Lil Durk | |
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Background information | |
Birth name | Durk Devontay Banks |
Also known as |
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Born | [2] Chicago, Illinois, U.S.[3] | October 19, 1992
Genres | |
Occupations |
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Discography | Lil Durk discography |
Years active | 2010–present |
Labels | |
Member of | Only the Family |
Partner(s) | India Royale (2017–present; engaged) |
Children | 7 |
Durk Devontay Banks (born October 19, 1992), known professionally as Lil Durk, is an American rapper.[6] Regarded as a preeminent artist in the Chicago-based hip hop subgenre drill music, Banks has been cited as one of its pioneers.[7][8] He initially garnered local success with the release of his Signed to the Streets mixtape series (2013–2014), which led to him to sign with Def Jam Recordings. The label released his debut studio album, Remember My Name (2015), and its follow-up, Lil Durk 2X (2016), to moderate commercial reception before parting ways with the rapper in 2018.
Following the independent release of his Just Cause Y'all Waited mixtape in March 2018, Banks signed with Alamo Records in July of that year.[9] His 2020 single, "Viral Moment", marked his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100 as a lead artist and foresaw his commercial breakthrough that same year with the singles "3 Headed Goat" (featuring Polo G and Lil Baby), "Backdoor," and "The Voice", as well as his guest appearances on Drake's "Laugh Now Cry Later" and Pooh Shiesty's "Back in Blood". He closed the year with his sixth album, The Voice (2020), which peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. Released the following year, his collaborative album with rapper Lil Baby, The Voice of the Heroes (2021), became his first to debut atop the chart. His seventh album, 7220 (2022) became his second to do so, while his eighth album, Almost Healed (2023), peaked at number three and was led by the single "All My Life" (featuring J. Cole), which peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 and won a Best Melodic Rap Performance at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards, yielding his furthest commercial success.
Banks is a four-time Grammy Award nominee. He founded the Chicago-based collective and record label Only the Family (OTF) in 2010, which included late rapper King Von.[10][11] In October 2024, Banks was arrested by federal authorities on a conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire charge.[12]