Keith Farrelle Cozart (born August 15, 1995), better known by his stage name Chief Keef, is an American rapper and record producer. Born and raised in
Chicago
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
's
South Side, he began his recording career as a teenager and initially garnered regional attention and praise for his mixtapes in the early 2010s.
Cozart is often credited with popularizing the hip hop subgenre
drill
A drill is a tool used for making round holes or driving fasteners. It is fitted with a drill bit for making holes, or a screwdriver bit for securing fasteners. Historically, they were powered by hand, and later mains power, but cordless b ...
for mainstream audiences, and is considered a progenitor of the genre.
His fifth mixtape, ''
Back from the Dead'' (2012), spawned the single "
I Don't Like
"I Don't Like" is the debut single by American rapper Chief Keef featuring fellow American rapper Lil Reese. Produced by Young Chop, it was released on March 6, 2012. The song was later remixed for the G.O.O.D. Music compilation album ''Cruel Su ...
" (featuring
Lil Reese
Tavares Lamont Taylor (born January 6, 1993), known professionally as Lil Reese, is an American rapper. Hailing from Chicago's drill scene, he is best known for his guest appearance on Chief Keef's 2012 single "I Don't Like", which peaked at nu ...
), which became a local
hit
Hit means to strike someone or something.
Hit or HIT may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Fictional entities
* Hit, a fictional character from ''Dragon Ball Super''
* Homicide International Trust or HIT, a fictional organization i ...
and marked his first entry on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100.
A bidding war between several major labels resulted in Cozart signing with
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label based in Santa Monica, California, owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture ...
, who commercially re-released the song, along with its follow-up, "
Love Sosa", which received
quintuple platinum certification by the
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA). Both served as lead singles for his debut studio album, ''
Finally Rich
''Finally Rich'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Chief Keef. It was released on December 18, 2012 by Glory Boyz Entertainment and Interscope Records. The album features guest appearances from 50 Cent, Wiz Khalifa, Lil Reese, Rick Ro ...
'' (2012), which was met with moderate critical and commercial response, also serving as his only release on a
major label
"Big Three" music labels
A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and t ...
. His following independent studio albums—''
Bang 3'' (2015), ''Bang 3, Pt. 2'' (2015), ''
4Nem'' (2021), and ''
Almighty So 2'' (2024)—have each entered the ''Billboard'' 200. Two of his guest appearances—on the songs "
Bean (Kobe)" by
Lil Uzi Vert
Symere Bysil Woods ( ; born July 31, 1995), known professionally as Lil Uzi Vert, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, they gained initial recognition following the release of the commer ...
and "
All the Parties" by
Drake
Drake may refer to:
Animals and creatures
* A male duck
* Drake (mythology), a term related to and often synonymous with dragon
People and fictional characters
* Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family ...
—have peaked within the
top 40
In the music industry, the Top 40 is a list of the 40 currently most popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "To ...
of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100.
''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' has credited Cozart with "personif
ing
Ing, ING or ing may refer to:
Art and media
* '' ...ing'', a 2003 Korean film
* i.n.g, a Taiwanese girl group
* The Ing, a race of dark creatures in the 2004 video game '' Metroid Prime 2: Echoes''
* "Ing", the first song on The Roches' 199 ...
Chicago drill",
while ''
Stereogum
''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine.
''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several awar ...
'' referred to him as a "modern rap
folk hero
A folk hero or national hero is a type of hero – real, fictional or mythology, mythological – with their name, personality and deeds embedded in the popular consciousness of a people, mentioned frequently in Folk music, folk songs, folk tales ...
".
Life and career
Early life (1995–2010)
Chief Keef was born Keith Farrelle Cozart
in
Chicago, Illinois
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, on August 15, 1995, to Lolita Carter (born circa 1980) who was unwed. He is named after his deceased uncle, Keith Carter, who was known as "Big Keef". He lived at the
Parkway Garden Homes located in the
Washington Park neighborhood on the city's
South Side, a stronghold for the
Black Disciples
The Black Disciples (often abbreviated as the BD's) is an African-American street gang that originated in Chicago, Illinois.
History
In 1958, a group of young teenagers from the Hyde Park, Englewood, and Kenwood areas of Chicago form ...
street gang of which Chief Keef is a member. Sociologist R. L'Heureux Lewis-McCoy described Chief Keef’s mentality as a member, "Chicago’s Black Disciples is central to who he is and who he should be".
Chief Keef has been estranged from his biological father, Alfonso Cozart, since he was a year old. His legal guardian was his grandmother, Margaret Carter with whom he lived in Chicago. She worked as a school
bus driver
A bus driver, bus operator, or bus captain is a person who drives buses for a living.
Description
Bus drivers must have a special license above and beyond a regular driver's licence. Bus drivers typically drive their vehicles between bus st ...
.
He began rapping as a five-year-old using his mother's
karaoke
is a type of interactive entertainment system usually offered in nightclubs and bars, where people sing along to pre-recorded accompaniment using a microphone.
Its musical content is an instrumental rendition of a well-known popular song. I ...
machine and tapes to record his music.
During his childhood, Chief Keef attended Dulles Elementary School and
Dyett High School. He dropped out of Dyett in his freshman year.
Early years, ''Finally Rich'', and subsequent mixtapes (2011–2013)
Chief Keef started rapping in 2008 and released his debut mixtape, ''UF Overload'', in 2009.
In 2011, he first attracted local attention from Chicago's South Side community with his mixtapes, ''The Glory Road'' and ''Bang''. In December, he was arrested for firing a gun from his car in Chicago's
Washington Park neighborhood; he was placed under house arrest at his grandmother's residence for 30 days, followed by another 30 days of home confinement. While under house arrest, he posted several videos to his
YouTube
YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
account, forerunners to Chicago's hip hop subgenre,
drill
A drill is a tool used for making round holes or driving fasteners. It is fitted with a drill bit for making holes, or a screwdriver bit for securing fasteners. Historically, they were powered by hand, and later mains power, but cordless b ...
.
Chief Keef met Japanese immigrant producer, DJ Kenn, through his uncle. DJ Kenn worked with Chief Keef on many of his earliest songs, and was involved with the 'Glory Boys Entertainment' (GBE) collective.
Keef's song "
I Don't Like
"I Don't Like" is the debut single by American rapper Chief Keef featuring fellow American rapper Lil Reese. Produced by Young Chop, it was released on March 6, 2012. The song was later remixed for the G.O.O.D. Music compilation album ''Cruel Su ...
" became a hit in Chicago. A local party promoter called it "the perfect Chicago song because 'niggas just hate everything out here'". It caught
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
's attention, and he remixed the song with rappers
Pusha T
Terrence LeVarr Thornton (born May 13, 1977), better known by his stage name Pusha T, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as one half of the Virginia-based hip hop duo Clipse, which he formed with his older brother No Malice, Malice. M ...
,
Jadakiss
Jason Terrance Phillips (born May 27, 1975), better known by his stage name Jadakiss (, ), is an American rapper who began his career in the 1990s and formed the hip hop trio the Lox alongside Styles P and Sheek Louch in 1994. The group signed w ...
and
Big Sean
Sean Michael Leonard Anderson (born March 25, 1988), known professionally as Big Sean, is an American rapper. He met Kanye West as a teenager, and signed with his record label GOOD Music, an imprint of Def Jam Recordings in 2007. He gained popul ...
. As a result, Keef "suddenly shot up out of obscurity".
In the summer of 2012, Chief Keef was the subject of a bidding war among record labels wishing to sign him, including Young Jeezy's
CTE World
CTE New World (acronym for Corporate Thugz Entertainment, formerly CTE World) is an American record label founded by rapper Jeezy and his former business partner Kinky B in 2001. In December 2012, the label signed a joint venture deal with Atla ...
. While 2012 proved to be a relatively quiet year in terms of his musical output, Chief Keef began the year by signing with
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label based in Santa Monica, California, owned by Universal Music Group through its Interscope Geffen A&M imprint. Founded in late 1990 by Jimmy Iovine and Ted Field as a $20 million joint venture ...
. In a separate deal, he was promised his own label imprint, Glory Boyz Entertainment (GBE). The deal was worth $6,000,000 over a three album layout, with an additional $440,000 advance to establish GBE.
The deal gave Interscope the right to pull out of the contract if Chief Keef's debut album ''
Finally Rich
''Finally Rich'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Chief Keef. It was released on December 18, 2012 by Glory Boyz Entertainment and Interscope Records. The album features guest appearances from 50 Cent, Wiz Khalifa, Lil Reese, Rick Ro ...
'', released on December 18, 2012, had failed to sell 250,000 copies by December 2013. Featured guests on the album include rappers:
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and television producer. Born in Queens, a borough of New York City, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 1996. In 1999–2000, ...
,
Wiz Khalifa
Cameron Jibril Thomaz (born September 8, 1987), better known by his stage name Wiz Khalifa, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and actor. Raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he signed with the local independent label Rostrum Records to re ...
,
Young Jeezy
Jay Wayne Jenkins (born September 28, 1977), known by his stage name Jeezy (or Young Jeezy), is an American rapper. He is credited, alongside fellow Georgia-based rappers T.I. and Gucci Mane, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music fo ...
,
Rick Ross
William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. An influential figure in modern Hip-hop, hip hop music, Rick Ross has become known for his "Wiktionary:booming, booming" vocal perfor ...
and his fellow Glory Boyz member
Lil Reese
Tavares Lamont Taylor (born January 6, 1993), known professionally as Lil Reese, is an American rapper. Hailing from Chicago's drill scene, he is best known for his guest appearance on Chief Keef's 2012 single "I Don't Like", which peaked at nu ...
. In May 2013 he signed with
1017 Brick Squad Records
1017 Global Music, LLC, also known as The New 1017 Records (formerly known as 1017 Brick Squad, So Icey Entertainment, and 1017 Eskimo, briefly GUWOP Enterprises), is an American record label founded by Gucci Mane in 2007. Its formation followe ...
.
Chief Keef is featured on "
Hold My Liquor", the fifth track on Kanye West's album, ''
Yeezus
''Yeezus'' is the sixth studio album by the American rapper Kanye West. It was released on June 18, 2013, through Def Jam Recordings and Roc-A-Fella Records. West gathered a number of artists and close collaborators for the production, includi ...
'', released on June 18, 2013. Keef's contributions to the track were praised by musician
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician and songwriter. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. Althoug ...
who said, "'Hold My Liquor' is just heartbreaking, and particularly coming from where it's coming from – listen to that incredibly poignant hook from a tough guy like Chief Keef, wow."
On his 18th birthday, August 15, 2013, Chief Keef celebrated by releasing the mixtape ''
Bang, Pt. 2''. It was highly anticipated as the first project following his debut album, but received a mixed to negative critical response. On October 12, 2013, another mixtape, ''Almighty Sosa'', was released. Like ''Bang, Pt. 2'', ''Almighty Sosa'' also received mixed to negative critical reviews. After serving his October 2013 jail term (see
§ Legal issues), he began working on his second studio album and a
biopic
A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or group of people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudrama films and histo ...
.
''Nobody'' and ''Bang 3'' (2014–2016)
Chief Keef began experimenting with producing his music in 2014. Meaghan Garvey of ''
The Fader
''The Fader'' is a magazine established in 1999 as an outlet for Cornerstone Agency, a marketing and public relations firm established by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture.
History and work
It is owned by T ...
'' noted this was fitting as the rapper has "always been more concerned with vibe than meaning, and production is his most efficient tool to create a mood without getting bogged down by pesky syntax." In January, Chief Keef announced he was working on a new mixtape entitled ''
Bang 3''. In February, he unveiled the cover art to his upcoming mixtape ''Back From The Dead 2'' the sequel to his critically acclaimed mixtape, ''
Back From The Dead''. During February, Chief Keef said his former
lean
Lean, leaning or LEAN may refer to:
Business practices
* Lean thinking, a business methodology adopted in various fields
* Lean construction, an adaptation of lean manufacturing principles to the design and construction process
* Lean governmen ...
addiction and bad mixing contributed to the lack of quality music on his two mixtape projects ''Bang Pt. 2'' and ''Almighty So'' and that he was disappointed in both projects.
Later in February 2014, he announced an
EP before his second studio album ''Bang 3'', entitled ''Bang 4'', as a preview. The following day, Fredo Santana announced he and Chief Keef were going to release an album collaboration. In March, Keef released the first official single from ''Bang 3'' entitled "Fuck Rehab" featuring his fellow Glo Gang artist and cousin Mario "Blood Money" Hess. This marked Hess's final recording before his death on April 9, 2014. On March 14 Chief Keef released the official music video for "Fuck Rehab". Although Interscope executive
Larry Jackson announced that ''Bang 3'' would be released on June 10, it was delayed again.
In October 2014, Chief Keef was dropped by Interscope Records. He confirmed via Twitter that every project he had planned, including the release of the long-awaited ''Bang 3'', would still be released.
Young Chop
Tyree Lamar Pittman (born November 14, 1993), better known by his stage name Young Chop, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He is best known for producing drill hip hop music, and for producing many of Chief Keef's early hit ...
criticized Interscope's decision to drop Chief Keef. Despite being set for a December 2014 release, ''Bang 3'' did not materialize. Chief Keef's mixtapes, ''Mansion Musick'' set for a November 28 release, and ''Thot Breakers'' set to release on February 14, 2015, were not released as announced. However, he was successful in releasing ''
Big Gucci Sosa'', a 12-track collaborative mixtape, with
Gucci Mane
Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper. He is credited, along with fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Jeezy, with pioneering the hip hop subgenre trap music for mainstream a ...
, as well as ''
Back from the Dead 2'', which was made available for digital download from
iTunes
iTunes is a media player, media library, and mobile device management (MDM) utility developed by Apple. It is used to purchase, play, download and organize digital multimedia on personal computers running the macOS and Windows operating s ...
.
Chief Keef self-produced 16 of the 20 songs on the mixtape. David Drake of ''
Pitchfork Media
''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music magazine founded in 1996 by Ryan Schreiber in Minneapolis. It originally covered Alternative rock, alternative and independent music, and expanded to cover genres includin ...
'' said, "For his first steps into the rapper-producer territory, he shows promise—though it's tough to imagine most of these beats working outside the context of a Chief Keef album, as they are primed to frame his vocals." ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' ranked the mixtape 25th on its list of the 40 best rap albums of 2014 commenting, "The bleak world from which he came still shapes his sound; it's a bleak and lonely record, with few guests and a darkly psychedelic shape formed by drugs and likely PTSD. Yet he finds a gleeful humanity inside the world's rotten core, with bluntly potent, economical rapping that gets strong mileage per word."
In November, he announced ''
Nobody
Nobody most often refers to:
* Nobody, an indefinite pronoun
Nobody may also refer to:
Fictional characters
* Nobody (''Kingdom Hearts''), a race of beings in the ''Kingdom Hearts'' video game series
*Nobody, a character in the Jim Jarmusch fi ...
'', a "Glo Producer album" that featured guest vocals by
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...
and Tadoe. It was set to be released on December 2, but appeared on December 16. The album's title track was noted for being one of Keef's more emotionally driven tracks. Chris Coplan of ''
Consequence of Sound
''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television.
History
''Consequence of Sound'' was founded in Septem ...
'' wrote "the track itself feels like the apex of a night spent binge-drinking." The album was awarded a 7.0/10 score by ''Pitchfork Media''s Meaghan Garvey.
On February 18, 2015, Chief Keef released ''
Sorry 4 the Weight'', a 20-track mixtape. Elliott Pearson of
''The Alibi'' commented: "''Sorry 4 the Weight'' is another consistent chapter in the rapper's singular Midwestern gothic repertoire, and if 'What Up' is any indication, he's made serious progress as a beat-maker too." The mixtape was largely a solo effort, featuring only
Andy Milonakis
Andrew Michael Milonakis (; born January 30, 1976) is an American comedian, actor, rapper, and internet personality. He is best known for his work on '' The Andy Milonakis Show'', a sketch comedy series that aired on MTV and MTV2 from 2005 to 2 ...
and Glo Gang labelmate, Benji Glo. In 2015, his track "Faneto" was slowly building momentum since its October 2014 release. On April 24, 2015, Chief Keef announced his next album, titled ''The Cozart'', saying it would be released soon. In 2015, he signed with
FilmOn
FilmOn is an Internet-based television provider owned by FilmOn.TV Networks Inc. Alki David had founded FilmOn.TV Networks in 2006. The company was involved in a prolonged legal case concerning streaming rights with CBS, Fox, and NBC between 201 ...
, a television streaming company owned by Greek billionaire
Alki David
Alkiviades "Alki" David (born May 1968; pronounced ) is a Cypriot-British businessman. By 2008, he was the majority shareholder of Leventis-David Group, which owns Coca-Cola Hellenic bottling plants in 28 countries. He founded the Internet-b ...
in 2015. Keef later named his son Sno FilmOn Dot Com Cozart to promote''Bang 3'', but the label retracted their naming rights to his son.
On July 11, 2015, Marvin Carr, better known by his stage name Capo, a longtime member of Chief Keef's Glo Gang label, was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting in Chicago. After killing Capo, the driver of the vehicle reportedly struck a stroller holding 13-month-old Dillan Harris killing him instantly. Chief Keef announced on Twitter he would be holding a free benefit concert as a tribute to Capo and encouraged concertgoers to donate to the Harris family. He also announced the formation of the Stop the Violence Now Foundation, in an attempt to decrease crime in Chicago. Because of outstanding warrants in Illinois, Keef was scheduled to attend the concert via hologram from a sound stage in
Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hil ...
, California.
The concert, organized by HologramUSA and FilmOn Music, was planned to be held in Chicago's
Redmoon Theater
Redmoon Theater was a Chicago based nonprofit theatrical company under the direction of Jim Lasko and Frank Maugeri that specialized in site-specific productions emphasizing visual spectacle. Productions were often outdoors, sometimes ticketed, s ...
. It faced a series of delays after Chicago mayor
Rahm Emanuel
Rahm Israel Emanuel (; born November 29, 1959) is an American politician, advisor, diplomat, and former investment banker who most recently served as List of ambassadors of the United States to Japan, United States ambassador to Japan from 2022 ...
's office claimed Chief Keef was "an unacceptable role model" and that his music promoted violence. Chief Keef's representatives then worked out an arrangement with promoters of Craze Fest in
Hammond, Indiana
Hammond ( ) is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. Located along Lake Michigan, it is part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the only city in Indiana to border Chicago. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the Li ...
, to hold the concert there. Local police stopped Keef from performing again. Chief Keef's hologram made a plea for peace in Chicago saying, "Stop the violence, stop nonsense, stop the killing. Let the kids grow up", before performing "I Don't Like". Fearing the concert was a threat to public safety, Hammond mayor
Thomas McDermott, Jr. had the city's police department shut down the generators powering Chief Keef's hologram. McDermott was quoted as saying, "I know nothing about Chief Keef. All I'd heard was he has a lot of songs about gangs and shooting people—a history that's anti-cop, pro-gang and pro-drug use. He's been basically outlawed in Chicago, and we're not going to let
imcircumvent Mayor Emanuel by going next door." ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' columnist Eric Zorn criticized Emmanuel and Hammond for their decisions, claiming they infringed upon Chief Keef's
First Amendment rights
The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution prevents Congress from making laws respecting an establishment of religion; prohibiting the free exercise of religion; or abridging the freedom of speech, the freedom of t ...
.
In November, Keef's contract with FilmOn was suspended over management issues. The following month, FilmOn sued Keef's management team and producers for the unauthorized release of music.
''Dedication'', ''Glotoven'' and ''Almighty So 2'' (Since 2016)
In March 2016, Chief Keef tweeted that he was retiring from rapping. The announcement came as his recorded output was slowing down. However, later in the year he was featured on
MGK's song, "Young Man". He also released a 17-track mixtape ''Two Zero One Seven'' in January 2017. Chief Keef joined a long line of rappers, including
Jay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American Rapping, rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named Billboard and Vibe's 50 Greatest Rappers of All Time, the ...
,
Lupe Fiasco
Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982), better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco ( ), is an American rapper, record producer and Music education, music educator. Born and raised in Chicago, he gained mainstream recognition for his gue ...
,
Nicki Minaj
Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian rapper, singer, and songwriter. Regarded as the "Queen of Rap" and one of the most influential rappers of all time, she is noted for her ...
and others, who claimed to have retired only to return to making music.
Chief Keef released four mixtapes in the lead up to releasing his third album, ''
Dedication
Dedication often refers to various religious and secular ceremonies and practices such as:
* Dedication (ritual) the ritual or ceremonial establishment of a purpose for a person, place, or thing
** Dedication of churches
** Child dedication, a C ...
'', on December 1, 2017. ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' called ''Dedication'' his "most satisfying album to date".
In 2018, Chief Keef was able to drop more mixtapes, such as ''Mansion Musick'' and ''Back from the Dead 3'' and more mixtapes in ''The Leek'' series. He also did more features for musicians such as
Playboi Carti
Jordan Terrell Carter (born September 13, 1995, or 1996), known professionally as Playboi Carti, is an American rapper. Known for his eccentric vocal style and fashion, he is considered an influential figure in modern Hip hop music, hip hop a ...
,
Soulja Boy
DeAndre Cortez Way (born July 28, 1990), known professionally as Soulja Boy (formerly Soulja Boy Tell 'Em), is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to prominence with his self-released 2007 debut single, "Crank That ...
, and
G Herbo
Herbert Randall Wright III (born October 8, 1995), better known by his stage name G Herbo (formerly Lil Herb), is an American rapper. He signed with the Chicago-based record label Machine Entertainment Group in 2011, at the age of 16. His debut ...
. Chief Keef also worked alongside
Trippie Redd
Michael Lamar White IV (born June 18, 1999), known professionally as Trippie Redd, is an American rapper and singer. Born and raised in Canton, Ohio, he has contributed to the progression of emo rap and rage, a subgenre of trap music.
His de ...
due to the feud he had with
6ix9ine
Daniel Hernandez (born May 8, 1996), known professionally as 6ix9ine (stylized in all caps and pronounced "six nine") and also as Tekashi 6ix9ine or Tekashi69, is an American rapper. His music has been marked by an aggressive style of rapping ...
.
In early 2019, Chief Keef and
Zaytoven
Xavier Lamar Dotson (born January 12, 1980), known professionally as Zaytoven, is an American record producer from Atlanta, Georgia. He has released collaborative projects with artists including Gucci Mane, Usher, Future, Young Dolph, Mig ...
worked together in the studio. Chief Keef later confirmed they were making a collaborative mixtape called ''Glotoven''. It was released on March 15, 2019, and was supported by the single "Spy Kid". On April 20, 2019, Chief Keef revealed he had another mixtape planned, dubbed ''Almighty So 2''. He then released a song with
Youngboy Never Broke Again
Kentrell DeSean Gaulden (born October 20, 1999), known professionally as YoungBoy Never Broke Again or NBA YoungBoy, is an American rapper. From Louisiana, United States, Gaulden released eight independent mixtapes and garnered a regional foll ...
called "Fireman". The mixtape is also scheduled to have features from
Lil Uzi Vert
Symere Bysil Woods ( ; born July 31, 1995), known professionally as Lil Uzi Vert, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, they gained initial recognition following the release of the commer ...
,
Soulja Boy
DeAndre Cortez Way (born July 28, 1990), known professionally as Soulja Boy (formerly Soulja Boy Tell 'Em), is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to prominence with his self-released 2007 debut single, "Crank That ...
and Lil Reese, among others. Chief Keef also released another single titled "Boost".
In March 2020, Chief Keef earned his first major production credit on
Lil Uzi Vert
Symere Bysil Woods ( ; born July 31, 1995), known professionally as Lil Uzi Vert, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, they gained initial recognition following the release of the commer ...
's second studio album, ''
Eternal Atake
''Eternal Atake'' is the second studio album by the American rapper and singer Lil Uzi Vert. It was released through Generation Now and Atlantic Records on March 6, 2020. The album features a sole guest appearance from American singer Syd. The ...
'', with the song "Chrome Heart Tags". Chief Keef was later featured on Uzi's album ''
Lil Uzi Vert vs. the World 2
''Lil Uzi Vert vs. the World 2'' is a Reissue, reissue studio album by American rapper and singer Lil Uzi Vert. It was released through Generation Now and Atlantic Records on March 13, 2020. The album was released as the deluxe edition of their s ...
'' with a vocal performance on the song "
Bean (Kobe)", which became his highest-charting song on the Hot 100 at number 19.
Other ventures
Glo Gang
As part of his contract with Interscope Records, Chief Keef's label imprint, Glory Boyz Entertainment (GBE), was established. He and his manager, Rovan Manuel, each owned 40% of GBE's shares. Chief Keef's cousin and fellow rapper,
Fredo Santana
Derrick Antonio Coleman (July 4, 1990 – January 19, 2018), known professionally as Fredo Santana, was an American rapper. The older cousin of rapper Chief Keef, Santana began his career in 2011. His debut studio album, '' Trappin Ain't Dead ...
, his uncle Alonzo Carter, and Anthony H. Dade, owned the remaining 20% of GBE. Various associates would be signed with the label, such as rappers Lil Reese, Fredo Santana and producer Young Chop.
The label had been active since 2011 but had only released mixtapes and was not a fully functioning record company. After releasing Chief Keef's ''Finally Rich'' in December 2012, the label was set to release an album by Lil Reese in the following months, along with various mixtapes. However, on January 3, 2014, Chief Keef said that Glory Boyz Entertainment was "no more", and he was starting a new record label named Glo Gang. Prior to his death, Blood Money revealed in an interview the members of Glo Gang were Chief Keef, Tray Savage, Ballout, Capo, Tadoe, JusGlo, and himself.
Current artists
* Chief Keef
* Tadoe
* Ballout
* DooWop
* Lil Flash
* Benji Flo
* Terintino
* JusGlo
* SmokeCamp Chino
Former artists
*
Lil Reese
Tavares Lamont Taylor (born January 6, 1993), known professionally as Lil Reese, is an American rapper. Hailing from Chicago's drill scene, he is best known for his guest appearance on Chief Keef's 2012 single "I Don't Like", which peaked at nu ...
*
Lucki
* Tray Savage
* Fredo Santana
* Gino Marley
* Capo
* Blood Money
* SD
* Snap Dogg
* Rocaine
43B
Announced on June 6, 2022, through a partnership with
RBC Records
RBC Records is an American online independent record label and management company founded by partners Brian Shafton and Bob Grossi. It provides artists and independent labels with a full-service "virtual label" alternative to signing with a major ...
and
BMG Rights Management
BMG Rights Management GmbH (also known simply as BMG) is an international music company based in Berlin, Germany. It combines the activities of a music publisher and a record label.
BMG was formed in October 2008 after Bertelsmann sold its st ...
, Chief Keef announced the founding of 43B, otherwise known as Forget Everybody, and its first signee,
Lil Gnar
Caleb Samuel Shepard (born February 24, 1996), known professionally as Lil Gnar, is an American rapper and singer based in Atlanta.
Career
As of December 2023, Shepard has released one studio album, two mixtapes, two collaborative extended p ...
.
Personal life
At the age of 16, Chief Keef had his first child, a daughter. In November 2013, DNA documents revealed that he had fathered a 10-month-old daughter to a woman two decades older than him. Chief Keef was subsequently ordered to begin paying child support to her mother. In September 2014, Chief Keef announced the birth of his third child, and his first son.
In May 2015, he was sued by another woman who claimed he is the father of her child. Since he had failed to respond to the legal documents with which he was served, he was ordered to appear in court. After failing to do so, a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. Despite these issues, ''
LA Weekly
''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. The paper covers music, arts, film, theater, culture, and other local news in the Los Angeles area. ''LA Weekly'' was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin (among others), ...
'' reported that at least on
Instagram
Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
Chief Keef "appears to take fatherhood seriously."
On September 15, 2012, Chief Keef uploaded a photograph of him receiving
fellatio
Fellatio (also known as fellation, and in slang as blowjob, BJ, giving head, or sucking off) is an oral sex act consisting of the stimulation of a human penis, penis by using the mouth. Oral stimulation of the scrotum may also be termed ''fellat ...
from a female fan onto Instagram, which he removed shortly afterwards. However, his account was subsequently banned for violating Instagram's
terms of service. He has since created another Instagram account, and has had his activities on the app mentioned by various outlets.
In August 2015, he caused a controversy after naming his newborn son Sno "FilmOn Dot Com", inspired by his record label, FilmOn Music, to promote his album ''Bang 3''. Following a dispute over the child's paternity, FilmOn Music retracted the name until the matter is settled.
Two of his cousins, Fredo Santana and Tadoe, were signed to his Glory Boyz Entertainment label. His step-brother was shot dead on January 2, 2013. Another of his cousins, Mario Hess, also known as Big Glo, who performed under the stage name Blood Money, was shot and killed in Chicago's
Englewood neighborhood on April 9, 2014. Hess had been signed to Interscope Records just two weeks prior to his killing. In an interview with ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'', Chief Keef explained how Big Glo's death influenced his life saying, "When that happened that was the biggest lesson. It told me 'You gotta grow up.'"
After being evicted from his
Highland Park home in June 2014, he relocated to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. In an interview with
Noisey
''Vice'' (stylized in all caps) is a Canadian-American magazine focused on lifestyle, arts, culture, and news/politics. It was founded in 1994 in Montreal as an alternative punk magazine, and its founders later launched the youth media company ...
's Rebecca Haithcoat, Chief Keef told her his favorite part about Los Angeles is "the quiet". After moving to Los Angeles, he began indulging in his new-found hobby of art collecting, once he discovered the paintings of art teacher Bill da Butcher while in rehab. Once acquainted, da Butcher began working on paintings personally meant for Chief Keef. He believed that his move to Los Angeles benefited him; in an interview with ''Billboard'', he said: "I got away from all the unnecessary trouble. It's better out here
n L.A.
N, or n, is the fourteenth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages, and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''.
History
...
than in Chicago, because I got in so much trouble. I like living out here. I think it improved me. It changed me, and
nspiredme to go somewhere bigger."
Legal issues
On January 27, 2011, Chief Keef was apprehended on charges of
heroin
Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a morphinan opioid substance synthesized from the Opium, dried latex of the Papaver somniferum, opium poppy; it is mainly used as a recreational drug for its eupho ...
manufacture and distribution. As a juvenile offender, he was determined to be a "delinquent", rather than guilty of his charges, and served time under
house arrest
House arrest (also called home confinement, or nowadays electronic monitoring) is a legal measure where a person is required to remain at their residence under supervision, typically as an alternative to imprisonment. The person is confined b ...
. In December 2011, he left his grandmother's home holding a coat over his hands in front of his waistband. A policeman stopped to question the rapper. He dropped the coat, flashed a handgun and ran away.
Officers chased the then-16-year-old Chief Keef, who turned around several times and pointed the gun at them. The policemen "discharged their weapons" but missed. They caught him and recovered the loaded pistol. Chief Keef was charged with three counts of aggravated assault with a firearm on a police officer and aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. He was also given a misdemeanor charge for resisting arrest. He was held in the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center for four weeks until a judge sentenced him to house arrest at his grandmother's house.
On September 5, 2012,
Chicago Police
The Chicago Police Department (CPD) is the primary law enforcement agency of the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States, under the jurisdiction of the Chicago City Council. It is the second-largest municipal police department in the United ...
stated Chief Keef was being investigated for a possible connection to the shooting death of fellow rapper and Englewood resident, Joseph Coleman, who performed under the stage name "
Lil JoJo
Joseph J. Coleman (April 6, 1994 – September 4, 2012), who also performed as a rapper under the name Lil JoJo, was an American musician from Chicago, Illinois, whose murder at age 18 received wide coverage as a symptom of gang violence in Chic ...
". This began after Chief Keef had mocked his death on Twitter, which he later claimed was the result of his account being hacked. Coleman's mother has openly maintained Chief Keef paid to have her son killed.
Cook County
Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40 percent of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. ...
prosecutors asked a judge to remand him to
juvenile detention
Juvenile may refer to:
In general
*Juvenile status, or minor (law), prior to adulthood
* Juvenile (organism)
Music
* Juvenile (rapper) (born 1975), stage name of American rapper Terius Gray
*''Juveniles'', a 2020 studio album by the band Kingsw ...
for alleged parole violations on October 17, 2012. This was in response to a video interview he held at a
shooting range
A shooting range, firing range, gun range or shooting ground is a specialized facility, venue, or field designed specifically for firearm usage qualifications, training, practice, or competitions. Some shooting ranges are operated by milita ...
which included footage of him discharging a firearm. A hearing was set for November 20, 2012, which was subsequently delayed and moved up to January 15, 2013. The court ordered ''Pitchfork Media'', which had posted the now removed video, to provide the interview's footage.
On December 31, 2012, Chief Keef was issued a
judicial summons for a new and unrelated alleged parole violation. Prosecutors claimed he failed to notify his juvenile
parole officer
A probation or parole officer is an official appointed or sworn to investigate, report on, and supervise the conduct of convicted offenders on probation or those released from incarceration to community supervision such as parole. Most probatio ...
of a change of address. A hearing was set for January 2, 2013. Although prosecutors requested that he be jailed, Cook County judge Carl Anthony Walker allowed him to remain free, saying he had not been presented with "any credible evidence" to warrant incarceration.
Chief Keef was taken into custody on January 15, 2013, after a juvenile court judge ruled that the gun range interview video constituted a probation violation. Two days later, he was sentenced to two months in a juvenile detention facility and was made a ward of the state. He was released on March 14, 2013. On January 17, 2013, Chief Keef was sued by
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
–based promotion company Team Major for $75,000 for a missed show. According to the firm, he was supposed to perform at
the O2 Arena
The O2 Arena, commonly known as The O2, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the centre of The O2 entertainment district on the Greenwich Peninsula in southeast London, England. It opened in its present form in 2007. It has the third-highest seat ...
in London on December 29, 2012. He did not perform and neither he nor his label explained why he missed the date.
He ignored the lawsuit, and the court ordered him to pay $230,019 damages to Team Major by default. He was arrested in an upscale hotel in
DeKalb County, Georgia
DeKalb County (, , ) is located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 764,382, making it Georgia's fourth-most populous county. Its ...
, for smoking
marijuana
Cannabis (), commonly known as marijuana (), weed, pot, and ganja, List of slang names for cannabis, among other names, is a non-chemically uniform psychoactive drug from the ''Cannabis'' plant. Native to Central or South Asia, cannabis has ...
in public and for disorderly conduct on May 20, 2013. He was released later in the day. Eight days later, Chief Keef was arrested for driving 110 mph in a 55 mph zone in his hometown of Chicago, and for driving with an unlawful number of passengers. He was later released on bond.
He returned to court on June 17 and pleaded guilty to speeding. He was ordered to pay a $531 fine, serve 18 months of probation, complete 60 hours of community service and undergo random drug tests. On October 15, 2013, Keef returned to jail for a 20-day sentence for a probation violation after testing positive for marijuana. On October 24, 2013, he was released early for good behavior. However, on November 6, 2013, Chief Keef was jailed on another probation violation.
Following a stint in rehab under probation orders, Chief Keef was arrested on March 5, 2014, in Highland Park, Illinois, for
driving under the influence
Driving under the influence (DUI) is the crime of driving, operating, or being in control of a vehicle while one is impaired from doing so safely by the effect of either alcohol (drug), alcohol (see drunk driving) or some other drug, whether re ...
of marijuana, driving on a suspended license and was cited for having no proof of insurance. On February 4, 2014, Kim Productions filed suit against him to recover losses they allege were incurred after he failed to appear at a RapCure benefit concert in
Cleveland
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–U.S. maritime border and approximately west of the Ohio-Pennsylvania st ...
,
Ohio
Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
, in June 2013. The suit alleges that Kim Productions provided him with a $15,000 deposit for the performance. The lawsuit also alleges that as a result of his failure to appear, the concert had to be cancelled.
In June 2014, Chief Keef was evicted from his Highland Park home. Although Bal Bansal, the owner of the house, maintained he was a good tenant and that his departure from the home was voluntary, police confirmed it was an eviction.
In January 2017, Chief Keef was arrested for allegedly beating up and robbing a producer by the name of Ramsay Tha Great. He claimed that Chief Keef stole his
Rolex
Rolex () is a Swiss watch brand and manufacturer based in Geneva, Switzerland. Founded in 1905 as ''Wilsdorf and Davis'' by German businessman Hans Wilsdorf and his eventual brother-in-law Alfred Davis in London, the company registered ''Rolex ...
watch and pointed firearms at him. These charges were dropped for lack of evidence. Chief Keef was arrested in South Dakota for smoking cannabis and possession of drug paraphernalia in June 2017, and was released on bond the next day. In April 2019 he pleaded
no contest
''Nolo contendere'' () is a type of legal plea used in some jurisdictions in the United States. It is also referred to as a plea of no contest or no defense. It is a plea where the defendant neither admits nor disputes a charge, serving as an ...
and was given a suspended sentence.
Image
Chief Keef is often seen as a representation of the "Chiraq" gangsta rap culture that is present in Chicago. He often refers to himself as "Sosa" as do his peers and the media. The nickname "Sosa" is a reference to
Alejandro Sosa
Alejandro "Alex" Sosa is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the 1983 American crime film '' Scarface'' and the 2006 video game '' Scarface: The World Is Yours''. He is an international Bolivian drug lord and the chief supplier of co ...
, the drug kingpin in the movie
''Scarface''. ''LA Weekly'' reported that Chief Keef's Glo Gang entourage respects the rapper. One member of the Glo Gang, Ballout, stated, "We learned all that from Sosa, we be in the studio with him so much", calling him, "a rhyming machine. A music genius. Black
Justin Bieber
Justin Drew Bieber ( ; born March 1, 1994) is a Canadian singer. Regarded as a pop icon, he is recognized for his multi-genre musical performances. He was discovered by record executive Scooter Braun in 2008 and subsequently brought to the U ...
, if you ask me."
''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' stated that Chief Keef "symbolizes" Chicago's
drill
A drill is a tool used for making round holes or driving fasteners. It is fitted with a drill bit for making holes, or a screwdriver bit for securing fasteners. Historically, they were powered by hand, and later mains power, but cordless b ...
music scene and is the "best known of the young generation of Chicago rappers." In November 2012, Lucy Stehlik of ''The Guardian'' described Chief Keef as drill's "alpha male". David Drake of ''Pitchfork Media'' wrote, "Chief Keef is in rarefied air for street rap—a creative voice with an original, cohesive aesthetic", adding, "to the grassroots, among a new generation of stars, he sits at street rap's aesthetic center, not its margins."
A ''New York Times'' article compared Chief Keef to 50 Cent, noting that, like him, Chief Keef makes thuggery, "a major part of his early-career persona." Lupe Fiasco, who has been involved in a controversy with him, has been referred to as an "antagonist" to Chief Keef's more gangsta-rap persona. ''The New York Times'' writes, "Lupe Fiasco is a stern and didactic teacher, but it's arguable that Chief Keef's music is far better at ringing warning bells." Another rapper,
Common
Common may refer to:
As an Irish surname, it is anglicised from Irish Gaelic surname Ó Comáin.
Places
* Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
* Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts
* Cambridge Com ...
, has praised his contributions to rap saying, "I think Chief Keef brought something that nobody else was doing and he brought it raw. He brought it real. With that, I have to respect that as an artist that he has come and brought that."
Other rappers, such as
Rhymefest
Che Armond Smith (born July 6, 1977), known professionally as Rhymefest, is an American rapper and songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. He is best known for his work with fellow Chicago rapper Kanye West, with writing credits on his songs includi ...
and Lupe Fiasco, however, have been critical of Chief Keef. In June 2012, Rhymefest authored a blog post critical of his image and message, describing him as a "bomb" and a "spokesman for the
Prison Industrial Complex
A prison, also known as a jail, gaol, penitentiary, detention center, correction center, correctional facility, or remand center, is a facility where people are imprisoned under the authority of the state, usually as punishment for various crim ...
". The post was also critical of rappers
Waka Flocka Flame
Juaquin James Malphurs (born May 31, 1986), known professionally as Waka Flocka Flame, is an American rapper. He first became known for his 2009 single "O Let's Do It", which entered the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and led him to ...
and Rick Ross, citing similar issues. Rhymefest reiterated these views in a subsequent interview with ''
Salon
Salon may refer to:
Common meanings
* Beauty salon
A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment that provides Cosmetics, cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, ...
''. Lupe Fiasco's criticisms of Keef touched off a feud between the two.
Legacy
Many publications have referred to Chief Keef as an influential figure in contemporary hip-hop, for both his musical style and gangster image. His melodic style of rapping and his characteristically slurred delivery of lyrics has been called the catalyst for the success of Chicago drill and
mumble rap
Mumble rap (sometimes referred to as SoundCloud rap or non-lyrical rap) is a loosely defined microgenre of Hip-hop, hip hop that largely spread via the online audio distribution platform SoundCloud in the 2010s. The term implies "mumbling", or ...
, and an influence on fellow rappers such as
21 Savage
Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph (born October 22, 1992), known professionally as 21 Savage, is an American-British rapper. Born in London and raised in Atlanta, he began his recording career in 2013 and released three independent mixtapes to regiona ...
,
YoungBoy Never Broke Again
Kentrell DeSean Gaulden (born October 20, 1999), known professionally as YoungBoy Never Broke Again or NBA YoungBoy, is an American rapper. From Louisiana, United States, Gaulden released eight independent mixtapes and garnered a regional foll ...
,
Lil Uzi Vert
Symere Bysil Woods ( ; born July 31, 1995), known professionally as Lil Uzi Vert, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, they gained initial recognition following the release of the commer ...
,
Playboi Carti
Jordan Terrell Carter (born September 13, 1995, or 1996), known professionally as Playboi Carti, is an American rapper. Known for his eccentric vocal style and fashion, he is considered an influential figure in modern Hip hop music, hip hop a ...
,
Lil Pump
Gazzy Fabio Garcia (born August 17, 2000), known professionally as Lil Pump, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence as part of the SoundCloud rap scene in the late 2010s, gaining distinction for his minimalist music and rambunctious pu ...
,
XXXTentacion
Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy (January 23, 1998 – June 18, 2018), known professionally as XXXTentacion, was an American rapper and singer-songwriter. Though a controversial figure due to his widely publicized legal troubles, XXXTentacion gai ...
,
Ski Mask the Slump God
Stokeley Clevon Goulbourne (born April 18, 1996), known professionally as Ski Mask the Slump God, is an American rapper. He is best known for his association with XXXTentacion, with whom he formed the hip hop collective Members Only in 2014. ...
,
Trippie Redd
Michael Lamar White IV (born June 18, 1999), known professionally as Trippie Redd, is an American rapper and singer. Born and raised in Canton, Ohio, he has contributed to the progression of emo rap and rage, a subgenre of trap music.
His de ...
,
Juice Wrld
Jarad Anthony Higgins (December 2, 1998 – December 8, 2019), known professionally as Juice Wrld (pronounced "juice world"; stylized as Juice WRLD), was an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He emerged as a leading figure in the emo rap ...
,
Polo G
Taurus Tremani Bartlett (born January 6, 1999), known professionally as Polo G, is an American rapper. He rose to prominence with his singles " Finer Things" and " Pop Out" (featuring Lil Tjay). His debut album '' Die a Legend'' (2019) peaked a ...
, and
Tay-K
Taymor Travon McIntyre (born June 16, 2000), better known by his stage name Tay-K, is an American convicted murderer and former rapper. He is best known for his 2017 song " The Race", which peaked at number 44 on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 a ...
, among others, as well as pop artists
Doja Cat
Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini (born October 21, 1995), known professionally as Doja Cat (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. Born and raised in Los Angeles, California, she began making and releasing music on SoundCl ...
and
Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell ( ; born December 18, 2001) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She first gained public attention in 2015 with her debut single "Ocean Eyes (song), Ocean Eyes", written and produced by her broth ...
. Additionally, Chief Keef's heavy use of adlibs, specifically the word "aye" as a large part of a song was a major influence on the
Soundcloud rap
SoundCloud is a German audio streaming service owned and operated by SoundCloud Global Limited & Co. KG. The service enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one ...
subgenre and the artists that emerged from it.
In 2023, boxer
Gervonta Davis
Gervonta Bryant Davis ( ; born November 7, 1994), also known by his nickname "Tank", is an American professional boxer. He has held the World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight title since 2023, having previously held the Regular version fr ...
walked out with Chief Keef to his song "
Love Sosa' for his fight against
Ryan Garcia
Ryan Garcia (born August 8, 1998) is an American professional boxer. He held the World Boxing Council (WBC) interim lightweight title in 2021.
Amateur career
Garcia started boxing at the age of seven and dreamed of one day representing the ...
.
Chief Keef is credited with popularizing the phrases "glow up" and "smoking
pps PPS commonly refers to:
* Post-postscript, an afterthought, usually in a document.
PPS may also refer to:
Aviation
* Puerto Princesa International Airport, Palawan, Philippines (by IATA code)
* Priority Passenger Service, in Singapore Airlines#Fre ...
, although the lyrical origin of the latter can be traced back to fellow Chicago drill rapper RondoNumbaNine in his 2013 song "Hang Wit Me". Additionally, Chief Keef popularized the slang term "
thot
Thot may refer to:
* Duckie Thot (born 1995), Australian model
* Nim Thot, Cambodian politician
* Thốt Nốt district, in Vietnam
* a subgroup of the fictional Breen in ''Star Trek''
See also
* Thoth (disambiguation)
* Thot Shit
"Tho ...
".
Hip hop feuds
In an August 2012 interview with
Baltimore
Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
radio station
92Q Jams (WERQ-FM),
Lupe Fiasco
Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982), better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco ( ), is an American rapper, record producer and Music education, music educator. Born and raised in Chicago, he gained mainstream recognition for his gue ...
stated that Chief Keef "scares" him and described him as a "hoodlum" and a representative of Chicago's "skyrocketing" murder rate. A
tweet from Chief Keef's account threatening Fiasco was posted on September 5. Chief Keef claimed that his account had been
hacked and the tweet was not his. On September 13, 2012, Fiasco released a video interview in which he made amends to Chief Keef.
In November 2014, rap group
Migos
Migos () were an American hip hop group founded in Lawrenceville, Georgia, in 2008. The group was composed of rapper Quavo, his nephew Takeoff, and their "cousin" friend Offset. Quavo is from Athens, Georgia, while Offset and Takeoff were bo ...
and Glo Gang member, Capo, were involved in a physical altercation in a Chicago restaurant. Later, Chief Keef uploaded an image onto Instagram featuring an alleged stolen chain belonging to rapper Quavo of Migos. Though this incident escalated the already existing tension between the two groups' members, the feud seemingly ended.
Chief Keef was involved in a feud with rapper
6ix9ine
Daniel Hernandez (born May 8, 1996), known professionally as 6ix9ine (stylized in all caps and pronounced "six nine") and also as Tekashi 6ix9ine or Tekashi69, is an American rapper. His music has been marked by an aggressive style of rapping ...
in May 2018. This stemmed from Tadoe's domestic abuse and relationship issues relating to fellow rapper Cuban Doll. She was in a relationship with Tadoe but also friendly with 6ix9ine. 6ix9ine then dissed Chief Keef and rapper Lil Reese on social media posting a video of his semi-romantic vacation to Hawaii with Cuban Doll to Instagram, and driving up to Chief Keef's old neighborhood and taunting him. 6ix9ine also contacted Aereon Clark, known professionally as Slim Danger, the mother of one of Chief Keef's sons and recorded himself buying her designer clothes, verbally taunting Chief Keef and later receiving fellatio from her.
On May 8, 2018,
Trippie Redd
Michael Lamar White IV (born June 18, 1999), known professionally as Trippie Redd, is an American rapper and singer. Born and raised in Canton, Ohio, he has contributed to the progression of emo rap and rage, a subgenre of trap music.
His de ...
previewed the song "I Kill People" on Instagram, featuring Chief Keef and Tadoe, which was aimed as a diss toward 6ix9ine and Cuban Doll. On June 2, 2018, Chief Keef was fired upon outside the W Hotel in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. He was not hit and there were no injuries from the incident. Due to the ongoing feud, 6ix9ine was confirmed to be under investigation by the
New York Police Department
The City of New York Police Department, also referred to as New York City Police Department (NYPD), is the primary law enforcement agency within New York City. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is the largest, and one of the oldest, munic ...
for possible involvement in the incident despite being in Los Angeles at the time.
In February 2019, 6ix9ine pleaded guilty to ordering the shooting of Chief Keef. He had offered his associate Kintea "Kooda B" McKenzie $20,000 to shoot at Cozart. 6ix9ine was later found to be an informant for the U.S. Government helping to lock up Kooda B, and his manager Kifano "Shotti" Jordan.
Discography
* ''
Finally Rich
''Finally Rich'' is the debut studio album by American rapper Chief Keef. It was released on December 18, 2012 by Glory Boyz Entertainment and Interscope Records. The album features guest appearances from 50 Cent, Wiz Khalifa, Lil Reese, Rick Ro ...
'' (2012)
* ''
Bang 3'' (2015)
* ''
Dedication
Dedication often refers to various religious and secular ceremonies and practices such as:
* Dedication (ritual) the ritual or ceremonial establishment of a purpose for a person, place, or thing
** Dedication of churches
** Child dedication, a C ...
'' (2017)
* ''
4Nem'' (2021)
* ''
Almighty So 2'' (2024)
References
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Keef, Chief
1995 births
Living people
1017 Records artists
21st-century African-American male singers
21st-century American male singers
21st-century American rappers
African-American male rappers
21st-century American male rappers
African-American male singer-songwriters
American male singer-songwriters
African-American record producers
American chief executives
American child musicians
American hip-hop record producers
American hip-hop singers
American music industry executives
Businesspeople from Chicago
American drill musicians
Gangsta rappers
Midwest hip-hop musicians
Mumble rappers
Punk rappers
Rappers from Chicago
RBC Records artists
Record producers from Illinois
Singers from Chicago
Singer-songwriters from Illinois
American trap musicians