FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Music

Chief Keef Could Have Been the First Artist Signed to Apple Music

In a new interview with 'XXL' the Chicago rapper talks about his influence and plans for 2017.
Lawrence Burney

Chief Keef's influence can't be denied. As a 16-year-old in 2011, the Chicago rapper's rise changed the genre's sound, inspiring artists outside of the city to adopt drill elements in their own music. If you've heard someone scream "gang gang," "bang bang," or "squad," they likely got that from him. Most videos from street artists at this point are direct products of his "Don't Like" video, which was mostly shot in one room with his friends behind him toting heavy artillery.

Advertisement

But even with his influence being so evident on the genre, Keef has granted a very limited amount of people access to his life and artistic process, especially after being dropped from Interscope Records in 2014. Lucky for us, Keef has broken his silence and in a new interview with XXL, he spoke about his influence, getting offered to be Apple Music's first signee, and his recording process. Of Apple Music's attempt to acquire him, he said:

"They were talking about taking me to Apple. This was before they did anybody with Apple Music. You know what Larry called me and said? He said, 'You're gonna be the first artist on Apple Music,' and I turned it down. Because, you know… I don' know. I just didn't do it. But I would have been the first artist on Apple Music."

Apple Music's head of content, Larry Jackson, who recruited Keef to Interscope, confirmed that he did make the offer but didn't expect the rapper to bite. When asked about his feelings towards artists like Lil Yachty, Lil Uzi Vert, and other newcomers, Keef said:

"To see that I can do that…I'm really out here having an influence on the vibes of the new, upcoming rappers. It's cool though. I just wanna keep doing that, keep influencing. I came in 2012 with Finally Rich. They love that shit, boy. That shit stuck like glue. Then that whole situation, they look at me as a person and where I came from and see it's real as fuck, and I'm so young. So this is like… if he can do it, they can do it. So I just want to keep doing that. For anybody else that come, that's cool with me."

Keef also talked about his new music and direction, sharing that he likes playing with en vogue afrobeats and dancehall vibes, as he did on recently released "Can You Be My Friend." When asked of his plans for the remainder of 2017, he responded, "I just want to show. I'm gonna get on my beast shit and get to dropping shit on their ass out of nowhere. Just know, you're gonna see some heat." Read the rest of the interview at XXL.

Photo: Taken from Chief Keef's Instagram.

Follow Lawrence Burney on Twitter.

Tagged:Chief KeefChicagodrill musicRapHip-HopMusicNoisey
0
Advertisement