YNW Melly trial trends on TikTok, what was the ‘Murder on My Mind’ trend in 2020? (2024)

Jamell Demons, the Florida rapper known professionallyas YNW Melly, is continuing to make headlines after his double homicide trial began in South Florida on June 12.

Demons, and his childhood friend and recording partner Cortlen Henry — YNW Bortlen — now both 24, are from Gifford and are each charged with two counts of first-degree murder with a firearm in the 2018shooting deaths of friendsAnthony Williams, 21 — aka YNW Sakchaser — and Christopher Thomas Jr., 19 — aka YNW Juvy.

Not only has Demons sparked the interest of those in the music world and true crime circuit but users on TikTok have seen his hit "Murder on My Mind" trending on the app for years. From prior prank videos to court clips, the rapper has seen major support from TikTok fans.

Who is the Gifford rapper? Who is YNW Melly? Learn about South Florida rapper currently on trial for double-homicide charges

What was the trend to YNW Melly's song?

The trend occurred back in 2020 in the midst of the pandemic and it resurged every few months with another viral video.

It usually features someone doing either of the following to the song "Murder on My Mind" — slamming a door or throwing an object at another person right as the first beat of the song starts and begins to play. With the slamming-the-door route, users will write a relatable sad yet sarcastic message on the screen.

With the throwing of the object version, it is more about the reactions from either the person being hit or those around. Other variations of the trend include those putting the sound over videos of them or someone else falling.

As of July 2023, the official audio has over 166,000 posts under it. Another popular audio uploaded by a different TikTok user features even more of memes, capturing over 250,000 videos under the sound.

Even well-known influencers and celebrities, such as Lele Pons and Jake Paul, got in on the fun and filmed skits to go with the trend.

Who is YNW Melly? How did he get his start?

YNW Melly, bornJamell Maurice Demon, is a 24-year-old rapper and singer from Gifford, Florida. Demons collaborated with controversial rapperKanye West, as well as late rapperJuice WRLD,Lil Uzi Vert, Kodak Black, and Lil Baby.

Demons rose to fameunder the pseudonym YNW Melly, breaking out on the rap scene with his song titled "Murder on my Mind" on his 2018 tape "I Am You."

How popular is 'Murder on My Mind?'

The song was originally uploaded ontoSoundCloudon March 4, 2017, and later released as a single by300 Entertainmenton June 1 of the next year. According to reports, the rapper thought up the chorus of "Murder on My Mind" when he was first incarcerated at the age of 16.

Since his arrest for the double homicide of his friends, the song peaked within thetop 20 on the Billboard Hot 100and reached number one on the US Apple Music chart.

The single went six times platinum in January 2022 by RIAA, a distinction given to singles with 6 million certified units.

Since the trial began on June 12, "Murder On My Mind" Spotify streams skyrocketed in the United States, earning 2,037,678 Spotify streams for the week ending June 22. This brings the cumulative streams to more than 907,061,254 as of June 26, according toKworb.net, a streaming tracking website.

What is it about?

Despite all the theories, the hit song at its core is about an intense and emotional account of someone's struggle with their conscience after committing a murder. The lyrics depict a graphic story of Demons shooting a close friend and holding him in his arms as he slowly lost consciousness and died.

In an interview withHotNewHipHop, Melly described how he had written the song after being charged withthree counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and one count of discharging a firearm in public. In theinterview,he said how all 240 inmates and the staff enjoyed his song, knowing then it’d be a hit.

In an interview with Genius in 2018, Demons goes through the lyrics and says that murder is what his other personality, Melvin, thinks about every day.

Why is YNW Melly on trial in Florida right now?

YNW Melly isfacing two first-degree murder chargesin the Oct. 26, 2018 killings of his friends, 21-year-old Anthony Williams — known as YNW Sackchaser — and 19-year-old Christopher Phillips — known as YNW Juvi — in Miramar.

Demons and Henry were both 19 when Thomas, 19, of Gifford, and Williams, 21, of Fort Pierce, were shot and killed on Oct. 26, 2018, in South Florida. The homicides occurred during what the Miramar Police Department later called astaged drive-by shooting.

At about 4:35 a.m., Henry pulled intoMemorial Hospital Miramar with the bodies of Williams and Thomas in the passenger seats of a bullet-riddled Jeep Compass.

The rapper originally told police the two were killed by unknown assailants in a drive-by shooting. Police later said Henry and Demons orchestrated the killings, with Demons pulling the trigger and Henry assisting in acover-up

Miramar police arrested Demons months later and he was charged with two counts ofpremeditatedfirst-degree murderand faceslife imprisonmentwithout the possibility ofparoleor thedeath penaltyif convicted. Since 2019, he has been held at the Broward County jail.

How have TikTok and other social media users reacted to the trial?

Supporters of Demons have been using the #FreeMelly hashtag on social media to show their support for the rapper.

Brandon King, Demons' 16-year-old brother who goes by YNW BSlime, released the song"Free Melly featuring DC The Don"in October 2022. Since its release, the video has garnered over 1 million views.

With over4.4 million Instagram followers, Demons posted a photo gallery of himself smiling in court with "#YnwMellyHome2023," as the caption on May 3. Since then, he has shared an Instagram post promoting new music with the #ynwmellyhome2023 hashtag.

On TikTok, fans have been posting clips of the trial in support of Melly.

Other users are jumping on Murder on My Mind's recent surge in popularity, either performing old trends or sparking new ones.

Where can I watch the trial?

You canwatch the livestream and read trial updates on TCPalm.

Law&Crime Network partnered with hip-hop music journalistByson Paulas a correspondent on the trial for the live stream.

The trial is being broadcast through the network'sYouTube Channel livestreamingevery day. Law&Crime has compiled aYouTube playlistwith the live stream of the day and new videos highlighting courtroom moments including testimonies and opening statements.