A father has been sentenced to 31 years to life in prison for orchestrating the murder of rapper PnB Rock, whose real name was Rakim Hasheem Allen. The tragic incident occurred in September 2022 when the rapper was shot in front of his girlfriend at a Los Angeles restaurant.
Freddie Trone, 42, initially denied ordering his 17-year-old son to carry out the killing. His defense team argued during the trial that he was merely an accessory after the fact. However, in August, he was convicted of murder, two counts of second-degree robbery, and one count of conspiracy to commit robbery.
In addition, Tremont Jones, a second defendant in the case, was found guilty of two counts of second-degree robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit robbery, resulting in a 12-year prison sentence.
Following Monday’s sentencing, LA County District Attorney George Gascón released a statement saying, “Today, justice has been served with the sentencing of two men for the tragic and senseless murder. His life was cut short by an act of violence that no family should have to endure.”
It was agreed in court that Trone’s son entered Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles and shot PnB Rock before robbing him of his jewelry. Now 19, the son has been charged with murder but has not yet been deemed competent to stand trial.
Trone’s legal team indicated plans to appeal his sentence.
In an emotional Instagram post after PnB Rock’s death, his girlfriend Stephanie Sibounheuang shared her grief, stating, “I’m not supposed to be here but [because] of him. I am.” She detailed the traumatic aftermath of the shooting, including her inability to ride in the ambulance with him and the distress of being forced out of the restaurant while police investigated. “My world is dark now. My heart is broken for the kids,” she wrote.
Born in Philadelphia in 1991, PnB Rock gained fame with his 2016 hit “Selfish” and collaborated with numerous artists, including Ed Sheeran. He released two studio albums, Catch These Vibes and Trapstar Turnt PopStar. Just two days before his death, he released his final song, “Luv Me Again.”
Following his passing, tributes poured in from fellow artists, including Drake, who shared a photo of the two together on his Instagram story, and Nicki Minaj, who described PnB Rock as “a pleasure to work with.”
