There's a lot of tough talk in rap but when Lil Durk and his OTF affiliates describe the violence of Chicago, it's clear that they are speaking from experience. The brash lyrics of the Windy City's hard-hitting drill scene coincide with the dire news coverage and spiking crime rates.
When Durk sat down with VladTV for an exclusive interview, he tackled a number of topics that hit close to home including becoming a father at a young age, the deadly battle for status and recognition in his city's streets, and the role that social media plays in the violence.
"When people tell me I'm a child I look at them like, 'I'm on my feet more than you, better than you. Not money wise but my mind wise'," the rapper said. "N*ggas be older than me and don't be having sh*t. But they like shoes and sh*t; I'm tryna get a business going."
His aspirations for sustained, long-term success are compounded by his desire to remove his kids from the dangerous streets that groomed him.
"I don't want them to see no street sh*t, no violence, no none of that," he said of his three young children. "I'm taking them to a whole nother world."
As much as he wants to disconnect himself from Chi-town's violent aura, it seems as if city officials largely hold Durk and drill music accountable for affecting the youth: Lil Durk concerts in Chicago are repeatedly shut down due to fear of violence.
"If they do something, they blaming me. If I do something, they blaming them," Durk said of the bad rap he and fellow Chicago artists get. "When I say, 'I terrify 'em', I terrify 'em in my eyes cause that's how it is. If you stopping my shows basically you terrified of what's gonna happen. I've missed out on $30,000 f*cking around."
Durk, however, cites the desire for elevated social status as a main contributor to the city's drama.
"Everybody want a name so if you big money and you want to be around a lot of this sh*t, you're gonna get what comes with it."
Can Lil Durk every truly escape his city's looming shadow or does his straightforward music contribute to the circumstances of Chicago? Give us your opinion in the comment section.
