What an interesting journey it's been so far.
This feature is a part of Complex's "Finally Rich" Week.
It's hard to believe how far Chief Keef has come in such a short time. The 17-year-old Chicago rapper has progressed from local hero to mainstream success in less than a year. A viral video here, a run-in with police there, and before you knew it a star was born. And once his fame spread beyond Chicago's rap underground, it was only a matter of time before the rest of the world caught on.
"I Don't Like," Keef's single with Lil Reese, was the breakthrough track that caught the attention of music fans and fellow rappers alike. Artists felt compelled to spit over the monstrous Young Chop production, and a G.O.O.D. Music remix of the song was included on the album Cruel Summer. It wasn't long before Keef had his own label deal with Interscope Records.
But as anyone who's followed the young Chicagoan knows, the past year hasn't been all about high-profile collaborations and major-label offers. Early in 2012 Keef was sentenced to house arrest for a weapons charge. Then last September, he and his cohorts were allegedly tied to the murder of rival Windy City rapper JoJo. He was also banned from Instagram after posting some rather questionable images.
While Sosa has only been active for a short time, there's never a dull moment with this dude. So as Keef celebrates the release of his debut album Finally Rich, we put together this timeline of his career highlights (and lowlights) thus far. Click below to begin reading.
Written by Eric Diep (@E_Diep)
This feature is a part of Complex's "Finally Rich" Week.