Chief Keef

Chief Keef has transitioned from a prominent figure in the Chicago drill scene to an influential artist recognized for shaping contemporary hip-hop’s sound and slang. After his fifth mixtape, Back from the Dead (2012), delivered the local hit ‘I Don’t Like’ featuring Lil Reese, Chief Keef quickly gained national attention, marking his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100. This breakthrough led to his signing with Interscope Records in 2012. Interscope subsequently re-released ‘I Don’t Like’ and its impactful follow-up single, ‘Love Sosa,’ which achieved quintuple platinum certification by the RIAA.

By 2014, he began experimenting with music production, expanding his creative role after departing Interscope Records that same year. His prolific independent run included collaborative mixtape Big Gucci Sosa with Gucci Mane (2014), Back from the Dead 2 (2014), and album Nobody (2014). He followed with mixtape Sorry 4 the Weight (2015) and signed with FilmOn in 2015, announcing The Cozart. His independent album Bang 3 (2015) also charted on the Billboard 200.

Chief Keef maintained a consistent release schedule and impactful collaborations into the late 2010s and early 2020s. He released the mixtape Two Zero One Seven and the album Dedication in 2017, followed by the collaborative mixtape Glotoven with Zaytoven in 2019. In 2020, he earned his first major production credit on Lil Uzi Vert’s Eternal Atake. That same year, his guest appearance on Lil Uzi Vert’s ‘Bean (Kobe)’ became his highest-charting song on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching the top 40.

Throughout his career, Chief Keef has been recognized for pioneering conversational and melodic styles that significantly shaped mumble rap and Soundcloud rap, leaving an indelible mark on contemporary hip-hop.