Keith Farrelle Cozart (born August 15, 1995), better known by his stage name Chief Keef, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. His music first became popular during his teen years in the early 2010s among high school students from Chicago's
South Side.
In 2012, his popular local single "
I Don't Like" was remixed by American rapper
Kanye West and reached the ''Billboard'' Rap Top 20, further raising Cozart's profile.
A bidding war between major labels resulted in Keef signing with
Interscope
Interscope Records is an American record label 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 with Atlantic Records of Warner Musi ...
. His debut album ''
Finally Rich'' was released in December 2012, and featured the singles "
I Don't Like" and "
Love Sosa", which would popularize the Chicago rap subgenre
drill
A drill is a tool used for making round holes or driving fasteners. It is fitted with a bit, either a drill or driverchuck. Hand-operated types are dramatically decreasing in popularity and cordless battery-powered ones proliferating due to ...
.
Chief Keef has faced ongoing legal issues during his career, including weapons possession charges, house arrest sentences, and a performance ban imposed by Chicago authorities. Though he was dropped from Interscope in late 2014 and later signed to
1017 Records
The New 1017 Records, also known as 1017 Global Music, LLC and formerly 1017 Brick Squad, So Icey Entertainment, & 1017 Eskimo, is an American record label founded by Gucci Mane after his departure from Mizay Entertainment and the closing of So ...
, he continued self-releasing projects through his own
Glo Gang
Keith Farrelle Cozart (born August 15, 1995), better known by his stage name Chief Keef, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer. His music first became popular during his teen years in the early 2010s among high school s ...
label. These included: ''
Nobody'' (2014), ''
Back from the Dead 2'' (2014), ''
Bang 3'' (2015), and ''
Thot Breaker'' (2017).
As of the late 2010s, critics have pointed to Chief Keef as the progenitor of the
drill subgenre, noting the impact of his music on other artists.
Life and career
Early life (1995–2010)
Chief Keef was born Keith Farrelle Cozart
in
Chicago, Illinois, on August 15, 1995, to Lolita Carter who was 15 and 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 street gang of which Chief Keef is a member.
Chief Keef has been estranged from his biological father, Alfonso Cozart, since he was a minor. His legal guardian was his grandmother with whom he lived in Chicago. He began rapping as a five-year-old using his mother's
karaoke machine and tapes to record his music. During his childhood, Chief Keef attended Dulles Elementary School and the Banner School, a therapeutic day school. He dropped out of
Dyett High School at age 15.
Early years, ''Finally Rich'', and subsequent mixtapes (2011–2013)
In 2011, Chief Keef 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 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 bit, either a drill or driverchuck. Hand-operated types are dramatically decreasing in popularity and cordless battery-powered ones proliferating due to ...
.
Keef's song "I Don't Like" 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's attention, and he remixed the song with rappers
Pusha T,
Jadakiss and
Big Sean. 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. 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 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 with Atlantic Records of Warner Mus ...
. 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'', 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 businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...
,
Wiz Khalifa,
Young Jeezy,
Rick Ross
William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper.
Prior to releasing his debut single, "Hustlin'", in 2006, Ross was the subject of a bidding war, receiving offers from Sean Combs, D ...
and his fellow Glory Boyz member
Lil Reese. In May 2013 he signed with
1017 Brick Squad Records
The New 1017 Records, also known as 1017 Global Music, LLC and formerly 1017 Brick Squad, So Icey Entertainment, & 1017 Eskimo, is an American record label founded by Gucci Mane after his departure from Mizay Entertainment and the closing of So ...
.
Chief Keef is featured on "
Hold My Liquor
"Hold My Liquor" is a song by American rapper Kanye West, from his sixth studio album ''Yeezus'' (2013). It was primarily produced by West and longtime collaborator Mike Dean, who also provides a guitar solo, with additional production from A ...
", the fifth track on Kanye West's album, ''
Yeezus'', 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, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. ...
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 So'' 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 a non-fictional or historically-based person or people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudra ...
.
''Nobody'' and ''Bang 3'' (2014–2016)
Chief Keef began experimenting with producing his music in 2014. Meaghan Garvey of ''
The Fader'' 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 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. In 2012, he gained widespread recognition within the American hip hop community for producing Chief K ...
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
''Big Gucci Sosa'' is a collaborative mixtape by Chicago-based rapper Chief Keef and Atlanta-based rapper Gucci Mane. The mixtape was released on October 31, 2014, by 1017 Records and Glo Gang. It features production from Mike WiLL Made-It, Drumm ...
'', a 12-track collaborative mixtape, with
Gucci Mane, as well as ''
Back From the Dead 2'', which was made available for digital download from iTunes.
Chief Keef self-produced 16 of the 20 songs on the mixtape. David Drake of ''
Pitchfork Media'' 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'' 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'', a "Glo Producer album" that featured guest vocals by
Kanye West 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'' 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
Sorry 4 the Weight is a self-released mixtape by American hip hop recording artist Chief Keef. It was released on February 18, 2015, through Keef's Glo Gang label. The mixtape was produced by a variety of producers including DPGGP, Chopsquaddj, Do ...
'', 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 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. He signed with FilmOn Music, a division of media tycoon Alki David, in May 2015.
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.
The concert, organized by HologramUSA and FilmOn Music, was planned to be held in Chicago's
Redmoon Theater. It faced a series of delays after Chicago mayor
Rahm Emanuel'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. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area, and the only city in Indiana to border Chicago. First settled in the mid-19th century, it is one of the oldest cities of northern Lake County. As of the ...
, to hold the concert there. 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'' columnist Eric Zorn criticized Emmanuel and Hammond for their decisions, claiming they infringed upon Chief Keef's
First Amendment rights.
''Dedication'', ''Glotoven'' and ''Almighty So 2'' (2016–present)
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 rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and founder of Manhattan-based conglomerate talent and entertainment agency Roc Nation. He is regarded as one of ...
,
Lupe Fiasco
Wasalu Muhammad Jaco (born February 16, 1982), better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco ( ), is an American rapper, singer, record producer, and entrepreneur. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his debut album, ''Lupe Fiasco's ...
,
Nicki Minaj 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'', on December 1, 2017. ''
The Guardian'' 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,
Soulja Boy
DeAndre Cortez Way (born July 28, 1990), known professionally as Soulja Boy (formerly Soulja Boy Tell 'Em), is an American rapper and record producer. He rose to prominence, after his self published debut single "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" peake ...
, and
G Herbo.
In early 2019, Chief Keef and
Zaytoven 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 called "Fireman". The mixtape is also scheduled to have features from
Lil Uzi Vert,
Soulja Boy
DeAndre Cortez Way (born July 28, 1990), known professionally as Soulja Boy (formerly Soulja Boy Tell 'Em), is an American rapper and record producer. He rose to prominence, after his self published debut single "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" peake ...
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's second studio album, ''
Eternal Atake'', 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 studio album by American rapper Lil Uzi Vert that was released on March 13, 2020. The album was released as the deluxe edition of their second studio album '' Eternal Atake'', which was released a wee ...
'' 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, 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
* Lil Flash
* Benji Flo
* Terintino
* JusGlo
Former artists
* Lil Reese
*
Lucki
* Tray Savage
* Fredo Santana
* Gino Marley
* Capo
* Blood Money
* SD
* Snap Dogg
43B
Announced on June 6, 2022, through a partnership with
RBC Records 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 founded in October 2008 after Bertelsmann sold its ...
, Chief Keef announced the founding of 43B, otherwise known as Forget Everybody, and its first signee, Lil Gnar.
Personal life
At the age of 16, Chief Keef had his first child, a daughter, born Kayden Kash Cozart—nicknamed Kay Kay. He was served with a request for child support by the child's mother. In November 2013, DNA documents revealed that he had fathered a 10-month-old daughter, and was subsequently ordered to begin paying child support. In September 2014, Chief Keef announced the birth of his third child, and his first son, whom he named Krüe Karter Cozart.
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. It was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin, who served as president and editor until 1991. Voice Media Group sold the paper in late 2017 to Semanal Media LLC, whose paren ...
'' reported that at least on
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
Chief Keef "appears to take fatherhood seriously."
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 advertise ...
'', 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, he relocated to
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. Founded in 1994 in Montreal as an alternative punk magazine, the founders later launched the youth media company Vice Media, ...
'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.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 potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...
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
In justice and law, house arrest (also called home confinement, home detention, or, in modern times, electronic monitoring) is a measure by which a person is confined by the authorities to their residence. Travel is usually restricted, if all ...
. 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 until a judge sentenced him to home confinement at his grandmother's house.
On September 5, 2012,
Chicago Police 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". 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 prosecutors asked a judge to remand him to
juvenile detention 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, sports venue, venue or playing field, field designed specifically for firearm usage qualifications, training, practice or shooting sport, competitions. So ...
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 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.-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 in
London on December 29, 2012. He never showed up and neither he nor his label has 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, for allegedly smoking
marijuana
Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various tra ...
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, Chief Keef was arrested on March 5, 2014, in Highland Park, Illinois, for
driving under the influence
Driving under the influence (DUI)—also called driving while impaired, impaired driving, driving while intoxicated (DWI), drunk driving, operating while intoxicated (OWI), operating under the influence (OUI), operating vehicle under the infl ...
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,
Ohio, 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 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. He was able to make bail and took the charges to trial. In April 2019 he pleaded
no contest 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, 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, if you ask me."
''
The New York Times'' 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 bit, either a drill or driverchuck. Hand-operated types are dramatically decreasing in popularity and cordless battery-powered ones proliferating due to ...
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 ''The 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:
Places
* Common, a townland in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
* Boston Common, a central public park in Boston, Massachusetts
* Cambridge Common, common land area in Cambridge, Massachusetts
* Clapham Common, originally 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 Smith (born July 6, 1977), better known by his stage name Rhymefest, is an American rapper from Chicago whose first official album, ''Blue Collar'', was released in 2006. His prominent songwriting credits include co-writing Kanye West's "Je ...
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". The post was also critical of rappers
Waka Flocka Flame 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 venue for cosmetic treatments
* French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home
* Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment
Arts and entertainment
* Salon (P ...
''. Lupe Fiasco's criticisms of Keef touched off a feud between the two.
Influence
Many publications have referred to Chief Keef as a highly 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, and an influence on a large number of modern artists especially such as:
21 Savage
Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph (born October 22, 1992), known professionally as 21 Savage, is a rapper based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Born in London, he moved to Atlanta with his mother at age seven. He became known after releasing two m ...
,
YoungBoy Never Broke Again,
Lil Uzi Vert,
Lil Pump,
XXXTentacion,
Ski Mask The Slump God,
Trippie Redd,
Juice Wrld,
Polo G, and
Tay-K among the others. 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 subgenre and the artists that emerged from it.
Controversies
Hip hop feuds
In an August 2012 interview with
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was d ...
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, singer, record producer, and entrepreneur. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his debut album, ''Lupe Fiasco's ...
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 () is an American hip hop trio from Lawrenceville, Georgia, founded in 2008. The group was originally composed of Southern rappers Quavo, Takeoff, and Offset. Quavo is from Athens, Georgia; Offset and Takeoff were born and raised in Law ...
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 6IX9INE and pronounced "six nine") and also as Tekashi69, is an American rapper. His music has been marked by an aggressive style of rapping, while his controversia ...
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 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. 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 New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...
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.
Instagram
On September 15, 2012, Chief Keef uploaded a photograph of him receiving
fellatio 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.
Discography
* ''
Finally Rich'' (2012)
* ''
Bang 3'' (2015)
* ''
Dedication
Dedication is the act of consecrating an altar, temple, church, or other sacred building.
Feast of Dedication
The Feast of Dedication, today Hanukkah, once also called "Feast of the Maccabees," is a Jewish festival observed for eight days fr ...
'' (2017)
* ''4NEM'' (2021)
References
Notes
Sources
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Keef, Chief
1995 births
Living people
1017 Brick Squad artists
21st-century American rappers
21st-century American male musicians
American chief executives
American child musicians
American hip hop record producers
American music industry executives
Businesspeople from Chicago
Drill musicians
Gangsta rappers
Midwest hip hop musicians
Mumble rappers
Rappers from Chicago
Record producers from Illinois
Trap musicians