By The Hip Hop Writer
Hip Hop Vibe Staff Writer
Most of the year of 2012 has consisted of people praising the efforts of Chief Keef, whose only initial claim to fame was a co-sign from Soulja Boy. All of this changed early in April of this year when Chief Keef released “I Don’t Like.” Suddenly, the young Chicago rapper emerged as the biggest sensation of the year.
Many artists began freestyling over “I Don’t Like,” but Chief Keef’s big break came when legendary Chicago talent, Kanye West, remixed the song. Kanye West placed his G.O.O.D. artists, Pusha T and Big Sean, alongside Jadakiss, on the track. Soon, a bidding war ensued and Chief Keef was approached by Birdman and Young Jeezy.
Ultimately, Chief Keef would sign with Interscope Records. The success of Chief Keef has led to many Chicago artists speaking out. Lupe Fiasco was asked about Chief Keef and he stated his music is alarming, due to the violence in Chicago. Chief Keef would threaten Lupe Fiasco via Twitter, after making fun of the death of a rival rapper.
These actions are now coming back to bite Chief Keef, though he claims his Twitter was hacked. Rovan Manuel, Chief Keef’s manager, has spoken about in defense of Chief Keef. He explained his feud with Lil Jojo was due to him often biting Chief Keef’s style. Manuel went on to defend the actions of Chief Keef, which he had no idea of until he was told in an interview, saying a lot of what he does is because of his young age.
The Chicago Police Department has began investigating the murder of Lil Jojo, investigating members of the Black Disciples and Gangster Disciples, rival gangs. Much of the Chicago violence is credited to their ongoing feud. Chief Keef tweeted the “300” hashtag, which is a number used to represent the Black Disciples. Meanwhile, Lil Jojo’s YouTube account showed him calling he and his friends Gangster Disciples’ killers, because of this, Chief Keef is under investigation.
