Associate of Chicago rapper G Herbo killed in South Loop barbershop shooting

The Studio Nineteen barbershop in the South Loop where Gregory Jackson was killed last week. | Sam Charles/Sun-Times

A close associate of the popular yet embattled Chicago rapper G Herbo was killed in a brazen daytime shooting in a South Loop barbershop last week.

Gregory Jackson III — more widely known as “Lil Greg” — was in the Studio Nineteen barbershop, at 1931 S. State St., shortly after noon on Jan. 28 when someone walked in and shot him in the face, according to Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Jackson, a 24-year-old from South Shore, was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital a short time later. In a brief interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, Jackson’s mother, Nicole Griffin, said Jackson was a father to two young children.

Jackson’s death occurred just hours after he appeared before a Cook County judge for a marijuana possession charge. His attorney, Herschel Rush, successfully pleaded the charge down to a misdemeanor, and Jackson walked free after he was sentenced to six days of time served, court records show.

Rush said Jackson had no violence in his criminal history, and he was “courteous and respectful” throughout their time as attorney and client.

“I’m shocked and saddened to hear this news and I always had a great relationship with him,” Rush said.

Gregory Jackson (right) in his most recent Instagram post featured a smiling photo of him with G Herbo.

According to police sources, Jackson was a member of the South Shore-based No Limit Muskegon Boys gang — a renegade faction made up of members of both the Black P Stones and Gangster Disciples. “NLMB” is occasionally used as an acronym for the saying “Never Leave My Brothers,” as well.

G Herbo has long claimed an affiliation to NLMB, and in a 2012 song with fellow local rapper Lil Bibby, G Herbo said: “Yeah it’s no limit, thirty years runnin’, thirty years gunnin’ and we still the s---.”

In recent days, Jackson’s Instagram account has been deluged with messages offering sympathies on his death, including a tribute from the popular Atlanta rapper 21 Savage.

The last post on Jackson’s account features a smiling photo of him and G Herbo — whose birth name is Herbert Wright III — with a caption stating in part: “Can’t Nun Come Between Us.”

In a song released last year, G Herbo made an apparent reference to his close friendship with Jackson, saying: “Me and Greg was sharing clothes, but we wasn’t really bros.”

Last December, G Herbo and several members of his crew were charged in Massachusetts federal court for allegedly using stolen credit card details and IDs to pay for private jets, expensive meals and designer puppies over the last four years. G Herbo faces charges of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

G Herbo’s attorney in that case declined to comment on Jackson’s death. Other representatives for G Herbo could not be reached.

In another recent Instagram photo, Jackson is seen making a vulgar hand gesture while smiling and standing next to Maurice Harris, another member of NLMB who goes by “Lil Wet.”

Harris was charged in 2017 with murdering four people at a South Shore restaurant on East 75^th Street, although those charges were dropped last year.