Artez Benton, 23, was killed in the shooting which erupted after an argument on June 26, at a strip mall parking lot in the upscale Atlanta neighborhood of Buckhead.   

Rap star Ludacris’ longtime manager, Chaka Zulu, has been charged with murder in relation to the shooting that killed Benton, a 2021 graduate of Young Harris College, a private college in North Georgia

Music manager Ahmed Obafemi, 52, better known by his industry name ‘Chaka Zulu,’ was wounded and rushed to the hospital along with two others, who were also hit by gunfire

Zulu co-CEO of Disturbing Tha Peace Records was initially described as a victim in the June incident but has now been charged with murder Investigators looking into the killing identified Zulu, as a suspect.

‘Zulu was attacked and jumped from behind by a gang of at least four individuals and was forced to defend himself after this gang repeatedly stomped, punched, and kicked him while he was on the ground in a defenseless posture,’ claims his attorney  

He surrendered to police on Tuesday and was was booked into the Fulton County jail on murder, aggravated assault, simple battery and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony

‘Zulu who was at his place of business that night, had every right to defend himself and in an attempt to save his life, lawfully discharged his weapon in self-defense, a weapon that he is licensed to carry,’ the defense attorney stated.

He was then released on $200,000 bail 

Ahmed Obafemi, longtime manager of Rap star Ludacris, has been charged with murder in relation to a June shooting that left a 23-year-old man dead. 
Music manager Ahmed Obafemi, 52, better known by his industry name ‘Chaka Zulu,’ was wounded and rushed to the hospital along with two others, who were also hit by gunfire in the parking lot of a shopping center in the Atlanta’s super affluent neighborhood of Buckhead.
However, in the course of the shooting Artez Jamil Benton, 23, from DeKalb County, was killed. Benton was a recent graduate of Young Harris College, a private college located in the mountains of North Georgia.
The shooting erupted following an argument, although it’s unclear what the dispute was about. 
Investigators looking into the killing identified Zulu, co-CEO of Disturbing Tha Peace Records, as a suspect.
He surrendered to police on Tuesday and was was booked into the Fulton County jail on four charges, including murder, aggravated assault, simple battery and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
He was then released on $200,000 bail according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  

The Atlanta based music manager was also shot and wounded in the June shooting
Zulu was badly injured in the June 26 attack. His lawyer said he acted in self-defense, discharging a weapon he is licensed to carry after being attacked.
It is the first arrest in the case since the shooting occurred earlier this summer.
Benton’s family had been pleading for answers in the man’s killing.
‘We just want justice for Artez,’ Arteria Benton, his older sister, told The AJC. ‘That’s the main thing we want. So if you see something, say something please.’

Days after the shooting, celebrities took to social media to wish Zulu a speedy recovery.
‘Prayers for Brother Chaka Zulu,’ Roots frontman Questlove posted on Twitter.
The June murder took place in the 2200 block of Peachtree Road, a popular area in the upscale neighborhood that is dotted with shops and restaurants. 
‘Mr. Chaka Zulu, a beloved son of the City of Atlanta, is disappointed in the Atlanta Police Department’s decision to bring charges against him surrounding the shooting that occurred in June 2022,’ said Zulu’s attorney, Gabe Banks in a statement released on Saturday evening. 

‘A close review of all of the evidence, including the surveillance footage and eyewitness interviews, reveals that Mr. Zulu was attacked and jumped from behind by a gang of at least four individuals and was forced to defend himself after this gang repeatedly stomped, punched, and kicked him while he was on the ground in a defenseless posture. 
‘Mr. Zulu was shot in the back during the shooting and nearly lost his life, and is still recovering from the nearly fatal injuries he sustained that evening. Mr. Zulu was at his place of business that night and had every right to defend himself. In an attempt to save his life, Mr. Zulu lawfully discharged his weapon in self-defense, a weapon that he is licensed to carry,’ Banks continues in the statement.
‘Mr. Zulu remains confident that his name will be cleared of all charges through the judicial process. It is not lost on Mr. Zulu that someone lost his life, but had Mr. Zulu not lawfully defended himself, Mr. Zulu would have been killed that night.’ 

Zulu began his independent record label ‘Disturbing tha Peace Records’ in 1998 together with his brother Jeff Dixon and Christopher ‘Ludacris’ Bridges. 
The record label, now a subsidiary of Def Jam, was designed to give musicians from the ‘Dirty South’ an opportunity to shine after being ignored by major labels, with Ludacris being the first artist represented.

Zulu is scheduled to attend a charity event this week benefitting the Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University.
Benton, the 23-year-old who died graduated with honors from Druid Hills High School then attended Young Harris College, his family said.
Recruited as a baseball player, and also receiving a partial academic scholarship.
After graduating in 2021r with his business degree, Benton started an apprenticeship at Mayberry Electric, an Atlanta-based electrical contractor, working through a five-year program to become a licensed electrician.
He and a group of friends had also recently launched a clothing line, Cash Life Global.