Lil Durk has been emphatic about purchasing Chicago’s infamous O-Block, a place he and his late Only The Family artist King Von once called home. Late last month, he tweeted money was no object after he learned the Parkway Gardens housing complex was up for sale.
“I’ll buy it,” he tweeted on April 30. “don’t matter how much it is.”
I’ll buy it don’t matter how much it is
— THE VOICE (@lildurk) April 30, 2021
But it doesn’t look like Lil Durk was able to get a formal bid in before it was swooped up. According to a post from SayCheese, O-Block — a 13-acre campus spread across nearly three dozen building — was purchased shortly after it went up for sale.
“O-Block (Parkway Gardens) will be disbanded and relocated,” the post read. “O-Block has been sold, and best believe it’s going to be developed beautifully and completely out of the price range of most current Woodlawn residents. That Jewel and Metrosquash facility should have been the writing on the wall. This is about to get interesting, and eerily familiar…can someone say Cabrini or Stateway.
“They about to open up Section 8 in Bloomington, Champaign, etc. That’s been the move literally since they started tearing down the jects.”
Chicago projects O-Block aka Parkway Gardens has officially been sold. pic.twitter.com/e98uU8AU0S
— Saycheese TV ?? (@SaycheeseDGTL) April 30, 2021
Described as Chicago’s “most dangerous block” by the Chicago Sun-Times in 2014, O-Block was also where a young Michelle Obama used to play as a child. But gun violence has plagued the neighborhood for years. In fact, the name “O-Block” comes from a gang member who was killed nearby.
Despite its nefarious history, O-Block is vigorously protected by those who grew up there or have some sort of connection to it. In August 2020, 6ix9ine infuriated Lil Durk, King Von, 600Brazy and other Chi-Town rappers when he headed to O-Block to “pay his respects” to Durk’s late cousin Nuski and used the moment to promote his TattleTales album.
Tekashi 6ix9ine Posts Lil Reese's Most Embarrassing Video For Album Promo
In a since-deleted Instagram video, 6ix9ine was filmed bringing flowers to O-Block, doing the sign of the cross and kissing the ground. Durk’s song “Dis Ain’t What U Want” from 2013’s Signed To The Streets mixtape was heard playing in the background.
“CAME TO OBLOCK .. came to pay my respect to @lildurk cousin nuski who was killed by gun violence,” 6ix9ine wrote at the time. “we need to change as a community #RIP NUSKI PRE ORDER THE ALBUM LINK IN MY BIO SEPTEMBER 4TH.”
Of course, the move didn’t sit well with Durk and his affiliates. Fellow Chicagoan Lil Reese fired back at 6ix9ine, saying, “I heard you just tried to sneak on block bro lol don’t lose you life playing on the internet 69.” 6ix9ine responded by reposting embarrassing footage from Reese’s past.
