Chief Keef

Chief Keef had his first child, a daughter, at age 16. He later announced the birth of a son in 2014 and became the father of additional children. In 2015, he named a newborn son Sno "FilmOn Dot Com" after FilmOn Music, although the label later withdrew its rights to the name during a dispute over the child's paternity.

His cousins Fredo Santana and Tadoe were signed to his Glory Boyz Entertainment label. His cousin Mario Hess, who performed as Blood Money, was also a Glo Gang artist and collaborated with Chief Keef on "Fuck Rehab" before Hess was killed in 2014. Chief Keef said Hess's death made him realize that he had to grow up.

Chief Keef began rapping in 2008 and released his first mixtape, UF Overload, in 2009. His 2011 mixtapes The Glory Road and Bang brought him regional attention on Chicago's South Side. He lived at Parkway Garden Homes, locally known as O-Block, in the Washington Park neighborhood, an area closely associated with Chicago's drill scene.

His song "I Don't Like" became a Chicago hit and attracted Kanye West's attention. West remixed the song with Pusha T, Jadakiss, and Big Sean, helping move Chief Keef into the national spotlight. "I Don't Like" and "Love Sosa" became lead singles for Finally Rich, released in December 2012. "Love Sosa" later received a quintuple-platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America.

A bidding war among record labels led to Chief Keef signing with Interscope Records. The album included appearances by 50 Cent, Wiz Khalifa, Young Jeezy, Rick Ross, and Lil Reese. He also appeared on Kanye West's "Hold My Liquor" from Yeezus in 2013, a performance praised by musician Lou Reed.

Chief Keef left Interscope Records in 2014 and continued releasing music independently. His projects included Back from the Dead 2, the collaborative mixtape Big Gucci Sosa with Gucci Mane, Nobody, and Sorry 4 the Weight. He increasingly produced his own music, self-producing 16 of the 20 tracks on Back from the Dead 2.

He released the album Dedication in 2017 after a series of mixtapes. In 2019, he collaborated with producer Zaytoven on Glotoven. In 2020, Chief Keef received a major production credit for "Chrome Heart Tags" on Lil Uzi Vert's Eternal Atake and appeared on Uzi's "Bean (Kobe)," which became his highest-charting Billboard Hot 100 song.

His later studio albums include Bang 3, 4Nem, and Almighty So 2. His melodic delivery, slurred vocal style, and prominent ad-libs have been associated with the development of Chicago drill, mumble rap, and SoundCloud rap. Artists cited as influenced by his style include 21 Savage, YoungBoy Never Broke Again, Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti, Juice Wrld, and Polo G.

Glory Boyz Entertainment was established during Chief Keef's Interscope period, with Chief Keef and his manager Rovan Manuel among its owners. The collective included artists such as Lil Reese, Fredo Santana, and producer Young Chop. In 2014, Chief Keef announced that Glory Boyz Entertainment was being replaced by Glo Gang.

In 2022, Chief Keef founded 43B, also known as Forget Everybody, through a partnership with RBC Records and BMG Rights Management. The label's first announced signee was Lil Gnar. Chief Keef described 43B as a way to pass on his industry experience to artists working outside the mainstream.

Chief Keef faced several legal matters as a teenager and young adult. In 2011, he was placed under house arrest after a juvenile weapons case. In January 2013, a juvenile court judge ruled that a gun-range interview violated his probation, and he served two months in a juvenile detention facility before his release in March.

He later served jail time for a probation violation and was arrested in Illinois for driving under the influence of marijuana, driving with a suspended license, and lacking proof of insurance. In 2017, he was arrested in South Dakota for cannabis and drug-paraphernalia charges. He pleaded no contest in 2019 and received a suspended sentence.

After leaving a home in Highland Park in 2014, Chief Keef relocated to Los Angeles. He said the quieter surroundings helped him move away from trouble in Chicago. After the move, he developed an interest in art collecting and became acquainted with the art teacher Bill da Butcher.

Chief Keef is widely associated with Chicago's drill movement and has been described as one of the most influential rappers of his generation. His music helped bring the local sound to a mainstream audience, while his independent output extended his influence beyond his major-label period. The rapper Common praised him for bringing something raw and distinctive to rap.

In 2015, a planned benefit performance featuring a hologram of Chief Keef was blocked by officials in Chicago and Hammond, Indiana. The hologram delivered a message calling for an end to violence before performing "I Don't Like". In 2023, boxer Gervonta Davis used "Love Sosa" for his ring walk before his fight with Ryan Garcia.