In a surprising turn of events, prosecutors have stayed a first-degree murder charge against a well-known underground Toronto rapper after a judge excluded key evidence allegedly linking him to a street gang, including music videos, social media posts and portions of a YouTube interview.
Hassan Ali, who performs as Top 5, was about to stand trial in front of a jury for allegedly directing the murder of Hashim Hashi, a 20-year-old accounting student who was not involved in criminal activities. Hashi was returning home from dinner with friends just before 9 p.m. on Jan. 31, 2021, when he was fatally shot in his car while waiting to pull into the parking garage at 40 Falstaff Avenue, near Jane Street and Highway 401.