Who Is Lil Reese?

Everything you need to know about one of the breakout stars of Chicago's "drill" scene.

Aug 20, 2012
Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

Not Available Lead
Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

It’s no secret that it’s tough in the streets of Chicago. From crime to poverty to gangs, Chi-Town's inner city is the very picture of urban strife. Lil Reese is one of the many born in the Midwest struggle, but after signing a record deal with Def Jam, he's on pace to make something out of nothing.

The raps that come from his clique, Glory Boyz Entertainment, are often characterized by the grim nature of their surroundings. Their style may not be the most poetic, but but their grind is notable. When “I Don’t Like”—a coup de grace of aggression—dropped, with Kanye’s remix following soon after, heads turned their attention towards Chief Keef and the gang. A large part of the song's success was Lil Reese’s verse, which included his famous “Fredo in the cut, that’s a scary sight” line.

Now, Lil Reese has the tools to become a mainstay. His Don’t Like mixtape is buzzing and GBE has remained relevant, despite an onslaught of critics who question their talent. Complex spoke to Reese about those critics, making "I Don't Like," and what's on the horizon. The 19-year-old MC isn't a man of many words, but even his brevity is telling. Continue reading to find out, Who Is Lil Reese?

As told to Brian Josephs (@Bklyn_Rock)

Growing Up

Not Available Interstitial
Image via Complex Original

Lil Reese: “I was a little bad kid doing all types of stuff. I was just doing it because I could do it. It was all sorts of stuff happening. It was crazy though.

“I was in the projects doing everything. It was rough in Chicago. First, it was all good, and as you got older, it got harder.”

Musical Influences and Learning to Rap

Not Available Interstitial
Image via Complex Original

Lil Reese: “I was younger and the people who was older than me knew how to rap. So I just started doing it.

”Where I come from, we need rap. Everybody needs it, and we’re gonna make it all happen. Getting out should be everybody’s main motivation if they’re in the streets.

“It was basically just us. We started rapping because we knew we could make it happen. That’s about it."

Forming Glory Boyz Entertainment

Not Available Interstitial
Image via Complex Original

Lil Reese: “I knew [Chief Keef] since we were little. We from the same block and area. We all been around each other all our life. We were just cooling and just tweaking. You know how kids get. You just start making up shit.

”They was noticing all of us around the same time. We were dropping mixtapes a long time ago [before Back From The Grave]. Everything just found its place.

”We would record wherever we wanted to. We would record in the crib. We had our own studio so we were down there most of the time. Wherever we did it, we would make it happen. It’s more fun now [after signing to record labels], because it’s more like we’re doing what we want to do.

"If I was in the studio, I would rap. I’ve always rapped. I did so since I was about 10 years old. We had our own studio and somebody to mix it for us. We had stuff that we could do instead of being in the streets going crazy.”

Making Chief Keef's “I Don’t Like”

Not Available Interstitial
Image via Complex Original

Lil Reese: “We was just cruising. We was in the crib just rapping, cooling, and chasing rhymes. You know when ya’ll kicking it with your brothers? Keef made a hook and I heard it, and I was like, ‘We finna do this.’ It was like, ‘Alright, bet.’ Next thing I know, he did it, I did it, and it came out.

”When I leaked it that night, I heard it and I was like, ‘Damn, we finna shoot a video to this motherfucker.’ We were on YouTube getting up to like 50,000 I was like, ‘Damn, 50,000.’ We had to shoot the video. The next day we shot the video to it, and that was that. It all happened right then and there. We was cooling, in the living room smoking, and having a good time."

“Fredo in the Cut, that’s a scary sight”

Not Available Interstitial
Image via Complex Original

Lil Reese: “It was about getting it. That’s all. That’s my brother. However it go, you don’t want a problem. Fredo in the cut is a scary sight. Fredo should be coming out with something. He told me he had a mixtape coming out called Fredo in the Cut, That’s a Scary Sight.”

Signing With Def Jam

Not Available Interstitial
Image via Complex Original

Lil Reese: “In life, we’re just trying to make it happen. If one of us made it, that’d be good for us. More would be even better. It felt good. How else would it feel?

“It was just mingling with people. People meeting people. It gets deep. It was all for me. We ain’t even thinking about critics. We just try to make it happen, and we could make it happen everywhere.”

Choice of Subject Matter

Not Available Interstitial
Image via Complex Original

Lil Reese: “I rap about what’s going on around me. What I’m seeing is what I’m telling you. I don’t even know how to rap about anything else. You gotta stay the same. You can’t change. I keep it 100. That’s how I rock. It’s always been like, ‘I’m gonna do my thing.’ We don’t really be thinking too much about other things. We are just really focusing."

His "Don't Like" Mixtape

Not Available Interstitial
Image via Complex Original

Lil Reese: “It was quick. Whenever I felt like dropping it, I could’ve dropped it. I’d say work on it started about three months ago when “Us” dropped.

"The song “Don’t Like” dropped then and I had to name my mixtape Don’t Like, because there’s a lot of shit I don’t like. That’s what I’m rocking with. There was no type of pressure at all. It was all motivation.

"My boys wasn’t telling me nothing. We were just doing what we’ve always been doing. I’ve been working and my crew has been working.

"Whenever we record there’s no problem. It’s minutes, seconds away. ‘What’s up? You wanna be on the track?’ It’s whatever. They’re gonna have to. It’s all love."

Chicago's "Drill" Scene

Not Available Interstitial
Image via Complex Original

Lil Reese: "It’s an excellent look for the city. It’s all motivation. A lot of boys from Chicago, they just rap with anybody. Me? I’ve always did my own thing. Everyone in Glory Boyz Entertainment got their own thing going now."

What's Next

Not Available Interstitial
Image via Complex Original

Lil Reese: “I’m just trying to get to the top. I’m on the powerhouse and I could make it happen. I’m gonna try my best. You’ll be seeing everyone in Glory Boyz Entertainment on top, hopefully. I’m just going to work. It all comes with keeping it real, being real to yourself, your circle, your people, and all that.”

ChicagoLil ReeseWho Is

Latest in Music