Chief Keef
Biography
Keith Farrelle Cozart (born August 15, 1995), known professionally as Chief Keef, is an American rapper and record producer. He emerged from Chicagos South Side and gained early attention in the early 2010s through a series of mixtapes that drew regional acclaim. He is widely credited with popularizing the drill subgenre of hip hop and is considered one of its foundational figures.
Chief Keefs breakthrough came with his fifth mixtape, "Back from the Dead" (2012), which featured the single "I Dont Like" with Lil Reese. The track became a local hit and later entered the Billboard Hot 100. Its success led to a major label bidding war, ultimately resulting in Cozart signing with Interscope Records. The label re-released "I Dont Like" along with "Love Sosa", both of which became influential singles in the development of drill music. "Love Sosa" was later certified quintuple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America. These tracks were included in his debut studio album, "Finally Rich" (2012), his only major label release, which received moderate commercial and critical response.
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Following his departure from Interscope, Chief Keef pursued an independent music career, releasing albums including "Bang 3" (2015), "Bang 3, Pt. 2" (2015), "4Nem" (2021), and "Almighty So 2" (2024). Each of these albums charted on the Billboard 200. He also achieved further chart success through guest appearances on Lil Uzi Verts "Bean (Kobe)" and Drakes "All the Parties", both of which reached the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100.
Chief Keef has been recognized for his influence on modern hip hop. Rolling Stone referred to him as someone who "personif[ies] Chicago drill", while Stereogum described him as a "modern rap folk hero". Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.
Biography text from Last.fm, available under CC BY-SA.
