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<v Speaker 1>What's up you guys. Welcome back to Crash Course Pot,

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<v Speaker 1>the music podcast for music heads by a music head,

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<v Speaker 1>and we're not just talking about a trend or a moment. Today,

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<v Speaker 1>we're talking about a structural tectonic shift and hip hop.

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<v Speaker 1>We are deep diving into the man who changed the

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<v Speaker 1>sound of rap forever. You might know him by the

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<v Speaker 1>name of Chief Keif. Others know him by the name

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<v Speaker 1>of Sosa. So that's our topic before we get into it.

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<v Speaker 1>As you know, we released two episodes today. I felt

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<v Speaker 1>bad that we skipped the weekend, so today Monday, we

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<v Speaker 1>released the previous one on K pop check it out

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<v Speaker 1>after this one if you haven't already. And now we're

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<v Speaker 1>into this topic of Chief Keef and his undeniable influence.

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<v Speaker 1>What motivated this episode, Well, every so often when I'm

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<v Speaker 1>on YouTube, there would be certain shorts involving Chief Keef

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<v Speaker 1>and the comments are all like, no Chief Keef slander

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<v Speaker 1>will be tolerated. They know all the inside jokes, from

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<v Speaker 1>saying he's three hundred years old to naming certain things,

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<v Speaker 1>which we'll get into later in this episode. But it's

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<v Speaker 1>just crazy how he is God to some people. And

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<v Speaker 1>I wanted to discover, I mean, dive deep and talk

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<v Speaker 1>about it with you guys. So let's get into it,

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<v Speaker 1>shall we. Before twenty twelve, mainstream wrap had a different

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<v Speaker 1>cadence and texture. Then a raw, unfiltered disruption BLOWDD from

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<v Speaker 1>Chicago's South Side and nothing was the same. Chief Keef

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<v Speaker 1>is universally credited as the figure who took Chicago drill

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<v Speaker 1>music global drill. What is drill? For those of you

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<v Speaker 1>that don't know, It's defined by its ominous, heavy, and

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<v Speaker 1>often confrontational beats that give voice to marginalized street experience.

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<v Speaker 1>It's the hood lallaby baby, no kidding, but it's hood

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<v Speaker 1>talk very much hood talk over aggressive beats, if I

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<v Speaker 1>use my own words. So there were two anthems from

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<v Speaker 1>that area that just blew up everywhere and that I

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<v Speaker 1>don't like. Featuring low Reese. This track blew up locally

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<v Speaker 1>via YouTube videos and family famously caused the attention of

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<v Speaker 1>Kanye West, whose Good Music remix propelled Sosa into the

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<v Speaker 1>mainstream spotlight online overnight. I know you guys know the

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<v Speaker 1>name of the song. I know that's that I don't

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<v Speaker 1>like a see I can't say it because I have

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<v Speaker 1>to like bleet myself, but fill in the blanks. Ummmm,

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<v Speaker 1>I don't like then we have another one, Loves Sosa,

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<v Speaker 1>the definitive, atmospheric and hypnotic track that cemented his sound,

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<v Speaker 1>hitting the Billboard Hot one hundred and popularizing his nickname Sosa,

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<v Speaker 1>which is a reference to the scarface character Alejandro Sosa.

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<v Speaker 1>You cannot separate Sosa's rise from the foundation laid by

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<v Speaker 1>key producers of this era, primarily Young Chop, whose heavy,

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<v Speaker 1>distinct beats layered with dark synthpads and aggressive percussion were

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<v Speaker 1>inseparable from Sosa's initial sound. The esthetics, let's talk about

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<v Speaker 1>that flow vibe and the internet host. Sosa's delivery fundamentally

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<v Speaker 1>broke the mold of traditional lyrical rap, and that is

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<v Speaker 1>his most enduring legacy. His delivery was often characterized by

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<v Speaker 1>a repetitive, dead eyed, detached, offbeat and slurred style. And

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<v Speaker 1>I say all this as commendation. Critics initially dismissed it

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<v Speaker 1>as mumble rap, but it was a deliberate artistic choice,

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<v Speaker 1>prioritizing mood or vibes, texture and vibe over intricate rhythm

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<v Speaker 1>schemes that a flow melodies did? I say it right

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<v Speaker 1>after his major label deal. SOSA sound evolved, notably in

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<v Speaker 1>projects like Almighty so I think it was released in

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<v Speaker 1>twenty thirteen. Don't sue me. I have been in and

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<v Speaker 1>out of this career of his, so I had to

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<v Speaker 1>rely heavily on people that are like absolute stands and fans,

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<v Speaker 1>and honestly, I put my own music reputation on the

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<v Speaker 1>line because I didn't know a lot of this, and

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<v Speaker 1>they're like, what, you don't know, You don't know, You're

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<v Speaker 1>not a real music It's like, dude, calm down. I

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<v Speaker 1>just need you to look over this and make sure

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<v Speaker 1>my stats about SOSA is correct. So I think Almighty

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<v Speaker 1>Soa came out in twenty thirteen. Don't kill me if

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<v Speaker 1>it's not. But you know, so here he leaned into hard.

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<v Speaker 1>He leaned hard into the melodic, almost singing style, often

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<v Speaker 1>soaked in auto tune, that is now the default mode

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<v Speaker 1>for nearly every modern rapper. Keith also pioneered using lo

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<v Speaker 1>fi authentic YouTube music video shot under house arrests to

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<v Speaker 1>market his music. Crucially, he popularized street slang that is

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<v Speaker 1>now in hip hop everywhere, like thought and the entire

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<v Speaker 1>Oh someone also said glow up, but then that's contradictory

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<v Speaker 1>or con when is that word. It's up for debate

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<v Speaker 1>because some say he didn't. He didn't pioneer the word

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<v Speaker 1>glow up, and some say he did. So I just

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<v Speaker 1>wanted to throw that in there, but thought for sure

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<v Speaker 1>and smoking on and then enter an OPS name pack.

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<v Speaker 1>I don't want to say the OPS name because I don't.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm not in that beef, so I'm not smoking on

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<v Speaker 1>that pack. But like if I was, I was gonna

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<v Speaker 1>throw an OP name for myself. Yeah, let's do it,

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<v Speaker 1>like like i'd be like smoking on a George pack,

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<v Speaker 1>smoking on a Josh pack. You know That's what I'd say.

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<v Speaker 1>And I just threw in some random names for anybody listening.

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<v Speaker 1>I have no ups and I have no beefs. If

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<v Speaker 1>you guys wanted to say about me, say smoking on

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<v Speaker 1>an ASH pack. So the most compelling part of Social's

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<v Speaker 1>legacy is the sheer number of artists who credit him

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<v Speaker 1>as a primary influence. He is the foundational between early

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<v Speaker 1>twenty ten trap and the current SoundCloud e Mumbo psychedelic

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<v Speaker 1>Rap landscape. I honestly would say he's like all of

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<v Speaker 1>these underground rappers are his sons. Like between him and Carti,

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<v Speaker 1>and I don't even know if he influenced Carti or not.

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<v Speaker 1>The between Sosa and Playbar Cardi. All of these underground

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<v Speaker 1>rappers are are their sons. That's how influential their style

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<v Speaker 1>and delivery is. Current chart toppers openly acknowledge his influence.

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<v Speaker 1>Some say lo Uzi vert I would agree was heavily

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<v Speaker 1>heavily influenced by Chief's melodic and psychedelic soundscapes. A true

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<v Speaker 1>music head detail. Chief Keif produced the beat for Uzi's

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<v Speaker 1>track Chromhart's tag on Eternal A Take. Where did I

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<v Speaker 1>get that fact? It's literally on Facebook. There's like a

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<v Speaker 1>gift of Chief Keif on on production equipment and it

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<v Speaker 1>says Chief Keif in the zone working on the Chrome

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<v Speaker 1>Hearts tag beat for lil Uzi Vert's Eternal A Take album.

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<v Speaker 1>So I didn't pull that stat out of my A

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<v Speaker 1>Double Snakes. That's history, baby, anyways, another person that he's

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<v Speaker 1>influenced some would say, some would say I don't want

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<v Speaker 1>these artists coming for me and saying no, it's not true.

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<v Speaker 1>But some would say twenty one Savage, his cold, detached

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<v Speaker 1>and menacing persona and vocal delivery are a direct inheritance

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<v Speaker 1>of the early drill sound. Playboy Cardi. His entire esthetic,

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<v Speaker 1>from the use of ad libs as rhythmic elements to

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<v Speaker 1>prioritizing a hypnotic vibe over complex lyricism, is a clear

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<v Speaker 1>descendant of Keith's mid twenty tens output. I get so

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<v Speaker 1>insecure saying these things because other music heads would want

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<v Speaker 1>to fight me on it and said, no, that's not true.

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<v Speaker 1>But I believe it's true, and I'm standing on it.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm standing on this hill. Sosay's influence is the blueprint

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<v Speaker 1>for global rap subgenres. UK Drill and NYE Drill both

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<v Speaker 1>built their sonic foundations directly on the esthetic and beat

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<v Speaker 1>style of Chicago Drill. His post Innerscope work, especially his

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<v Speaker 1>twenty fourteen mixtape Back from the Dead two, was that

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<v Speaker 1>in twenty fourteen I Hope So he produced nearly every

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<v Speaker 1>beat himself. This was a sonic experimentation that proved he

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<v Speaker 1>was more concerned with vibe than meaning, and production is

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<v Speaker 1>his most efficient tool to create a mood. So let's

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<v Speaker 1>spend the block a little bit on the producer engine.

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<v Speaker 1>Let's expand on that. Because Young Chop was dominant force

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<v Speaker 1>in his major label area. But my sources also credit

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<v Speaker 1>producer dj Kin for laying the initial groundwork and collaborating

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<v Speaker 1>with Sosa on his earlier mixtapes like Bang and Glory

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<v Speaker 1>Road Road. So, if you want to get your pans out,

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<v Speaker 1>I'm not going to give you individual songs, but I'm

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<v Speaker 1>gonna have you just write down the entire back from

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<v Speaker 1>the Dead tape released in twenty fourteen. So I think

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<v Speaker 1>why because you can listen to where he produced nearly

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<v Speaker 1>every track for himself. It's either under Soso or Turbo,

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<v Speaker 1>and he pioneered what some critics would call dungeon synthrap.

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<v Speaker 1>What is that? A bizarre experimental sound used medieval synths, choirs,

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<v Speaker 1>and pan flutes, And that's a move that pushed him

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<v Speaker 1>past the limits of mainstream rap and became the blueprint

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<v Speaker 1>for the psychedelic, almost horror core influenced trap that followed.

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<v Speaker 1>So I want you guys to listen to that and

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<v Speaker 1>tell me, am I right? Like I know I am,

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<v Speaker 1>But listen to it and you'll really hear that dungeon

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<v Speaker 1>synth rap as they call it. Fineto, Am I saying

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<v Speaker 1>it right? Fineto from that era, which is Moody has

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<v Speaker 1>a moody synth line practically cemented the drill sound that

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<v Speaker 1>dominates the charts today. Also, we have his melodic experimentation

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<v Speaker 1>on later projects like thought Breaker. I think that was

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<v Speaker 1>released in twenty seventeen, and that's where he showed vulnerability

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<v Speaker 1>and utilized auto tuned, almost love lorn harmonies. And it

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<v Speaker 1>can even be seen as a direct precursor to the

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<v Speaker 1>overlay sacrime. Am I saying that right? Sachrime, melodic and

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<v Speaker 1>digitally warped aesthetic of the modern hyper pop If we

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<v Speaker 1>zoom back for a bit, well, let me finish this

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<v Speaker 1>thought first. So between the hyper pop connection and the

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<v Speaker 1>Dungeon synth rap, you'll see I'm not glazing when I

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<v Speaker 1>say he's an archetype. These are examples of the architectural

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<v Speaker 1>design of how he influenced modern day hip hop, rap, trap,

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<v Speaker 1>whatever you want to call it, drill specifically in this

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<v Speaker 1>modern time. Now, let's back up. Let's back up to

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<v Speaker 1>the ad libs. What is chief Keef aka so so known?

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<v Speaker 1>Most for I would argue and say ad libs, ad

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<v Speaker 1>libs like Bang and Gang Gang, they weren't just background noise,

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<v Speaker 1>they were infectious rhythmic elements woven into the track that

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<v Speaker 1>punctuated his sparse lyrical style. This concept using the ad

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<v Speaker 1>lib as a core part of the beats percussion is

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<v Speaker 1>now a staple across trap music. Everyone does it. I

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<v Speaker 1>don't know where the I think the Migos came out after.

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<v Speaker 1>Did they come out after? Because they do that almost

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<v Speaker 1>everyone does that, and I never really heard that being

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<v Speaker 1>done as much as much and so a Chief keep song.

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<v Speaker 1>So I won't say the Migos copied. I will say

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<v Speaker 1>they commercialized and systematized the ad libs that Keith pioneered

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<v Speaker 1>in a way. So yeah, Migos gets the credit for

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<v Speaker 1>their innovation, and Chief Keith gets the credit for laying

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<v Speaker 1>the core structural foundation to be fair, to be fair.

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<v Speaker 1>Another final final detail is some will call him the

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<v Speaker 1>soundcout catalyst. His willingness to give away music on sites

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<v Speaker 1>like YouTube and earlier platforms heavily influenced the SoundCloud rapper era.

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<v Speaker 1>Paved the way for artists like Low Pump and Chaps

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<v Speaker 1>to chance the rapper who built massive followings through independent

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<v Speaker 1>online reces releases bypassing traditional gatekeepers. I didn't know that,

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<v Speaker 1>but apparently that's what he did. Pave the way for

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<v Speaker 1>releasing on your own merit without the gatekeepers. That's pretty cool.

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<v Speaker 1>So I guess you could say Chief Keep's influence is structural.

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<v Speaker 1>He's arguably had greater direct impact on the sound of

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<v Speaker 1>contemporary rap than any other artists since the late two thousands.

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<v Speaker 1>And yeah, that's pretty much my spill. For more episodes,

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<v Speaker 1>feel free to look back. All the details are below

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<v Speaker 1>and the description. If you want more content, click the

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<v Speaker 1>links below. Go to our family website. Listen to our

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<v Speaker 1>other podcast that is talking about nostalgia this season, season seven,

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<v Speaker 1>and I will catch you guys on our schedule time

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<v Speaker 1>Saturday or Sunday. Ain't