"Smurk Carter" is a song by American rapper

Lil Durk Durk Derrick Banks (born October 19, 1992), known professionally as Lil Durk, is an American rapper and singer. He is the lead member and founder of the collective and record label Only the Family (OTF). Durk garnered a cult following with the ...

and his record label

Only the Family Only the Family, often abbreviated as OTF, is a rap collective from Chicago, Illinois. The group was formed by rapper Lil Durk in 2010. The group is home to recording artists including the late rapper King Von. Record label The OTF label was p ...

. It was released through the label alongside Empire Distribution as the lead and only single from their collaborative compilation album, ''

Nightmares in the Trenches ''Nightmares in the Trenches'' is a collaborative compilation album by American rapper Lil Durk and his record label, Only the Family. It was released through the label alongside Alamo Records (a subsidiary of Sony Music) on November 17, 2023. The ...

'', on November 10, 2023. Durk wrote the song with producer

Chopsquad DJ Darrell Gregory Jackson (born September 13, 1993), known professionally as Chopsquad DJ, is an American record producer, songwriter, and DJ. He is known for his frequent use of dark piano melodies in his beats. His name is derived from being the ...

and the official music video was released on the same day.

Background

A few days before the song was released, Lil Durk previewed it among other tracks at a

Sirius XM Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. It was formed by the 2008 merger of Sirius Sat ...

Pandora In Greek mythology, Pandora (Greek: , derived from , ''pān'', i.e. "all" and , ''dōron'', i.e. "gift", thus "the all-endowed", "all-gifted" or "all-giving") was the first human woman created by Hephaestus on the instructions of Zeus. As Hes ...

Playback event in Atlanta. According to Durk, the song was inspired by rappers Lil Wayne and

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 ...

. The title of the song references Wayne's surname, Carter, and cover art of the single features Lil Durk adorning Wayne's iconic face tattoos.

Composition

The song opens with a speech about second chances in life from Robert Shipp, a Chicago man who was sentenced to life in prison for his alleged involvement in a drug conspiracy but reformed and was released after decades. It finds Lil Durk adopting a flow which is similar to that of Lil Wayne's classic style and rapping about street life.

Music video

An official music video was released alongside the single. Directed by Jerry Production, it begins with an appearance from Shipp, who delivers his monologue. The clip sees Lil Durk and his crew in different locations and contains numerous references to Lil Wayne's early career, mainly his "

Hustler Musik "Hustler Musik" is the second single from Lil Wayne's 2005 album ''Tha Carter II''. Although popular, it failed to live up on the ''Billboard'' chart to other singles put out by Lil Wayne. The song received airplay on East Coast radio stations a ...

" video, showing Durk wearing the same BAPE outfits and recreating several rooftop scenes. Other references include the video to Wayne's song "

Tha Block Is Hot ''Tha Block Is Hot'' is the debut major label studio album by American rapper Lil Wayne. It was released on November 2, 1999, by Universal Records and Baby's Cash Money Records. Recording sessions took place from 1997 to 1999, with the executive p ...

Charts

References

{{Lil Durk 2023 singles 2023 songs Lil Durk songs Song recordings produced by Chopsquad DJ Songs written by Lil Durk Songs written by Chopsquad DJ Empire Distribution singles