When Chicago-based rapper Chief Keef burst onto the scene with his booming 2012 anthem “I Don’t Like,” the 18-year-old, born Keith Cozart, became a polarizing figure in hip-hop.
To some, he was a poster child for the violent culture that plagues his hometown.
Keef’s lengthy rap sheet has largely overshadowed his mixtapes. His most recent run-in with the police led to his being questioned for a shooting that took place at his manager’s house.
Nas, the iconic East Coast rapper, weighed in on Keef’s self destructive streak and defended the rapper, offering a different perspective on the mindset of a teen who grew up exposed to violence, and where street cred is held at a premium.
“What people gotta understand that in the street, you don’t exist until you do something to put your name on one of the history book pages. When you out there and you think you have nothing, the smallest thing can give you some purpose,” Nas told REVOLT TV. “Whether it’s you make people scared of you, you demand respect, you put fear in people’s hearts around you, you took something from this dude, you joined that crew and you about that life… Whatever you’re doing, you feel like now you can be counted. So people don’t care about consequences because they feel like they’re starting from nothing, anyway.”
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