The man who allegedly murdered Waka Flocka Flame protégé Slim Dunkin in December 2011 will begin trial today (February 19) in Atlanta’s Fulton County Superior Court. 30-year-old Vinson Hardimon, rap name Young Vito, is accused of shooting and killing the 24-year-old Dunkin, born Mario Hamilton, during an altercation over a piece of candy.

Opening statements are set to begin in this tragic case that charges Hardimon with felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. His attorney is arguing self-defense, citing the fact that Dunkin was nine inches taller than his client.

According to the incident report, Dunkin took a piece of taffy belonging to Hardimon during a recording session at Memorial Drive studio. This provoked a verbal outburst from Hardimon. Dunkin then entered the booth and began rhyming about a man with dreadlocks.

Hardimon, who has locks, objected and entered the booth swinging at Dunkin. Witnesses were able to separate the two, but Hardimon produced a gun and shot Dunkin dead announcing, "I ain't got time to be playing games."

Hardimon then stormed out of the studio, surrendering to police two weeks later in fear of retribution from Dunkin’s camp. It was his ninth arrest, and he was out on bond at the time of the incident after an April 2011 incident in which he allegedly threatened a woman and her daughter with a gun. This was his ninth arrest.

Dunkin’s mentors Gucci Mane and Waka Flocka have both paid their respects to their fallen comrade on record since the shooting. On Gucci’s 2012 mixtape, Trap God, he spit, "I lost my nigga Dunk and no one will ever replace him/In Gucci’s eyes he will always be one of the greatest."

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(Photo: Facebook via Slim Dunkin)