Who the fuck is Lil Durk? In a world where we have Lil Wayne, Lil B, Lil Jon, Lil Kim, Lil Boosie and a slew of others, who is Lil Durk and why do we need another name to add to the ever growing list of "Lil" rappers? Well, to answer that first question, Lil Durk (née Durk Banks) is a Chicago-based rapper currently signed to Def Jam Records in conjunction with French Montana's Coke Boys label. He began releasing mixtapes in 2011 and his major label debut, Remember My Name, was released this past June.
Last night's set at the Grog Shop kicked off with an older tune, "Who Is This" from his Signed to the Streets mixtape before going into "Bang Bros." and a remix of Dej Loaf's "Try Me." Other songs like "I Go," "Don't I" and "Party" sent the crowd's energy through the roof. Capitalizing on the opportunity, Durk took a second to record a video for his Instagram account. "Faneto" and Lil Reese's "Us" kept the momentum moving in the right direction. You can see a slideshow of photos from the concert here.
Songs from the latest album included "What Your Life Like," "Higher" and the Jeremiah-featuring "Like Me." Durk gave another OTF member, Lil Verney, some time in the spotlight before coming back , jumping into the crowd and closing out the set with "Dis Ain't What U Want."
With a fanbase as frenetic as Lil Durk's, it's not a surprise that so many of them ended up on the stage just as the show was ending. The crowd was a younger one — with many of the showgoers not even being legally able to drink. But the energy stayed constant all night and Durk and OTF seemed to feed off of it accordingly. With more time and experience and exposure, it only seems that more people will come to know, respect and ultimately remember Lil Durk's name.
Opening acts Tae Miles, DJ Coop and Chevy Sosa helped to warm up an already anxious crowd that was chomping at the bit to get a piece of Durk and the "Remember My Name" tour. Miles and Sosa would team up together for a song that they recently recorded before making way for OTF member Hypno Carlito. After a handful of songs, patrons were instructed to put their hands in the sky in the form of an L for Lil Durk — to which they willfully agreed. Soon thereafter, Durk emerged, flanked by what seemed to be the entire OTF crew.
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