Lil Durk

Lil Durk ranks among Chicago's foremost rappers from the city's South Side, where he fuses unfiltered lyricism with mainstream pop sensibilities in a manner that has left a mark on his native scene and on remote locales shaped by the metropolis's pioneering drill sound. As a teenager during the early 2010s he distinguished himself through a series of mixtapes issued on his Only the Family imprint and collective, later securing ties to various major labels that increased his visibility via repeated high entries on the Billboard 200. Later-decade albums ranged from Remember My Name, which housed his initial RIAA-certified gold single "Like Me," to Love Songs 4 the Streets 2, marking his first Top Ten full-length project. During the 2020s his profile expanded further through releases including the chart-topping The Voice of the Heroes, a joint effort with Lil Baby, and 7220, followed in 2023 by Almost Healed and Nightmares in the Trenches alongside Only the Family. Almost Healed gained attention for the J. Cole-assisted "All My Life," a number two pop hit that earned a Grammy in the Best Melodic Rap Performance category. Deep Thoughts surfaced in 2024.

Born Durk Derrick Banks, the rapper and singer was raised in Chicago's South Side Englewood neighborhood. He began releasing mixtapes via the OTF collective in August 2011 with I'm a Hitta, then swiftly issued I'm Still a Hitta in April 2012 and Life Ain't No Joke in October 2012, the last arriving shortly after his debut Def Jam single, the characteristically melodic and laid-back "L's Anthem." That same year he appeared on multiple tracks alongside fellow Chicago natives and close associates including Lil Reese, Fredo Santana, and Chief Keef. His second Def Jam single, "Dis Ain't What U Want," arrived in May 2013 shortly before his formal affiliation with French Montana's Coke Boys became official.

Remember My Name, Durk's debut album, arrived in 2015 with guest contributions from Logic, Jeremih, and King Popo. DeJ Loaf, Yo Gotti, and Young Thug appeared on the 2016 LP 2X, which included the single "She Just Wanna" featuring Ty Dolla $ign. In 2017 Durk paired with DeJ Loaf on the single "The One," while additional mixtapes that year encompassed Love Songs for the Streets, Supa Vultures alongside Lil Reese, and Bloodas with Tee Grizzley. He proceeded into 2018 with Just Cause Y'all Waited, which charted just outside the Top 50, and Durkio Krazy, a collaborative project with 808 Mafia's DY. His third studio album, Signed to the Streets 3, emerged in November and reached the Top 20 of the Billboard 200.

Lil Durk faced criminal charges after a February 2019 shooting incident in Atlanta; released on bail that August, he delivered his fourth studio album Love Songs 4 the Streets 2, which featured appearances from 21 Savage, Nicki Minaj, and Meek Mill and became his first to enter the Top Five. Before year's end he assembled his OTF crew for the Family Over Everything mixtape, with core members joined on select tracks by artists such as NLE Choppa and Polo G. Just Cause Y'all Waited 2, his fifth studio album, arrived in May 2020 and again landed in the Top Five. The year proved prolific, closing with the sixth studio album The Voice, released in December and peaking at number three with contributions from King Von, Young Thug, and YNW Melly. In June 2021 Durk and Lil Baby reached the Billboard 200 summit together with The Voice of the Heroes; later that year Durk appeared on both Kanye West's tenth album Donda and Drake's Certified Lover Boy.

Early in 2022 Durk unveiled the single "Ahhh Ha," the first preview from his forthcoming seventh studio LP 7220, which arrived in March and debuted at number one on the Billboard charts with guest spots from Gunna, Summer Walker, Future, and Morgan Wallen. A deluxe edition yielded the Hot 100 single "Did Shit to Me" featuring Doodie Lo. He subsequently appeared with Cardi B and Kanye West on the non-album track "Hot Shit." Durk concluded the year with Loyal Bros 2, highlighting Only the Family artists alongside guests including Future, Kodak Black, and Trippie Redd. In 2023 he first released Almost Healed, a number three Billboard 200 entry anchored by the J. Cole collaboration "All My Life," which narrowly missed the top of the Hot 100 and secured a Grammy for Best Melodic Rap Performance. Later that year he returned to spotlight Only the Family on Nightmares in the Trenches, promoted via his own charting single "Smurk Carter." Following 2024 singles such as "Old Days" and "Went Hollywood for a Year," Durk issued the album Deep Thoughts.