Chief Keef

Background

Keith Farrelle Cozart, better known as Chief Keef, has had a complicated life. In his childhood, he studied at Dulles Elementary School and Banner School, the latter being a school with a therapeutic focus. Regarding his secondary education, he abandoned it at the age of 15. But Chief Keef did not need a school because life itself taught him what he needed to know.

A member of the Black Disciples gang, Chief Keef is very popular in Chicago. His popularity is not only due to his membership in the Chicago-based gang but also for his talent in composing, rhyming, and singing, which he has honed since he was five.

His first step into the world of music was taken during his house arrest in 2011. He had to stay at his grandmother’s house for approximately two months, during which he decided to start sharing tracks on YouTube, where he uploaded drill music, a subgenre of hip-hop he pioneered.

It was then he recorded and released the single ‘I Don’t Like,’ which had a great impact on the Chicago audience. So much so that the famous rapper Kanye West remixed the song, as well as other famous rappers such as Pusha T., Jadakiss, and Big Sean. This catapulted Chief Keef to stardom.

In the following month, Chief Keef received several offers from various labels. But he eventually signed with Interscope Records.

From this contract was born his debut album “Finally Rich,” which featured 50 Cent and Wiz Khalifa. But his contract with Interscope ended in October 2014, halting several of his projects that were already close to their release dates. Two, though, did come to light: the albums “Big Gucci Sosa” and “Back From the Dead 2.”

After he departed from Interscope, Chief Keef reinvented himself as an artist, and his next albums accounted for it, as his lyrics now had deeper meanings.

Although Chief Keef has previously commented on his intention to retire from the music industry, he continues to do music as an all-around artist, experimenting with new forms and styles.

Chief Keef is already a father of nine. At the age of 16, he had his first child, Kayden Kash Cozart, whom he nicknamed Kay Kay, and the child’s mother served him a request for child support. In November 2013, D.N.A. documents confirmed that he was the father of a 10-month-old child, and he was also ordered to begin paying child support. In September 2014, Chief Keef announced the birth of his third child and first son, Krüe Karter Cozart. He has six other children, all from different mothers.

Since 2010, critics have named Chief Keef the progenitor of the drill subgenre, recognizing the impact of his music on other artists.