The legend of Chief Keef only grows over time. Yet his origin story is embroiled in turmoil that includes tension between his close friend and collaborator Lil Reese and Kanye West, who he’d also go on to deliver multiple collabs with.
Late last week, Chicago’s media godfather Andrew Barber celebrated the anniversary of one of Keef’s breakthrough hits, “I Don’t Like.”
Although the 2012 song’s remix featuring Jadakiss, Kanye, and G.O.O.D. Music artists Pusha T and Big Sean took hold of the world months later and closed out that September’s Cruel Summer compilation, the March-released original was already a sensation featuring Lil Reese before ’Ye got his hands on it.
Nine years later, Reese still has negative feelings toward West for revamping their creation and removing his verse. He quote-tweeted a user who proclaimed in all-caps that “the OG is so much better than the Kanye version fuck Kanye for taking Lil Reese out” with his own thoughts.
“Yea fuck him but I still get paid off it so I’m not mad,” the 28-year-old answered.
Although Reese isn’t Yeezus’ biggest fan, he seems not to hold too much animosity since he’s still getting money off the track.
Lil Reese isn’t the only person involved with the song to take objection to West’s remix. The track’s producer Young Chop told DJ Vlad in 2013 that he didn’t understand West’s intentions.
“I didn’t know what to think of it,” Chop said in the above clip’s one-minute mark. “I’m like, ‘Bro, that shit taking the ‘hood out the song.’ This real like raw shit. … This is shit that really happening in Chicago.” He added, “At the time I didn’t get the picture.”
The single helped define the drill subgenre, which continues to captivate hip-hop’s underbelly. Like the simplicity and rawness of the lyrics, the video wasn’t a high-budget visual, instead featuring a bunch of shirtless teens wielding guns, using drugs, and showing off their tattoos inside an apartment. At the time, it shifted the game; now it’s a standard path for street rappers and up-and-comers.
