Keith Farrelle Cozart (born August 15, 1995), known professionally as Chief Keef, is an American rapper and record producer. Beginning his career as a teenager, he gained regional recognition for his mixtapes in the early 2010s. Cozart has since been credited with popularizing the hip hop subgenre drill among mainstream audiences and is considered a progenitor of the genre.
No songs yet.
Keith Farrelle Cozart (born August 15, 1995), known professionally as Chief Keef, is an American rapper and record producer. Beginning his career as a teenager, he gained regional recognition for his mixtapes in the early 2010s. Cozart has since been credited with popularizing the hip hop subgenre drill among mainstream audiences and is considered a progenitor of the genre.
His fifth mixtape, Back from the Dead (2012), spawned the single "I Don't Like" (featuring Lil Reese), which became his first entry on the US Billboard Hot 100. A bidding war among several major labels led to Cozart signing with Interscope Records, which commercially re-released the song alongside its follow-up, "Love Sosa"; the latter received quintuple platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Both served as lead singles for his debut studio album, Finally Rich (2012), which received moderate critical and commercial reception, and remains his only release on a major label.
His subsequent studio albums—Bang 3 (2015), Bang 3, Pt. 2 (2015), 4Nem (2021), and Almighty So 2 (2024)—each entered the Billboard 200 as independent releases. He has also achieved two top-40 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 through guest appearances on Lil Uzi Vert's 2020 song "Bean (Kobe)" and Drake's 2023 song "All the Parties".”
Keith Farrelle Cozart was born in Chicago, Illinois, on August 15, 1995, to Lolita Carter (born c. 1980) who was 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. 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".
Chief Keef has been estranged from his biological father, Alfonso Cozart, since he was a year old. His legal guardian was his grandmother, Margaret Carter with whom he lived in Chicago. She worked as a school bus driver. 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 Dyett High School, dropping out of the latter in his freshman year.
Many publications have referred to Chief Keef as an 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 fellow rappers such as 21 Savage, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti, Lil Pump, XXXTentacion, Ski Mask the Slump God, Trippie Redd, Juice Wrld, Polo G, and Tay-K, among others, as well as pop artists Doja Cat and Billie Eilish. 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. Rolling Stone has credited Cozart with "personif[ying] Chicago drill", while Stereogum referred to him as a "modern rap folk hero".
In 2023, boxer Gervonta Davis walked out with Chief Keef to his song "Love Sosa' for his fight against Ryan Garcia.
Chief Keef is credited with popularizing the phrases "glow up" and "smoking [opps]", although the lyrical origin of the latter can be traced back to fellow Chicago drill rapper RondoNumbaNine in his 2013 song "Hang Wit Me". Additionally, Chief Keef popularized the slang term "thot".
Chief Keef is one of the most prominent Black Disciples members of his generation.
Source: wikipedia
Keith Farrelle Cozart (born August 15, 1995), known professionally as Chief Keef, is an American rapper and record producer. Beginning his career as a teenager, he gained regional recognition for his mixtapes in the early 2010s. Cozart has since been credited with popularizing the hip hop subgenre drill among mainstream audiences and is considered a progenitor of the genre.
No songs yet.
Keith Farrelle Cozart (born August 15, 1995), known professionally as Chief Keef, is an American rapper and record producer. Beginning his career as a teenager, he gained regional recognition for his mixtapes in the early 2010s. Cozart has since been credited with popularizing the hip hop subgenre drill among mainstream audiences and is considered a progenitor of the genre.
His fifth mixtape, Back from the Dead (2012), spawned the single "I Don't Like" (featuring Lil Reese), which became his first entry on the US Billboard Hot 100. A bidding war among several major labels led to Cozart signing with Interscope Records, which commercially re-released the song alongside its follow-up, "Love Sosa"; the latter received quintuple platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Both served as lead singles for his debut studio album, Finally Rich (2012), which received moderate critical and commercial reception, and remains his only release on a major label.
His subsequent studio albums—Bang 3 (2015), Bang 3, Pt. 2 (2015), 4Nem (2021), and Almighty So 2 (2024)—each entered the Billboard 200 as independent releases. He has also achieved two top-40 entries on the Billboard Hot 100 through guest appearances on Lil Uzi Vert's 2020 song "Bean (Kobe)" and Drake's 2023 song "All the Parties".”
Keith Farrelle Cozart was born in Chicago, Illinois, on August 15, 1995, to Lolita Carter (born c. 1980) who was 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. 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".
Chief Keef has been estranged from his biological father, Alfonso Cozart, since he was a year old. His legal guardian was his grandmother, Margaret Carter with whom he lived in Chicago. She worked as a school bus driver. 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 Dyett High School, dropping out of the latter in his freshman year.
Many publications have referred to Chief Keef as an 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 fellow rappers such as 21 Savage, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti, Lil Pump, XXXTentacion, Ski Mask the Slump God, Trippie Redd, Juice Wrld, Polo G, and Tay-K, among others, as well as pop artists Doja Cat and Billie Eilish. 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. Rolling Stone has credited Cozart with "personif[ying] Chicago drill", while Stereogum referred to him as a "modern rap folk hero".
In 2023, boxer Gervonta Davis walked out with Chief Keef to his song "Love Sosa' for his fight against Ryan Garcia.
Chief Keef is credited with popularizing the phrases "glow up" and "smoking [opps]", although the lyrical origin of the latter can be traced back to fellow Chicago drill rapper RondoNumbaNine in his 2013 song "Hang Wit Me". Additionally, Chief Keef popularized the slang term "thot".
Chief Keef is one of the most prominent Black Disciples members of his generation.
Source: wikipedia