Chief Keef facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chief Keef
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Chief Keef performing in 2019
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Keith Farrelle Cozart |
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| Born | August 15, 1995 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
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| Years active | 2008–present |
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Keith Farrelle Cozart (born August 15, 1995), known by his stage name Chief Keef, is an American rapper and record producer. He grew up on the South Side of Chicago and started his music career as a teenager. In the early 2010s, his mixtapes made him popular in his city.
Chief Keef is known for helping make the hip-hop style called drill famous around the world. Many people see him as one of the creators of this genre.
His 2012 mixtape, Back from the Dead, included the song "I Don't Like" (featuring Lil Reese). The song became a local hit and was his first to appear on the Billboard Hot 100 music chart. This led to many major record labels wanting to sign him. He chose Interscope Records.
With Interscope, he released "Love Sosa", which became very successful. Both songs were on his first album, Finally Rich (2012). Since then, he has released more albums, including Bang 3 (2015), 4Nem (2021), and Almighty So 2 (2024). He has also been a guest artist on popular songs by Lil Uzi Vert and Drake.
Contents
Life and Career
Early Life
Chief Keef was born Keith Farrelle Cozart in Chicago, Illinois, on August 15, 1995. He was named after his uncle. He grew up in the Washington Park neighborhood on the city's South Side.
His grandmother, Margaret Carter, was his legal guardian and he lived with her. He started rapping when he was only five years old. He used his mother's karaoke machine to record his music. As a child, he went to Dulles Elementary School and later attended Dyett High School for a short time.
Career Beginnings
In 2011, Chief Keef began to get noticed in Chicago for his mixtapes, which are like unofficial albums. While he was under house arrest, he posted several music videos on YouTube. These videos helped introduce the world to the drill music style.
His song "I Don't Like" became a huge hit in Chicago. It even got the attention of the famous rapper Kanye West. West made a remix of the song with other well-known rappers like Pusha T, Jadakiss, and Big Sean. This remix made Chief Keef famous almost overnight.
In 2012, many record labels wanted to sign him. He signed a big deal with Interscope Records. The deal was worth millions of dollars and allowed him to start his own record label, Glory Boyz Entertainment (GBE).
His first major album, Finally Rich, came out on December 18, 2012. It featured famous rappers like 50 Cent, Wiz Khalifa, and Rick Ross. In 2013, he was also featured on Kanye West's album Yeezus on the song "Hold My Liquor". Musician Lou Reed praised his part on the track.
Independent Music Career
In 2014, Chief Keef began producing his own music more. This allowed him to have more control over the "vibe" or feeling of his songs. In October 2014, he left Interscope Records. He told his fans on Twitter that he would still release all his planned projects.
He released a mixtape with Gucci Mane called Big Gucci Sosa. He also released Back from the Dead 2, where he produced most of the songs himself. Rolling Stone magazine named it one of the best rap albums of 2014.
In December 2014, he released an album called Nobody, which featured Kanye West. In 2015, he released another mixtape called Sorry 4 the Weight. That same year, he signed with FilmOn, a company owned by billionaire Alki David.
Recent Work
In March 2016, Chief Keef tweeted that he was retiring from rap. However, he returned to music later that year. In 2017, he released the mixtape Two Zero One Seven and his third album, Dedication. The Guardian newspaper called Dedication his "most satisfying album to date."
In 2018, he released more mixtapes, including Mansion Musick and Back from the Dead 3. He also worked with other artists like Playboi Carti and Soulja Boy. In 2019, he released a project with producer Zaytoven called Glotoven.
In March 2020, he produced a song for Lil Uzi Vert's album Eternal Atake. He was also featured on Uzi's song "Bean (Kobe)", which became his highest-charting song on the Billboard Hot 100.
Musical Style and Legacy
The New York Times said that Chief Keef is a symbol of Chicago's drill music scene. His style of rapping, which is often melodic with slurred words, has influenced many artists. Rappers like 21 Savage, Lil Uzi Vert, and Juice Wrld have been influenced by his music.
His heavy use of ad-libs (short words or sounds in the background of a song) also influenced the Soundcloud rap style. Rolling Stone said he "personified Chicago drill."
Chief Keef is also credited with making slang terms popular. For example, he helped popularize the phrases "glow up" and "thot." In 2023, boxer Gervonta Davis used Chief Keef's song "Love Sosa" as his entrance music for a major fight against Ryan Garcia.
Other Ventures
Glo Gang
| Glo Gang | |
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| Parent company | Entertainment One |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founder | Chief Keef |
| Status | Dormant |
| Distributor(s) | E1 Music |
| Genre | Hip hop, midwest hip hop, drill |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Location | Chicago, Illinois Los Angeles, California |
As part of his deal with Interscope, Chief Keef started his own label called Glory Boyz Entertainment (GBE). He signed several of his friends and fellow rappers to the label.
On January 3, 2014, Chief Keef announced he was starting a new record label named Glo Gang. The members of Glo Gang included Chief Keef and other artists like Tadoe, Ballout, and Capo.
43B
| 43B | |
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| Parent company | BMG, RBC |
| Founded | 2022 |
| Founder | Chief Keef |
| Status | Active |
| Distributor(s) | BMG |
| Genre | Hip hop, midwest hip hop, drill |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Location | Chicago, Illinois Los Angeles, California |
On June 6, 2022, Chief Keef announced he was starting another new label called 43B. The name stands for "Forget Everybody." He started it in partnership with RBC Records and BMG Rights Management. The first artist he signed was Lil Gnar.
Chief Keef said, "I want to pass on my knowledge of the industry to artists who are shifting the culture so they can make it to the top."
Personal Life
Chief Keef has nine children. Two of his cousins, Fredo Santana and Tadoe, were also rappers signed to his label.
After some challenges in his hometown, he moved from Chicago to Los Angeles in 2014. He said he liked the quiet in Los Angeles. After moving, he became interested in collecting art. He said the move helped him grow and inspired him to think bigger.
Discography
- Finally Rich (2012)
- Bang 3 (2015)
- Dedication (2017)
- 4Nem (2021)
- Almighty So 2 (2024)
