it. He later visited Barrow's studio and requested a copy.

Barrow sent him an MP3 by text message, the producers say, with the understanding that higher-quality audio files and individual instrumental tracks would be delivered only after a written agreement was negotiated.

That agreement never materialized.

The producers allege that Ty Dolla $ign subsequently shared the MP3 with Ye and that portions of the recording appeared in multiple commercially released versions of "Vultures" beginning in November 2023.

Barrow received a production credit but no compensation, according to the lawsuit. Deal alleges he received neither credit nor payment.

The producers say they objected shortly after learning the song had been released and sought to have it removed from streaming platforms.

They also describe a January 2024 discussion with producer 88-Keys, identified in the complaint as Yeezy's head of music, during which they asserted their ownership of the underlying recording.

Nevertheless, the disputed material allegedly continued appearing in subsequent versions of "Vultures," including releases connected to the duo's chart-topping "Vultures 1" album.

The filing also describes an October 2024 attempt to resolve the dispute.

According to the producers, a Yeezy attorney offered to buy out their rights. Deal rejected the proposal, arguing that it failed to reflect the music's value or address the disputed credits.

The complaint does not reveal the amount offered.

The plaintiffs are pursuing copyright infringement, vicarious infringement and contributory infringement claims. They seek monetary damages, legal costs and an injunction that could restrict further distribution of recordings containing their work.

They also want a share of profits they argue are connected to the allegedly unauthorized use.

In an unusually expansive argument, the complaint attempts to connect the recording to revenues from "Vultures"-branded merchandise and ticketed listening events.

It alleges that merchandise sales exceeded $100 million, although that figure has not been independently substantiated, and the lawsuit has not established how much of any such revenue would be attributable to the disputed recording.

The producers are seeking actual damages and related profits, or alternatively statutory damages under copyright law. No damages have been awarded.

The case adds to the legal disputes surrounding music on Ye and Ty Dolla $ign's "Vultures" projects, which have previously drawn complaints from other artists and rights holders over allegedly unauthorized samples.

The allegations in the new lawsuit have not been proven. No response from the defendants to this specific complaint was established at publication.

Rochelle Fleming, First Choice Singer Whose Voice Helped Shape House Music, Dies at 72

 

Rochelle Fleming, founding member and lead singer of First Choice, helped shape disco and house music with recordings including “Doctor Love,” “Love Thang” and “Let No Man Put Asunder.” Fleming died Nov. 5 in Philadelphia at age 72. (Photo courtesy of BMG)

Rochelle Fleming's voice helped define disco in the 1970s. It was still filling dance floors decades later.

The lead singer and founding member of Philadelphia R&B group First Choice, whose recordings became essential building blocks of house music and influenced generations of artists, died Nov. 5 in Philadelphia. She was 72.

Her longtime manager, George Iz Correia, announced her death on behalf of the Fleming-Finney family. No cause was disclosed, and arrangements for a celebration of her life have not been announced.

Fleming rose to fame with First Choice, the vocal group behind "Armed and Extremely Dangerous," "Smarty Pants," "The Player," "Doctor Love" and "Let No Man Put Asunder."

LISTEN: First Choice's "Let No Man Put Asunder," featuring Rochelle Fleming's lead vocals, became a touchstone of house music. Listen on YouTube. Audio provided through BMG Rights Management.

But the full measure of her influence extends well beyond the group's original run.

"Let No Man Put Asunder," recorded for First Choice's 1977 album "Delusions," became a defining record in house music as DJs and producers introduced it to new audiences through remixes, sampling and reinterpretation.

Mary J. Blige later recorded her own version for her 1999 album "Mary."

And First Choice's influence extended into another generation of hip-hop and electronic music. J. Cole sampled "Wake Up to Me" on his 2019 hit "Middle Child," while Kaytranada drew from "Love Thang" for "10%," his collaboration with Kali Uchis that won a Grammy for best dance recording.

For listeners who knew those later records but not the original group, Fleming's voice had been part of the soundtrack all along.

Born in Philadelphia in 1954, Fleming began singing with schoolmates Annette Guest and Wardell Piper. The group, initially known as the Debonettes, eventually became First Choice.

Their breakthrough came with 1973's "Armed and Extremely Dangerous," which reached No. 11 on Billboard's R&B chart and crossed over to the pop market.

Working with Philadelphia producer Norman Harris, the group helped bridge the soulful harmonies of the early 1970s and the rhythm-driven disco sound that followed.

Fleming's commanding vocals remained central to that identity as First Choice recorded for labels including Philly Groove and Gold Mind, the latter associated with Salsoul Records.

The group disbanded in 1980, but its music continued to circulate through dance clubs, remixes and subsequent recordings.

Fleming pursued a solo career, recording songs including "Love Itch" and "Danger!" She also continued performing, preserving the musical legacy of First Choice while finding audiences who had discovered the group long after its initial success.

BMG, which represents part of the group's catalog through Salsoul, paid tribute Monday, describing Fleming as an artist whose recordings helped shape Philadelphia soul, disco and dance music.

Remembering Rochelle Fleming

BMG, which represents part of First Choice's catalog through Salsoul, has published an official tribute tracing Fleming's influence from Philadelphia soul and disco to house music.

Read BMG's tribute

Dan Baxter, the company's senior vice president of global catalog recordings, said the songs continued reaching new listeners through remixes and samples.

"Her voice and the joy it brought to so many will not be forgotten," Baxter said.

Fellow Philadelphia group Sister Sledge also mourned Fleming, praising her soulful voice and the music she left behind.

Her manager remembered someone who preferred to call her supporters "sweeties" rather than fans.

Some knew Fleming from First Choice's original hits. Others discovered her decades later through house music, remixes and hip-hop samples.

Nearly half a century after "Let No Man Put Asunder" was recorded, her voice was still filling dance floors.