Music Executive Chaka Zulu Charged With Murder
Music executive and manager Chaka Zulu was recently charged with murder stemming from a June shooting in which one person died and three others, including himself, were injured. Zulu, whose legal name is Ahmed Obafemi, is the longtime manager of rapper Ludacris.
On the evening of June 26, there was an argument or altercation between four men in the parking lot of a APT4B shopping center. Twenty-three-year-old Artez Benton was transported to a local hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Three others, including Obafemi, were injured in the shooting.
Obafemi, 52, turned himself in Tuesday at the Fulton County Jail. He was booked and released on bond the same day after he was charged with murder, aggravated assault, possession of a weapon during certain crimes, and simple battery according to NBC News.
Obafemi’s attorney, Gabe Beck, released a statement saying in part that he was attacked by “a gang of at least four individuals (unfortunately including the decedent) and was forced to defend himself after this gang repeatedly stomped, punched, and kicked him while he was on the ground.” The statement goes onto say that Obafemi was shot in the back and fired his licensed weapon in self-defense.
As a music executive, Obafemi founded the independent record label "Disturbing tha Peace Records" in 1998 alongside his brother Jeff Dixon and Christopher “Ludacris” Bridges. Ludacris was the first artist to be signed to the label.
