Lil Durk is a Chicago based American rapper. Born Durk Banks, he became known as Lil Durk. He began making mix tapes at a young age and self-released them on his own OTF (Only the Family) label. Following his initial success, he began exploring music as a full-time job in early 2010. He eventually signed with Def Jam Recordings and is now regarded as the best rapper to ever be associated with the legendary company. His family suffered because of the turbulent neighborhood where he grew up. On drug charges, his father was sentenced to life in 1994, and his family struggled financially during his youth. Violence in Chicago influenced several of his early releases.
Early Childhood of Lil Durk
Dontay Banks and a nurse had Lil Durk on October 19, 1992. His mother’s name is unknown. His brother D Thang appears in some of Lil Durk’s videos.
His father was imprisoned when he was 7 years old, thus he had to assume responsibility early. In an interview with a magazine, Lil Durk recalled his childhood hunger.
Lil Durk grew raised in a dangerous neighborhood. During his adolescence, he was arrested for weapons possession.
He studied music on his own through watching music videos on TV during his childhood. ‘Sneak Dissin’ and ‘I’ma Hitta’ became his full-time rap career.
He began his first break on Myspace and YouTube. His online fan network grew significantly, which encouraged him. Durk could focus more on his work after becoming a father at the age of 17 and raising kids depending on him.
Career of Lil Durk
Lil Durk began his career with the Glo Gang label, founded by another Chicago rapper, Chief Keef. But he was never signed. As a result, Lil Durk began to carve out his own niche in music.
He released ‘Life Ain’t No Joke’ mixtape after the success of his first two tracks. This mixtape has been downloaded 216,000 times on DatPiff. ‘Life Ain’t No Joke’ became a viral hit on social media.
In December 2012, Lil Durk released ‘L’s Anthem’, which featured French Montana.
Durk’s success with ‘L’s Anthem’ led to a collaborative venture with Def Jam Recordings. ‘Signed to the Streets’ was released on October 14, 2013. He released the mixtape on the Coke Boys and OTF (his own) labels on DatPiff. In July 2014, ‘Signed to the Streets’ got a sequel.
In 2015, he released his debut album, ‘Remember My Name’. The CD is packed of songs on the Chicago street violence he encountered as a boy. The album reached number 14 on the Billboard 200. But the record only sold 24,000 copies in its first week. But the album’s sleeper hit single ‘Like Me’ was downloaded/streamed several times on platforms like iTunes and Spotify.
He released his sixth mixtape ‘300 Days, 300 Nights’ on December 15, 2015. To promote the mix tape, ‘My Beyonce’ was published. The song featured Dej Loaf. A nice break from his previous albums, which largely portrayed the drug violence in his birth area, critics said. With the mix tape’s success, Lil Durk’s image as a rising star in the American music industry was cemented.
‘Lil Durk 2X’ came out on July 22, 2016. It was published two months before the album to generate buzz for his second album. Durk’s second label did better than his first.
Grandiose of Lil Durk
Durk’s third mixtape, ‘Life Ain’t Joke,’ was released after he was rejected by the Chicago-based music label. It inspired him to pursue music as a full-time career.
Lil Durk’s first album, ‘Remember My Name,’ was a hit, establishing him as a competent musician. Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums ranked the album #2.
Honors & Awards
The prominent music blog ‘Underground Interviews’ awarded Lil Durk Rapper of the Year 2016.
Personal Legacy of Lil Durk
Lil Durk has two sons, Zayden and Angelo, and a daughter, Bella.
Durk’s cousin McArthur Swindle was murdered in 2014 in Chicago. McArther Swindle was a member of Lil Durk’s OTF group when he was murdered.
Chicago mobsters murdered and killed Lil Durk’s manager Uchenna Agina in 2015. Due to their anti-mob violence campaigns, this affected Lil Durk hard.
Estimated Net Worth
Lil Durk is an American rap musician worth $8 million. He founded the label Only the Family (OTF). Durk gained fame after releasing his mixtape series “Signed to the Streets” in 2013, which led to a Def Jam record deal.