American rapper (born 1995)
Chief Keef
Chief Keef in 2019
Birth name Keith Farrelle Cozart[ 1] Also known as
Sosa
BigGucci Sosa
Almighty
So
Turbo
Born (1995-08-15 ) August 15, 1995 (age 29) Chicago , Illinois , U.S.Genres Occupations
Rapper
singer
songwriter
record producer
Discography Years active 2008–present Labels Member of Glory Boyz
Children 9 Website chiefkeef .org
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 '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.[ 6] Cozart is often credited with popularizing the hip hop subgenre drill for mainstream audiences, and is considered a progenitor of the genre.[ 7] [ 8] [ 9] [ 10] [ 11] Stereogum has referred to Cozart as a "modern rap folk hero ".[ 12] Chief Keef is also considered one of the most prominent Black Disciples members of his generation.[ 13] [ 14] [ 15] [ 16] [ 17] [ 18] 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".[ 19]
His fifth mixtape, Back from the Dead (2012) spawned the single, "I Don't Like " (featuring Lil Reese ), which became a local hit and marked his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 .[ 6] A bidding war between several major labels resulted in Cozart signing with Interscope Records to re-release the song along with his follow-up single, "Love Sosa ", which received quintuple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Both songs led up to his debut studio album, Finally Rich (2012), which was met with moderate critical and commercial response and served as his only project with Interscope. 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. His guest appearances on the songs "Bean (Kobe) " by Lil Uzi Vert and "All the Parties " by Drake have both peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100.[ 20] [ 9]
^ "Chief Keef Arrested in Miami Beach After Cops Find Sizzurp" . nbcmiami.com . April 9, 2017. Archived from the original on December 6, 2017. Retrieved December 5, 2017 .
^ "Maybe This Is Why Modern Mumble Rap Exists..." HipHopDX . February 25, 2017. Retrieved September 19, 2018 .
^ Harold, Oscar. "Review: 'Mumble Rap' is a poor label for new Hip-Hop" . The Cardinal Times . Retrieved September 19, 2018 .
^ Guan, Frank (December 20, 2017). "The Year Rap Overtook Pop" . Vulture.com . Archived from the original on September 18, 2019. Retrieved September 26, 2019 .
^ a b Jeffries, David. "Biography & History – Chief Keef" . AllMusic . Archived from the original on May 10, 2018. Retrieved May 9, 2018 .
^ Roti, Jessi (June 17, 2024). "Chief Keef wraps up 2024 Summer Smash, a huge hometown moment a long time coming" . Chicago Tribune . Retrieved June 27, 2024 .
^ Turner, Ashley (May 31, 2024). "How Chief Keef Spearheaded The Drill Movement" . HotNewHipHop . Retrieved June 25, 2024 .
^ a b "Artist – Chief Keef" . Pitchfork Media . Archived from the original on May 10, 2018. Retrieved May 9, 2018 .
^ Carter, Dominique. "Finally Rich: The Way That Chief Keef Has Influenced A New Generation of Artists" . Hypefresh Mag . Archived from the original on May 10, 2018. Retrieved May 9, 2018 .
^ Barber, Andrew (June 20, 2022), "10 years ago, Chief Keef launched drill music into the mainstream" , Mic.com , archived from the original on August 18, 2022, retrieved July 28, 2022
^ Berry, Peter A. (May 16, 2024). "Chief Keef, Still Almighty" . Stereogum . Retrieved May 18, 2024 .
^ Main, Frank (February 9, 2019). "CPD fears revenge killings after Black Disciples gang leader is gunned down" . Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved August 7, 2024 .
^ Main, Frank; Charles, Sam (August 7, 2020). "Killing of Black Disciples 'king' could be linked to Mexico's Gulf Cartel drugs, FBI says" . Chicago Sun-Times . Retrieved August 7, 2024 .
^ Nuelle, Jack (June 6, 2014). "Navigating Chiraq: Music and Life in the Second City" . Home . Retrieved August 7, 2024 .
^ "Chief Keef Celebrates BD Day" . Welcome to Kollegekidd.com . February 4, 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2024 .
^ "Chief Keef Questions History Of The Black Gangster Disciple Nation" . Welcome to Kollegekidd.com . October 10, 2013. Retrieved August 7, 2024 .
^ Shaw, A.R. (September 13, 2012). "10 Things to Know About Chief Keef and the Black Disciples" . Rolling Out . Retrieved August 7, 2024 .
^ "Urban Violence and Identity: Chief Keef's Story and Solutions" . EBONY . September 13, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2024 .
^ Drake, David (February 12, 2018). "How Chief Keef became the most influential hip-hop artist of his generation" . The Outline . Archived from the original on May 10, 2018. Retrieved May 9, 2018 .