One of the biggest names to come out of Chicago’s South Side, born Durk Derrick Banks, Lil Durk takes the raw energy of Englewood’s streets and channels it into his rap music. He is known for being an influential force in the drill scene of the city, caught in the middle of one of Chicago’s most violent gang wars. Lil Durk had a difficult upbringing, with his father being incarcerated when he was just seven months old for leading a large-scale drug trafficking operation. Lil Durk followed in his father’s footsteps for a time, dropping out of High School to join the Black Disciples street gang. However, this was not the life his father wanted for him and when Lil Durk found himself in prison on a gun charge while his son was just one year old, he knew he needed to change. This is what motivated Lil Durk to continue working to make his rap career a success. In 2011, he founded the group OTF (Only The Family) which would later go on to also include fellow Chicago rapper King Von. Lil Durk’s first two mixtapes, I’m a Hitta and I’m Still a Hitta distinguished him in the scene as a rising talent, leading to him getting signed by Def Jam. Features with Chief Keef and Lil Reese soon followed, as well as his debut single with the group, “Dis Ain't What U Want” and his album Remember My Name with features from Logic and Jeremih. This album included the hit gold single “Like Me”. 2013 and 2014 saw Signed to the Streets and Signed to the Streets 2 with features from Migos, Lil Reese, French Montana and Cash Out. 2X arrived in 2016 which includes features from Yo Gotti, Young Thug, and DeJ Loaf. In 2017, Durk joined forces with DeJ Loaf for the track "The One." Throughout the year, he also dropped several mixtapes, including Love Songs for the Streets, Supa Vultures (a collaboration with Lil Reese), and Bloodas (featuring Tee Grizzley). Moving into 2018, he released Just Cause Y'all Waited, which came close to breaking into the Top 50 charts, along with Durkio Krazy, a joint project with 808 Mafia's DY. His third studio album, Signed to the Streets 3, hit the scene in November and made its mark by reaching the Top 20 of the Billboard 200. In February 2019, Lil Durk faced charges after a shooting in Atlanta. Despite this, he dropped Love Songs 4 the Streets 2 that August, hitting the Top Five. He also released Just Cause Y'all Waited 2 in May 2020, and closed 2020 with The Voice, peaking at number three. In June 2021, he and Lil Baby topped the Billboard 200 with The Voice of the Heroes. Later, Durk appeared on Kanye West's Donda and Drake's Certified Lover Boy. March of 2022 saw him release his seventh studio album, 7220 which features tracks with Morgan Wallen, Moneybagg Yo, Ella Mai and more. He later collaborated with Cardi B and Kanye West on the non-album track "Hot Shit." Closing out the year, Durk released Loyal Bros 2, featuring Only the Family artists alongside guests like Future, Kodak Black, and Trippie Redd. In 2023, he dropped Almost Healed, which reached number three on the Billboard 200 and included the Grammy-winning track "All My Life" with J. Cole. Later in the year, Durk highlighted Only the Family with Nightmares in the Trenches, with his own charting single "Smurk Carter." Lil Durk has also recently collaborated on the track “dangerous” with 21 Savage and Metro Boomin. The consistent work and dedication over the decades has paid off for Lil Durk, as he has now exploded into mainstream success and is a preeminent rapper in the industry today. Lil Durk will continue to release music and is expected to stay focused on promoting his OTF music family.