Richmond County authorities have arrested a young Augusta rapper in an April murder, one of two suspects identified as the killers of a Cobb County man with gang ties.
Kenneth “Rot Ken” Williams, 19, is facing murder and aggravated assault charges in the double shooting April 26 that killed 24-year-old Usaini Yunusa of Austell and injured 20-year-old Kobe Burns of Augusta. (Williams rapper bio: https://www.last.fm/music/Rot+Ken/+wiki)
Yunusa was a passenger of a vehicle that was outside The Estates at Perimeter on St. Andrews Drive around 6 p.m. April 26 when the shooters exited their car and shot into the victims’ vehicle. Burns, the driver who was drunk, sped off on Perimeter Parkway and crashed into some trees at the intersection of Interstate Parkway, authorities said.
The driver was taken to hospital, and the passenger of the vehicle was pronounced dead. Burns was charged the same day with DUI-drugs and failure to maintain lane.
The name of the second murder suspect has not been released.
At the time of his death, Yunusa had a listed residence in Cobb County, where he was previously sent to prison for weapons, drug dealing and gang activity. He also was arrested in Richmond County last summer on charges of dealing drugs after a DUI-related chase with deputies.
When the murder warrant was served Saturday, Kenneth Williams had already been in jail for 10 days for a probation-related offense. He has previously been convicted of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, burglary and theft by receiving stolen property.
Williams has gained some notoriety as a rapper, according to online websites. According to last.fm, he has released a few albums.
“Even at his earliest stages as an artist, it was clear that he was able to channel the pain and strife of his environment into songs that are vibrant and original,” the website said about Williams. “Though the momentum he was beginning to build seemed stalled, in late 2021, by a stint behind bars, Rot Ken came out of that situation stronger than ever.”
The music website said Williams was affiliated with the Taz Taylor-helmed Internet Money collective as well as the producer JetsonMade’s Boy Meets Space crew.
“Rot Ken announced his return with Free Me, a deliriously versatile showcase of his varied interests,” the site said.
The teen’s music is even available on Apple Music and several videos are loaded to YouTube.
