The Price of Victory: How Yungeen Ace’s Celebration of His Rival’s Murder Led to Career Collapse and a Looming Federal RICO Charge

The story of Jacksonville rapper Yungeen Ace (Keuller Ace) is one of the most tragic and cautionary tales in modern hip-hop. He built a successful career—including the viral hit “Who I Smoke”—out of surviving the city’s bloodiest street war, only to watch that success crumble when his biggest rival, rapper Fulio (Charles Andrew Jones II), was murdered. Ace’s public celebration of the killing triggered a chain of events that has dismantled his music career and placed him directly in the crosshairs of a potential federal RICO investigation.

The pain and violence that became his brand began in 2018.

The Origin and The Viral Disrespect

The roots of the war trace back to May 2017, but the defining moment came on June 3, 2018. Yungeen Ace was ambushed outside a mall in a coordinated attack. He miraculously survived catching eight rounds to the body, but his brother, Trayvon, and three of his closest friends were killed. The attack was payback for the prior murder of an associate of his rival, Fulio.

Ace weaponized this tragedy to rise to fame. In March 2021, he and his ATK crew released “Who I Smoke,” a drill anthem that became a phenomenon, accumulating over 100 million views. The track methodically named and disrespected their dead rivals, turning their murders into punchlines and pure entertainment. Fulio immediately clapped back with the track “When I See You,” escalating the dispute into a full-blown media circus.

The Game-Changing Hit and the Aftermath

The cycle of violence culminated on June 23, 2024. Fulio, who had driven three hours to Tampa, Florida, to celebrate his 26th birthday, was ambushed in his Tesla in a Holiday Inn parking lot. Mass gunmen fired more than 30 rounds into the car, killing Fulio and injuring three others.

Ace’s reaction was immediate and highly provocative. Just hours after the murder, he released the diss track “Do It,” featuring bars that appeared to celebrate the killing with bone-chilling specificity. He followed up five days later with “Game Over.” The lyrics were so precise they matched police reports, causing legal experts to flag them as potential evidence of conspiracy to commit murder.

The Walls Close In: RICO and Career Collapse

In the aftermath, the consequences were swift:

Criminal Conspiracy: By July 2024, five suspects with documented connections to Yungeen Ace’s ATK group were charged with Fulio’s murder. Surveillance footage, cell phone data, and ballistics evidence connected the suspects. Most explosively, a leaked audio recording surfaced, allegedly claiming that Ace had placed a $10,000 bounty on Fulio.
RICO Threat: Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters publicly vowed to go after the organization, saying they would “come with a RICO.” Ace’s close associate, Ksoo, was convicted of first-degree murder in an unrelated case, with prosecutors successfully using “Who I Smoke” lyrics as evidence of motive, establishing a dangerous precedent for the weaponization of rap lyrics in court.
Commercial Ruin: Fulio’s death, while a victory in the streets, became an immediate disaster for Ace’s career. The controversy alienated fans and industry professionals. His monthly streaming numbers plummeted, new singles stalled, and his album Forgotten Star failed to chart. By October 2025, six of the eight dates on his planned tour were canceled due to low sales.

The tragic irony is that the high-stakes beef had been the only thing keeping Ace commercially relevant. With his rival gone, Yungeen Ace was left with nothing but the toxic consequences of years spent glorifying murder. In a last-ditch attempt at legal distancing, Ace announced in December 2024 that he was dismantling ATK.

As of late 2025, no formal RICO charges have been filed against Yungeen Ace, but with his associates facing life sentences and potentially cooperating, the legal noose appears to be tightening, leaving his freedom and his career hanging in the balance.