Spenzo

Spenzo, a rapper from Chicago’s Southside, first surfaced with a style that hovered near the city’s drill sound. His ear for pop-flavored melodies let him fuse the energy of earlier local figures such as Chief Keef and King Louie with the commercial instincts of wider-reaching artists like Drake. Childhood in Englewood kept him immersed in music, largely through the guidance of stepfather DJ Dion. While still a teenager he achieved a neighborhood breakthrough in 2013 via the single “Wife Er,” which landed on the mixtape In Spenzo We Trust and carried beats from Metro Boomin, DJ Dahi, and additional producers. The resulting attention opened the door to a 2014 partnership with Young Thug on “I’m So Sorry.” He steadily enlarged his regional following by circulating freestyles and cyphers online and maintaining a regular flow of new singles. Those efforts included the 2015 release “Effortlessly” with King Louie and the following year’s “I Want You” alongside Tory Lanez. Closing 2016, he issued “Nun Else 2 Do” as a joint track with his brother Nuskie.