His legal guardian was his grandmother with whom he lived in Chicago. Ĭhief Keef has been estranged from his biological father, Alfonso Cozart, since he was a minor. He lived at the Parkway Garden Homes located in the Washington Park neighborhood on the city's South Side, a stronghold for the Black Disciples street gang of which Chief Keef is a member. He is named after his deceased uncle, Keith Carter, who was known as 'Big Keef'. Life and career Early life (1995–2010)Ĭhief Keef was born Keith Farrelle Cozart in Chicago, Illinois, on August 15, 1995, to Lolita Carter who was 15 and unwed. These included: Nobody (2014), Back from the Dead 2 (2014), Bang 3 (2015), and Thot Breaker (2017).Īs of the late 2010s, critics have pointed to Chief Keef as the progenitor of the drill subgenre, noting the impact of his music on other artists. Though he was dropped from Interscope in late 2014 and later signed to 1017 Records, he continued self-releasing projects through his own Glo Gang label. Ĭhief Keef has faced ongoing legal issues during his career, including weapons possession charges, house arrest sentences, and a performance ban imposed by Chicago authorities.

His debut album Finally Rich was released in December 2012, and featured the singles ' I Don't Like' and ' Love Sosa', which would popularize the Chicago rap subgenre drill. A bidding war between major labels resulted in Keef signing with Interscope.

In 2012, his popular local single ' I Don't Like' was remixed by American rapper Kanye West and reached the Billboard Rap Top 20, further raising Cozart's profile.

His music first became popular during his teen years in the early 2010s among high school students from Chicago's South Side. Keith Farrelle Cozart (born August 15, 1995), better known by his stage name Chief Keef, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter and record producer.

Finally rich mixtape