g herbo ptsd tour

Rapper G Herbo opens up about PTSD to address ‘mental illness war zone’ in Chicago

VIDEO: Here’s some helpful tools from the 'Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health'

By the time he was in the sixth grade, G Herbo had already started losing friends to gun violence and according to the Chicago rapper, for communities that deal with the brunt of the violence, the city has become a “mental illness war zone.”

The 24 year-old hip-hop artist, whose full name is Herbert Randall Wright III, has lost dozens of friends to gun violence and has reflected on the pain and loss in his music over the years.

In his latest album "PTSD," which was rereleased Friday with a cover to mark Mental Health Awareness Month, the rapper reflects on his own struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder -- a condition he realized he was dealing with after seeing a therapist about two years ago.

“The album being called PTSD is because I walk around everything with post traumatic stress disorder. I come from the streets, I come from not knowing if you’re going to make it home and being okay with it,” G Herbo told ABC News, adding that the majority of people in his community who experience gun violence “are walking around with this illness” and “we don't we don't even realize it.”

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Karen Sheehan, the medical director of Strengthening Chicago’s Youth which seeks a public health approach to addressing gun violence, told ABC News that “social isolation” in a segregated city has led to the “normalization of violence” and the trauma it causes.

“We often talk about PTSD that you’ve had this one bad experience and it’s hard to recover. The problem is it’s never relenting, it’s gone on for generations. That’s more challenging because there isn’t a place for safety to come home,” Sheehan said.

“... For our poor young people and families in Chicago there isn’t any time you can ever escape. I can’t imagine how that unrelenting experience of repeated trauma wears on them and that makes it a much more difficult problem to solve.”

Even amid the stay-at-home order due to the coronavirus pandemic, gun violence is still on the rise in Chicago.

According to a 2019 report by the Erikson Institute, a graduate school in child development in Chicago, “the majority of Chicago’s youngest children live in communities with high homicide rates, increasing the likelihood of an adverse impact on their early development due to environmental trauma.”

G Herbo said that by opening up about PTSD on his album, he wanted to encourage others to “lean towards your fears to make your situation better so you can understand the reality of what we’re going through.”

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The rapper’s hope of helping others in his community is already resonating.

Dr. Jaleel Abdul-Adil, a clinical psychologist and the Co-Director of the Urban Youth Trauma Center at the University of Illinois in Chicago, has been infusing traditional therapy methods with hip-hop for thirty years in an effort to connect with young people and when PTSD was first released in February, it immediately caught his attention.

“When PTSD first came out, it immediately jumped out … especially when you’re working with trauma programs, how can you not?” Abdul-Adil said.

The chorus of album’s title track "PTSD," which features Chance the Rapper, Juice WRLD & Lil Uzi Vert, begins with this: “I got a war zone inside of my head/ I made it on my own, they said I'd be in jail or dead/ I've seen my brothers fall, over and over again/ Don't stand too close to me, I got PTSD.”

Abdul-Adil, who trains mental health providers and caretakers around the country to utilize hip-hop to connect with children, said that he first used G Herbo’s music in his sessions when the rapper released “Red Snow” in 2017 -- a somber and evocative song about a particularly deadly winter in Chicago following a rash of shootings.

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He said that although music “doesn't solve all the problems,” “it can certainly inspire you to think, behave, connect and begin to try to address your problems much better than the traditional means that often don't engage youth.”

“So what I do is I take the traditional programs, which are based on research and employ social sciences that are based on best practices, but I kind of season them, if you will, with rap music and hip hop language, examples and different things so that kids can hear what we're saying,” he added.

When told in a later interview that his music is being used in therapy sessions, G Herbo said “it feels great” to know that his songs are generating a conversation about mental health.

“That's the reason I do music -- one of the reasons -- to be able to help people because my music is a reflection of my life and the things that I’ve been through. I use it as a form of therapy to help me get through situations.”

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G Herbo Is Still Reckoning With ‘PTSD’

By Dewayne Gage

Dewayne Gage

In February of 2018, G Herbo was sentenced two years of house arrest after officers caught him with a firearm while riding in a limo in his hometown of Chicago. For the next two years, he would begin to grapple with why: “It was from post traumatic stress disorder,” G Herbo says. “Being nervous and having to carry a firearm everywhere. Any feeling that I got and came to my brain I let it out on wax. It brought me to PTSD , the album.” Released at the end of February, it’s the Chicago rapper’s most vulnerable album to date, and also his best; it peaked at Number 5 on the Rolling Stone Top 200 Albums Chart.

G Herbo burst onto the scene in 2012 (he was “Lil Herb” at the time), during the peak of Chicago’s drill music explosion. From the beginning, he’s sought to chronicle his city from his perspective — Herbo’s first mixtape, Welcome to Fazoland , was the first of a series of mixtapes paying homage to a close friend he lost to gun violence. On songs like “At The Light,” Herb brought you into his traumatic reality. “I know n**as out for my life, gotta look to my left and my right/I’ll be damned if I get left at the light, summertime, I remember them nights.” PTSD is an evolution of the themes that have always defined his work.

Just a day after ‘PTSD’ was released, one of Herbo’s younger sisters faced the same tragedy he’s been writing about. “One of my younger sisters suffers from post traumatic stress disorder,” he says. “One of her best friends was shot multiple times in a grocery store or a corner store literally the day after I dropped my project. So it’s a non-ending cycle rather you’re a male or female.”

Stuck at home after his tour was cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak, G Herbo talked via phone with Rolling Stone about PTSD , how Chicago shaped the album, and what it was like working with Juice WRLD.

Can you talk about the inspiration behind the album title, and how you came up with the concept? I always made music based upon my life, and things I am going through. So PTSD just came from years and years of having post-traumatic stress disorder and not being able to deal with it, or even acknowledge the problem. I was clinically diagnosed after years and years of being in the streets and seeing my homies die and being paranoid, having to carry weapons, and having the survivor’s instinct. I have had [PTSD] for well over 10 years of my life.

I think it was important for me to share and shed light on it, not just because of my situation but to help people and other kids. Because a lot of times, they don’t know if they are suffering from it — the same way I didn’t. And you behave a certain way and live your life a certain way because of these obstacles you’ve been through, and we don’t really look at it as a mental illness or sickness. And it is. We are paranoid all the time and have to carry a weapon to go to the grocery store. Just reliving these traumatic events affects your day-to-day. I wanted to speak on a lot of the situations I’ve been through and how it shaped me to the man I am today, and how it helps people face their fears. I wouldn’t say get over the mental issue or the problem at hand, but at least address it so could make your situation better. So that was important for me to do, and that’s why I named the project PTSD . A lot of people associate post-traumatic stress disorder with the army, when a lot of us suffer just because the plate we were handed early.

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How did living in Chicago affect you, growing up? A lot of inner cities go through tough times, but Chicago is one of the most significant places that turn boys to men early on. A lot of the stuff I’ve been through in Chicago, seeing murders as a kid and really having to take care of myself in the streets. I come from a two-parent household, but when you’re out and faced with situations you have to think for yourself and make a lot of times and make adult decisions as a kid. Me being an artist and not really having to be in the streets anymore helps me be able to look at life differently. I was paranoid all the time. I never wanted to leave the house without a gun and when I did travel and go do shows in different states, I always wanted to have a gun on me because I am nervous all the time. I don’t really trust people as much because of the stuff that I’ve been through.

You said you were clinically diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder? When did you decide to start sharing about that? So being clinically diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, which was well over a year ago, I didn’t know I was suffering from a mental health disorder. I thought I was normal and everything I went through was just normal life. But it is not normal life. Speaking to someone who has never been through any of this and can help you on a professional level will tell you that a lot of stuff that people like me go through does mold us a certain way. Speaking on that is important because I have a lot of family, 90% of the people I am around, suffer. My best friend, my brothers suffer. W e put this brick wall up because we are afraid to be that next tragedy or that next victim. We are afraid to let anyone in that is going to hurt us or take advantage of us.

How do you start writing about that for an album? I really sat down and was focused on writing this album. I recorded the majority of it in Chicago. I couldn’t travel for the firearms case. I was arrested in February of 2017 or 2018, I believe, and it was from post traumatic stress disorder, being nervous and having to carry a firearm everywhere. I just make the best of my situations. I couldn’t travel. I just stayed in the studio and rapped about my life. Any feeling that I got and came to my brain, I let it out on wax.

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Songs like “Gangsta Cry” and “Party in Heaven” show your vulnerability as a songwriter on this album. Most people boxed a lot of Chicago rappers that came out the drill era, but now you’re getting a lot of respect among the rappers and in the rap community. Did you ever see yourself getting to this point? I never boxed myself in as a drill rapper, I just came out in a drill era. If you go back and listen to Welcome to Fazoland [back in 2013-2014], that’s not drill music at all. Not even a little bit. I feel drill was a way of life, it wasn’t really music. It really was us growing up and — not really glorifying — but shedding light on what we go through. A lot of our friends were dying early, 14- and 15-years-old, and we use to have guns in our videos and stuff like that, but that was really us having to carry these guns every single place we went. It wasn’t just for the videos. After the video was over I couldn’t put the gun down because it would probably cost me my life. And it has cost my friends their lives, over and over again. To show a repeated cycle of where I come from, you have to protect yourself at all costs.

You don’t shy away from rapping over classic hip-hop beats. Your intro samples Jay-Z’s “Intro” from Dynasty , on “Feelings” you sample Jadakiss’ “Still Feel Me,” and then on “Intuition” you sampled Beanie Sigel’s “Feel It In The Air.” Why did you pick those tracks, and what do they mean to you? I’m a student of hip-hop, so I grew up listening to these records. History repeats itself, so you can follow a blueprint that’s been successful. “Still Feel Me” was one of Jadakiss’ most vulnerable records, he was talking about real shit. “Feelings” is one of my most vulnerable records, where I am talking real shit. So I had a blueprint to follow, I just had to execute in my own way. The same with the Jay-Z beat and the Beanie Sigel beat. I wanted to pay homage to the legends I grew up listening to, but to still rap about my life and my situation.

You got Chance The Rapper, Lil Uzi Vert, and Juice WRLD on “PTSD.” How did that come together? Naturally. Those are my brothers. I always was an artist who never focused too much on features, so connecting with Chance was like an alley-oop. Same with Uzi and the same with Juice. That’s my little brother, God rest his soul. What I took away from watching him the most was to naturally be yourself. Not just as an artist, but as a human being. That’s what I took the most from being around him and being a part of his legacy, which I am blessed to be a part of. I was hounding him — I had to make sure Juice recorded the hook. Once he recorded the hook, we knew we had a smash. Then Chance came naturally and Uzi as well. Everybody recorded their part right in front of me. Every feature on my album was natural, cause these are my friends.

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Interview: G Herbo Opens Up About Mental Health Therapy & 'PTSD'

G Herbo is set to release his forthcoming studio album titled PTSD this month and it’s his most cohesive project yet, delivering a reflection of what it’s like growing up in Chicago with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Speaking with HipHopDX, Swervo recalled when he had his moment of clarity about the effects of PTSD. He also shared how he used his newfound clarity to create PTSD .

“When the lawyer told me to go see the therapist, it was really just me embracing it,” G Herbo explained during our phone conversation. “I think I was already aware of the issue, and why I even had to get arrested, or have to carry a gun in the first place.”

In 2018, the 24-year-old raised as Herbert Randall Wright III, was arrested along with two other men when their limousine driver called the police on them for having guns .

View this post on Instagram 2/28/20 #PTSD ?: @lilcoachtmbtc ?: @teejayspencer A post shared by G Herbo ✨ (@nolimitherbo) on Feb 14, 2020 at 6:30am PST

Police state the gun in Herb’s possession was a Fabrique National. The weapon allegedly had one in the chamber and 30 in the magazine, sending him to jail. At first, Herb was hesitant about speaking with a therapist but ultimately, he found it useful.

“To be honest, I wasn’t familiar with going to share my problems with somebody so I already didn’t think it was something that I would want to do,” he said. “That was probably my first introduction to me embracing my PTSD, but we’re so immune to a lot of this stuff that go on in the inner city with like violence, going to jail and all that kind of shit.

“It’s like, we kind of don’t know that we suffer from these mental health issues. I’m a product of that. I was shot at. I seen my first murder at nine years old. A lot of this stuff that we encounter on a day-to-day basis, we think is normal just because it’s our reality. We think it’s something we’re supposed to be going through. I feel like in the poverty-stricken neighborhoods, a lot of us are suffering from PTSD. I thought it was important for me because I know it’s a lot of people who are like me.”

He’s already released the album’s first single, “ In This Bitch ” and “Shooter” with Jacquees.

The artwork for PTSD sends a stark message using the American flag — all 50 stars have been replaced with the heads of his late friends and family members, including Juice WRLD .

One stand-out cut features Grammy Award-winning artist 21 Savage on a song titled “By Any Means.”

21 and Herb have both been open musically about their perpetual and circumstantial lifestyle driven by survival instincts, gang banging, trapping, violence and lack of resources in poverty-stricken neighborhoods. The result of living in these conditions is a mental condition called post-traumatic stress disorder.

“We have had serious conversations about what we are to the people and just embracing it,” he told DX of connecting with 21 for the song.

“Our flaws, and the shit that we’ve been through that made us make some of the good and bad decisions that we made in our life. We had those conversations before, and that’s kind of what inspired the record or what wanted me to put Savage on the record. I knew that it was a record that was true to him, as well as it’s true to me, because we’ve been through a lot of the same stuff.”

In the season of his lawyer asking him to see a therapist, he began to examine the trauma behind his actions.

“I think probably one of the key points for me was I was going to speak to these kids in a juvenile correctional facility,” he said. “They asked, ‘Raise your hands if you feel like you ever been victimized by anything, or you’re a victim, or you feel like a victim in a way.’ And nobody raised their hand. And then, the next question was, ‘Raise your hand if you ever have experienced police brutality, or you ever experienced someone getting killed in front of you, or if you ever been shot before.’ Pretty much the whole room raised their hand, including me.

“We’re so immune to these endeavors that we got to encounter every single day. A lot of the shit that go on in the inner city, we don’t realize that we really suffer from these mental health issues. That’s why we paranoid. You want to carry a gun, and you don’t want to go travel to this neighborhood, travel in that neighborhood, but it’s all just a product of us suffering from this mental health issue.

“That alone kind of opened my brain up in a way, because I always was talking about it. The more I just grew and matured as a man, and just learning more stuff and seeing what’s going on, going to talk to these kids that really listened to me, and I could see a lot of myself in them. So it’s important to me. It’s just as important as the music, to me.”

View this post on Instagram #GHerbo’s Girlfriend gets Him a Chain w/ his grandmothers face on it & he tears up ?? A post shared by 2Cool2Blog (@2cool2bl0g) on Oct 8, 2019 at 9:45pm PDT

Another profound track on PTSD is “Gangstas Cry.” When asked how long it took for him to get comfortable with crying in a world when men are told that they shouldn’t, he said he never had too.

“Man, I never really like been afraid to be that person,” he said. “I’ve been losing homies since I was in eighth grade, so I’ve always been sentimental, and emotional about a lot of the shit that I went through in my life. I shed tears for a ton of my friends that died throughout this journey of mine.”

The song itself was inspired by a gift his girlfriend Taina Williams had created for him with the face of his late grandmother. The sweet moment brought Herb to tears and quickly went viral. Videos spread of him wiping tears from his face as his girl affectionately consoled him up.

“Just be a human,” Herb said of his intentions behind “Gangsta’s Cry.” “My grandmother was like a key component in my life period. I just felt overwhelmed with emotions at times. I think a lot of times people are so caught up to what’s cool and what’s not, so they don’t really think it’s okay to cry or feel emotional. I feel like I got enough security as a man, and I’m masculine enough to know that I’m not compromising myself, or my respect just for being emotional. I wanted to really shed light on that.”

To do his part in the healing PTSD in the streets of Chi-town, Herb has consumed himself into a project on turning Chicago’s historic Anthony Overton Elementary School into a place the youth of the city can come to stay out of trouble.

View this post on Instagram THANKSGIVING VIBES A post shared by G Herbo ✨ (@nolimitherbo) on Nov 28, 2019 at 6:33pm PST

“My music is cause, effect, and solution. Overton is one of the solutions for this problem,” he said of an update on the project.

“We’re actually breaking ground on it mid-spring, summer, this year,” he continued. “We got one facility 10,000 square feet. That’s going to be the multi-media facility, for videographer, then there’s going to be a green screening room, a stage for people to kind of maximize on their talent, and maximize on really finding themself.

“I come from youth centers where we have somewhere to go and where we could stay out of trouble, and have a sense of family, love and unity, where a lot of these kids don’t have that aside from going to school, aside from going to the youth center,” he continued. “You would think, or you would assume that they have that at home, but majority of these kids don’t have it at home. So that’s important for me to be able to put that back into my community, because I know that was something that was a big part of my upbringing, and it was something that I missed when I didn’t have it anymore. It’s real important for me to stay on top of it and get in front of just the problem here because I’m talking about us having PTSD, and being in these situations where you got to fear for your life, or sometimes put your life and your freedom at risk just to provide. We’re acknowledging the problem, then what are we going to do about it?”

G Herbo told us one of the most important things the youth and community in Chicago need as a whole are the resources for success.

View this post on Instagram “IM FROM THE 9 SEND A SHOT STR8 TO THE 5 YEAH IMA CALL IT A HOOK SHOT!” MUCH LOVE TO MY BRO NEMM! @_colebennett_ @carnage #SummerSmashFestival2019 A post shared by G Herbo ✨ (@nolimitherbo) on Jun 30, 2019 at 9:46pm PDT

“A lot of these kids feel like you don’t care and a lot of times people really don’t care about the shit that they’re going through. You don’t ask these kids when they go to school, ‘How was your day? How did yesterday go when you left school?’ A lot of these kids got to leave school and watch their brothers and sisters and their friends get murdered. Come back to school and you expect them to ace tests. You’ve got to be their resource, that helping hand and just show them.

“And I could show them, not only that I care, but I once were you,” he further stated. “I was a product of that. I lost 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, of my close friends. I’ve been shot. I had to carry a gun on me every day for the past 10 years of my life. So where you could show them that, and give them an opportunity, they’re going to gravitate towards the opportunity, because a lot of these kids don’t know, when you leave the house that you’re facing going to do 100 years in jail, or you’re facing meeting your demise. You may die. I knew every day I left out the house, I could potentially die or go to jail and I think that’s what kept me safe. I was able to maneuver, and do certain things, and use my brain in critical situations to make sure that I did get home at night and a lot of these kids don’t have those same tools.”

It’s clear Herb is taking his influential role as a rap star out of Chicago seriously. From his inspiring forthcoming PTSD album to making sure the youth of the city are aware that there are people that actually care, Herb is already making a profound impact on the next generation of leaders.

“To be honest, I see my legacy going, like reaching heights that I probably didn’t even imagine because I’m not afraid to get in front of my problems and I feel like this album is going to be kind of the stepping stone for that,” he said of his intentions for PTSD . “It’s one of my most vulnerable projects that I think I’m using my life situations not only for me or not for fame, or gains, or like glorify, but to spread awareness, and help other people. I feel I’m only competition. This is only going to really end where I end it.”

G Herbo’s PTSD Tour kicked off on February 10 and is scheduled to wrap March 22 in San Francisco. Tickets are on sale now .

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G Herbo Talks 'PTSD' And The Importance Of Mental Health: "People Need To Treat Mental Health More Seriously"

The Chicago rapper chats about how he's using his newest album and his platform to de-stigmatize mental health and demystify the commonly misunderstood mental disorder

On the title track to his newest album, PTSD , Chicago rapper G Herbo enlists his hometown's hip-hop heroes, Chance The Rapper and the late Juice WRLD . (Philadelphia's Lil Uzi Vert is the track's lone guest not hailing from the Windy City.)

On paper, "PTSD" creates the impression of a heavy-hitting anthem: four of the genre's biggest artists coming together like the rap game's The Avengers. Instead, the song offers an intimate look into the minds and vulnerabilities behind hip-hop's new generation.

G Herbo raps about the friends he's lost to Chicago's extreme gun violence . Chance talks about how he and his mother avoided talking about the social issues plaguing his community. Lil Uzi sing-raps about the paranoia-induced "war zone laying inside my head."

Juice WLRD's emotionally charged chorus encapsulates the song's overarching theme: "I got a war zone on inside of my head / I made it on my own, they said I'd be in jail or dead / I've seen my brothers fall over and over again / Don't stand too close to me, I got PTSD."

As the album's poignant centerpiece, the track embodies G Herbo's mission to de-stigmatize mental health and demystify the commonly misunderstood mental disorder, clinically known as post-traumatic stress disorder , across PTSD .

Originally released in February, PTSD is inspired by G Herbo's personal experience with the mental health condition—he was clinically diagnosed with PTSD in 2019—and the therapy treatment he sought to address it. Following a gun-related arrest in 2018 , he agreed to enter therapy based on the suggestion of his lawyer. He'd never attended therapy before and, admittedly, he didn't know much about the practice, a likely result of the many barriers preventing people of color from accessing mental healthcare.

"I didn't really think [therapy] was something that I needed or something that was for me, because where I come from, the things that we go through and the things that we experience, we sort of normalize," G Herbo tells GRAMMY.com . "So we don't think that we're crazy. We don't think that we're suffering from mental illness because we're paranoid for our life, because everyone around us is paranoid for their life. So we don't feel like the oddball, and I think that needs to change."

Across PTSD , G Herbo tackles heavy, real-life issues through a personal lens. "Gangstas Cry" dissects toxic masculinity, "Lawyer Fees" chronicles the gun violence that infested his childhood and community, and "Feelings" documents his relationship problems with the mother of his child.

Despite, or maybe because of, its self-reflective intimacy, the album is resonating with G Herbo fans around the world: PTSD became a Top 10 Billboard hit, while the title track has gone gold in the U.S. (In May, G Herbo released the deluxe version of PTSD , which features 14 new tracks.)

"I never really gave it much thought about [the album] being too heavy for people, because I felt like people may look at my situation and my life like I don't do these things, like I don't have problems, like I don't endure pain or stress. I just wanted the world to know that we all are the same," G Herbo says of PTSD , which he calls his "most complete" project to date.

Five months after the album's release, G Herbo continues to use PTSD and his platform to effect the change he wants to see in the world. In May, alongside the Alliance For Safety And Justice , he donated 20,000 protective masks to Chicago's Cook County Jail, which was identified as the " largest-known source of coronavirus infections " in the U.S. in April. For National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month this July, he launched Swervin' Through Stress, an initiative providing therapeutic and mental health resources, including a free therapy-intensive program, to Black young adults.

"I think people need to treat mental health more seriously," G Herbo reflects. "You just have to take these things seriously so more and more people can be aware and more people that could bring change actually want to bring change. That's what PTSD is [about]."

GRAMMY.com spoke with G Herbo about the personal journey behind PTSD , the importance of mental health and the coping mechanisms he's adopting to survive our current volatile world.

Your latest album, PTSD , is inspired by your experience with therapy. Was that your first time going to therapy?

Yeah. In the process of recording the album, I was going to therapy ... I'd never tried therapy until that period of time of my life.

Your decision to enter therapy came from your lawyer's recommendation after you were arrested in 2018. Looking back at it now, do you think you would have ended up in therapy eventually by your own choice?

I don't think so … But I can't really say that, because as you grow, you experience life more. You never know what your mind may open up to you, but I'm so glad that I did go to therapy. I'm glad that I did take that leap of faith to just go talk to somebody about my situation and just my thoughts, and get 'em to a person with an unbiased opinion.

[The decision to go to therapy] did come from a recommendation from my lawyer because ... as I grew as a man and an artist and having so much going on in my life and so much to lose ... when I got into that situation with the arrest in 2018, I felt like, "What did I do?" Or, "What led me up to this point? What could I be doing wrong? What miscalculated steps did I take, if I thought I was doing all of these things right, to get myself to the next level?"

You could see in life, I'm not in harm's way. I'm not putting myself in danger, but yet I was carrying a gun [that day] because I have post-traumatic stress disorder, because [when] I leave the house every day, I'm paranoid. I'm thinking that my life can be taken from me at any moment, at the drop of a dime, by somebody just making a careless decision or somebody just with nothing to lose, like I once was at a time in my life.

I opened up to my lawyer and told her how I feel and why I carry a gun and why I need to have a guard around me 24/7. She told me to go to therapy, and I felt like it was one step closer to me trying to help myself. So I wanted to speak about it to the world.

You hadn't gone to therapy previously, but you obviously knew what it was before you started your treatment. What was your opinion on or understanding of therapy before you started going?

I honestly didn't know too much about therapy, but that is the point. You're talking to a professional who's supposed to listen to your problems and give you insight on life in a way where you could try to help yourself. I didn't really think that it was something that I needed or something that was for me, because where I come from, the things that we go through and the things that we experience, we sort of normalize.

It's normal, it's everyday life. So we don't think that we're crazy. We don't think that we're suffering from mental illness because we're paranoid for our life, because everyone around us is paranoid for their life. So we don't feel like the oddball, and I think that needs to change.

You then took that whole experience and channeled it into what became PTSD . How did you go about creating an album out of such a personal experience?

I feel like it was only right for me to touch on [the topic] in a way where it could resonate with the entire world, not just my neighborhood. I began rapping and I was talking about the things that I experienced on that four-to-eight-block radius. I'm not really talking about things that the world can relate to; I was talking about things that only my neighborhood could relate to ... It did go head-on directly with PTSD. It is PTSD: losing friends and people dying, and you being close to death and being afraid for your life.

Therapy is not going to solve your problems, but it will help you think about life in a better way to just move towards where you want to be and just get through the toughest situations. That's why therapy is important to me …

Where we come from, we're not able to vent, we're not able to grieve because so many people around us are grieving and going through the same thing. Who can you vent to? Who can you grieve to?

When you went in to write PTSD at the beginning stage, did you already know you were going to theme it around your mental health and your own experience with PTSD? Or did the idea come to you later when you started working on the project?

The idea came naturally. I just wanted to talk about something that was near and dear to me, talk about my life and everything I've been through from a grown man's perspective. My music, if you go back to even my old catalog ... my first albums, Ballin Like I'm Kobe [2015] and Welcome To Fazoland [2014]—all of these projects, I'm speaking on these same subjects, just from a 16-, 17-year-old perspective.

It was always in a way to help people get through it, to help people better understand me and understand themselves and know that life isn't a coincidence. You're going through these things for a reason. They may be tough, but it's always a way to get through it. It's always a way to find inspiration and motivation in these negative things to change your situation, to turn your situation around. I think it came naturally. I didn't have intentions of creating PTSD the way I did. I think that's what's so special about it.

The album covers a lot of heavy issues. "Gangstas Cry" tackles toxic masculinity, for example. Were you ever concerned that your fans would not accept the album and what it was trying to dissect?

No, not at all. Because for one, no matter how tough your situation is, there's always somebody that's going through something 10 times as hard. So I'm not afraid to open up. I'm not afraid to be vulnerable in my music. I think that's what the fans connected to the most, because we all cry. Every man in the world has cried before. Whether you want to do it in private, whether you feel it's masculine, [unmasculine] or not, you still have shed tears for something in your life.

So I'm just saying it's OK to do that. I'm just saying it's a right to let it out; you have to do that sometimes. I'm not a crier, but I do cry. I have cried on many occasions for many things. And I'm completely, 100 percent secure in my masculinity. I know that I'm a man, I'm aggressive. I know that there's nothing wrong with crying. I just wanted to give a piece of me to the world that I thought that they would appreciate.

So no, I never really gave it much thought about [the album] being too heavy for people, because I felt like people may look at my situation and my life like I don't do these things, like I don't have problems, like I don't endure pain or stress. I just wanted the world to know that we all are the same.

You dropped PTSD back in February. The world has basically changed since then. The COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world. Protestors have taken to the streets demanding racial justice . A lot of Black citizens have been killed by police in that three-month window. How are you coping with everything now? What are you doing to keep your own mental health in balance?

Now, I feel I'm just trying to pour resources into myself, into my people, and just share resources to make things better. I've been speaking on these exact same things since I was 17 years old. I've always experienced racial injustice, police brutality and police injustice. I have friends who were killed by police when I was in eighth grade ... I'm no stranger to these things.

Now, I think with me just having my platform and me being who I am, I'm able to talk about it in a way where I can bring change to the situation in any way possible. I feel during these times, that's what I'm trying to do the most, just try to be strong for myself and my family through these tough times … [I] try to use my platform to speak on it, where people understand that, "Hey, it's no coincidence we're going through these things; we've been going through these [things]."

To bring change, you have to change. We have to pour resources into each other and start to move one step closer towards making sure that these things never happen again, because they shouldn't.

Read: Coping For The Best: How To Manage Mental Health During Social Unrest & A Global Pandemic

You mentioned the normalization of traumatic experiences in your neighborhood. I come from a similar cultural background as you, so I'm highly aware of the stigmas around mental health within ethnic minority communities. As a Latino man, I've heard people in my own community make jokes against therapy. What do you think needs to change in order for minority groups to get over that stigma and embrace resources like mental health and therapy?

I wouldn't say therapy is for absolutely everybody. So many different things can be therapeutic for a person. I feel just us being resourceful to one another, where people can understand that you can treat yourself in a way where you can ... do certain things where people who go to therapy can be resourceful. Certain things may work for certain people. So I feel that's important to just touch on these subjects … whether it's through therapy, whether it's through just talking to a friend, talking to your children or whatever the case may be. We just need to take one step closer towards telling each other.

This month marks National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month . What would you want people of color and communities of color to learn about mental health?

That mental health is a state. That mental health is real. That anxiety is real. I think people need to treat mental health more seriously ... There's so much pressure right now where a lot of people don't know how to deal with it. I think that the people who do and the people who are in a better mind state, in a better position to survive mentally, physically, economically, financially, [who are] able to help others get through these situations ... I'm not saying you're going to be able to change the world with a blink of a finger. It's not an overnight process. You just have to take these things seriously so more and more people can be aware and more people that could bring change actually want to bring change. That's what PTSD is [about].

Do you feel PTSD accomplished what you wanted it to accomplish?

Yeah, I do. I don't have any regrets about the album, no ill thoughts about anything that it should have did that it didn't do. I felt like I was able to get my story out to the world, and they heard it and they appreciated it. Personally, I felt like it was a complete body of work. The album was my most complete, thought-out, well-put-together project that I've ever done; I know that from experience. I've never put this much time, this much effort—blood, sweat, tears—into my craft the way that I did with PTSD . I feel like the response it's getting is a direct result from that.

Do you think you'll continue to explore heavy issues and personal traumas, like you did on PTSD , in your future music?

Yeah, I do, because I feel there's always that one fan that you may have to speak to. But I think the more I experience life, it's not going to be the same. But people still experience trauma. We still experience pain. We still suffer, regardless of what level you're on. So I think me just being who I am, I'll always be able to speak on that. I'll always have a platform for people to listen because they want me to speak on it; they appreciate it. It helps them the same way it's helpful to me.

My music is therapeutic to me ... The things that I say are hand-in-hand with my life. It's 100 percent real, it's natural, it's organic. So it helps me the same way that it helps my fans. The response that I get from my fans I feel is only going to drive me to go harder with my craft, with my music and with the message that I'm trying to put out.

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Photo: Casimir Spaulding

Chief Keef On 'Almighty So 2,' His Long-Awaited Return To Chicago & Why He's "Better Now Than I Ever Was"

More than a decade in the making, Chief Keef unveiled the second installment of 'Almighty So.' The rapper details why the new album is not a sequel to his 2013 mixtape, but rather another symbol of his artistic evolution.

Chief Keef fans have been awaiting a sequel to his influential mixtape Almighty So since he released it in 2013. The project came out in the midst of a magnificent and experimental run for Keef, when he was changing his style seemingly at will from Almighty 's almost avant-garde soundscapes to woozy, autotuned melodies ( Bang Pt. 2 ) to stoic street tales ( Back From the Dead ).

Keef, now 28, has been well aware of the anticipation for a follow-up to Almighty So , teasing the project since 2019. Five years later, it's finally here — but it might not quite be what fans were expecting.

In keeping with Keef's mercurial and exploratory artistic nature, Almighty So 2 has very little to do with its predecessor, save that comedian Michael Blackson does skits on both. In fact, Keef tells GRAMMY.com that the title of the project does not mean that he views it as a sequel to Almighty So.

"There's no connection at all," he asserts. Almighty So is his nickname, and one of his many alter egos; it stems from "Sosa," the Scarface -inspired nickname he's been using since the beginning of his career. The title, he says, "is not just a project that I dropped years ago. It's me. I'm still almighty."

Almighty So 2 , released May 10, is indeed very different. It boasts a Keef who is nearly free of vocal doublings and ad libs, ready to let his voice clearly be heard on a wide range of subjects, including some introspective and emotional looks at himself, going all the way back to his childhood.

Several days before the project's release, GRAMMY.com caught up with Keef while he was at home in Los Angeles. Below, the Chicago-born rapper breaks down the album's lyrics and music, its most surprising guest appearance, how he views his own legacy, and his return to his hometown for the first time in over a decade.

This conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

You've been talking about this record since 2019, and originally you were saying it's going to have a lot of melody. The album I heard is very different from that. Can you tell me how and why the vision changed?

I just wanted to do something I never did. A couple of songs is stuff that you probably would never hear me do.

What's different about those songs?

Just more rapping about real things instead of flexing or talking about cars and weed. I'm rapping about real stuff in my life — in life, period.

"Believe" is like that.

Oh yeah, "Believe," I forgot about that. You really know these songs. Okay, that's dope.

I heard that song as being about wanting and trying to change. Can you tell me about writing that and deciding to open up a little bit?

When I was making that beat, it gave me that feeling of, let some stuff out. That's all.

There's a line on there that really grabbed me. You're talking about growing up and you say you had to be an "evil kid." The word "evil" really struck me. What do you mean by "evil"?

Because I was always smart — brilliant, intelligent. My circumstances had to be different, though. There wasn't a way for me to really show…I had to do the streets thing. I had to be a gangbanger. I had to grow up doing all that stuff instead of my potential that I know that I have, that I'm using doing all this stuff like designing. I can do everything. Really, literally. I probably could fly a plane, too.

Before I get into my ideas about it, what's different about your rapping on this album?

I feel like I'm just old. I'm 28, I'm finna be 29 now, man. I'm not the same young boy that grew up in Chicago on 54th and 61st. I guess you can call it growth.

I still got some stuff on there like the regular Sosa — the turn up, the fight-in-the-club or whatever you want to call it. Jump around, mosh pit music. I still got that.

I was thinking more about just the sound of your rapping. There was almost no doubling, almost no ad libs. Your voice is very clear. Can you tell me about that creative decision?

I haven't been doubling like that. I don't know why I stopped it. You're right, I wanted to be more clear.

Once I do a song, if I didn't do the ad libs, it must have not needed ad libs. When I do ad libs, it's like, I gotta do these ad libs. And if a song doesn't have ad libs on it, probably I can't really say the stuff that I want to say on the ad libs, or I didn't know how to put it. So I just said, scratch the ad libs and it's good like that. It's perfect. You don't need it, or the doubles.

You have two songs on this record, "Runner" and "1,2,3," where you do that Dipset thing of talking back to the vocal sample. Why'd you do that?

I grew up on Juelz [Santana] and Cam'ron and Jim Jones. On 61st, we was a clique called Dipset, which comes from them. That's where I come from, so that's what I know. I guess I'm still living that right there.

Tell me about making beats for this album. There was some sampling in there, which is something you haven't done too much of.

I started sampling in probably 2019, 2020, or something like that. A lot of my producer friends, even my rapper friends, be like, "I love the way you sample. Damn, how do you sample like that?" Even though sometimes, I'll just let a sample play — it won't even be a chopped-up sample.

If you get a beat from someone else, do you go in and add stuff to it?

Yeah. I can't take a beat and not put my stuff on it. Because it might be a dope beat, but if I feel like it need a couple more snares or a snare roll or some extra high hats or a bridge, I'll add my stuff in.

The album has some introspective lyrics, but it's also very funny.

I want to have some fun with it. A lot of people just drop projects and be regular degular. I wanted to do different.

Like one song on the album, it takes four minutes to come on. It's just a beat and there's a skit playing of a dude in heaven talking. It's for car rides or trips. I don't know, I just wanted to do something different than what's regularly done all the time.

What's the connection between this album and the first Almighty So ? Why call it Almighty So 2 ?

There's no connection at all. It's just, Almighty So, that's me. It's not just a project that I dropped years ago — it's me. I'm still Almighty So. I might not call myself that all the time, but it's forever me because when I did come out, it's something that I made and I stuck with it.

It's just a name that everybody know. It's going to go down in the books. Forever, I'm Almighty So. I just had to do a number two, as in growth. It's the growth version of me.

I'm trying to display that I'm not the same 16, 17, 18-year-old that was running around Chicago with a gun on his hip. I'm far away in Los Angeles, California in a big, stupid-ass house with nine bathrooms and eight bedrooms. I got 12 cars outside my house, and they all mine. I don't have to have that gun on my hip. I ain't gotta watch my back all the time.

I'm not the same. I'm a different guy. I feel like I'm better now than I ever was. I'm a better individual: the way I think, the way I talk. I'm more talkative now. At first, I wasn't even f—ing talking, bro. At first, you couldn't get me to say s— but a couple words.

When was the last time you listened to the first Almighty So ?

I don't listen to that thing. Everybody else around me do. From friends to fans, everybody still listen to it, but I don't listen to it, barely ever. Every blue moon, I might end up playing it somehow. Because don't forget, I was listening to that s— nonstop when I made it. And I had to perform a lot of it too. So I know it by heart. I don't need to listen to it.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash (@thesummersmash)

You have your first performance in Chicago in many years coming up at the Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash in June. How are you feeling about it?

It's been a while, man. I ain't gonna lie, it's gonna be like I'm a tourist when I go there.

It's been a long, long time. It's been like 11, 12 years since I touched the pavement in Chicago, or Illinois, period. I'm ready. I know it's going to be a big thing. A lot of new people probably think I'm a ghost. There probably be teachers like, "Yeah, he went to this school," [and the students will be like,] "No, no, he ain't real."

So a lot of people are going to be excited, just knowing I'm from there and I ain't been there in so long. People that's not in even Chicago — all them surrounding cities gonna show up [too], because Sosa has not been home. And they know it's gonna be big.

Given what happened back in 2015, when the cops shut down your hologram's concert , are you worried that the authorities will be looking for an excuse to shut it down?

Hopefully they won't shut it down. I ain't been there in 11 years. I ain't done nothing to no-motherf—ing-body, man. I ain't in no cases, no RICOs, no murders, none of that s—. Leave me the f— alone, man.

I've been chilling, making clothes and making music. Don't shut me down. And even if they did, I don't care. I'm going home. Back to L.A. I go. At least y'all know that I tried.

From the beginning of your career, you've had this association with the word "turbulence." You use Turbo as an alter ego.

[ Laughs ] How do you know all this? This is some Nardwuar s— right now, man.

When did that start? Do you remember the first time you were like, "Oh, that word, that's me?"

You said, when did it start? It's my alter egos I just make in my damn head. That's all. I'm versatile, so I never make the same sounding s—. Every song you listen to of mine, it's not going to be like, "That sounds like the last one I just played."

I just got my alter egos, and I just make names. And then Turbulence, Turbo, that just came with one of my alter egos from 2017. Every other year I got a new name and a new ego.

Lately I haven't done it, though. I've been chilling, on some grown man ish. I feel like [making alter egos is] more the young Sosa. Like I said, this was in 2017 when I made that name. I haven't really been doing it lately. No new aliases.

You talked earlier about designing clothes and doing other creative stuff. When you're making art or graphics, or designing clothes, what feels the same as making music to you, and what feels different?

It's the exact same thing. S—, just like I make a beat, making a shirt takes the same creativity. It's just in a different form. Instead of melodies, you're using pictures and s—. You're drawing stuff. Instead of drawing that melody in FL Studio, you're drawing an angel for a shirt.

It's the exact same thing. Even the colors. The colors are like the EQ on the beat or on the song — it brings out the light in the stuff.

So yeah, it's actually the same thing to me. And I've been doing this same s—. All the clothing, the beats, I've been doing the exact same thing that I'm doing now since 2008. How many years is that? That's a long time.

Like the Glory Boys logo: I made that logo in late 2009. I was what, 13, 14? I was doing this s— since I was 10, 11. It started when my momma bought me a computer. She bought me a computer when I was like 6. And then I was doing unbelievable things, unimaginable things.

When I was doing that, I knew that this is my calling. Like, you real good with computers, if you're not good with nothing else. Anything with a screen, I could do it my sleep. If I show you the s— I can do, you'd be like, what in the f—? I'm talking coding — I can code some s— up. Your mind would be blown.

One of the things that does connect this album to the first Almighty So is you have Michael Blackson come back. Why?

Because he was on the first one. I'm just like, I got a skit or two for him. I got a couple of different skits from a couple different people. I got Fabo from D4L on there. He's on "Almighty" the song, talking. I got Donterio from my city, a funny dude I mess with. He be like, "On baby, on baby" — he famous for saying that.

I got Michael Blackson. I wanted to make it fun and funny, so it ain't just like you're riding around listening to regular music. I wanted to make it a type of movie, but just in the music form.

One of the guest appearances that really got my attention was Tierra Whack . I thought she was great.

Yeah, me and Tierra, we're real friends and we talk. And I love the way she do everything, so I had to put her on my s—, man. Just on some random s— — like, they won't expect no damn Tierra Whack, you know? So I had to do that. And I got my little weird ways, I'll tell you that.

I wouldn't have guessed she would be on this album.

Yeah, I know you wouldn't. Nobody would. Chief Keef and Tierra Whack? How and where and when? I wanted her to do something different than what she do. I was like, "I got this song I want you to do, but it ain't nothing like you always do. It's different." And she's like, "Hell yeah, come on, let's do it." That's my dog, for real for real.

A lot of critics talk about how influential you are . Are you aware of people saying that stuff about you?

Everywhere! If I had 500 M's every time [I heard that], I'd be Jeff Bezos. The f—? I think I'd probably be bigger. I would be more rich!

I be hearing that a lot, though, man. I be tired of hearing that s—. I be like, we know. Me, you, and God know that. It's okay. Let people do what they do, man. I was a big fan of Gucci [Mane] and Lil Wayne . Still am. So if I got people who love me like that, s—, man.

I used to get mad about it, but I don't give a f—. I'm a big fan of those two boys I just said. Even to this day, we still ride around listening to the old Gucci. If you get in our car and we on tour, all you going to hear is Gucci Mane from 2006, 7, 8, and 9, 2010, 2011. And we still even sometimes take our raps [from that]. The old Lil Wayne, I still even rap like that. If you listen to " Jesus ," I got his flow — some Lil Wayne, the old Wayne, inspiration. So I guess I inspire, the way they inspire me.

Are you still determined to change your style frequently? That used to be a thing about you: every year you'd have a whole new approach to music.

You hip, bro. You smart as hell, I ain't gonna lie. That's why I'm talking to you like I am. But anyway, you're right, I don't necessarily.

How I am, though, I never do the same s—, like I told you. You'll never say, "This sounds exactly the same as the other one." I probably got, like, two songs [that sound alike], and that's just if I'm messing with the same producer.

So I can't say that every year I take that approach. But I guess every day I take that approach, or any time I pick up the damn microphone. I'm just trying to think, I want to do something different, or at least try.

Do you think of yourself primarily as a rapper? A producer? A person who's good with computers?

What I say is I got angles like Kurt. You know Kurt Angle? Jack of all trades.

Call me Jack, don't call me Sosa. I guess I got a new alias today — we made one.

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Gunna Is Defiantly 'One Of Wun': 5 Takeaways From The New Album

Amid legal drama and rap feuds, Gunna dropped his fifth studio album — and showed that none of the negativity is going to drag him down.

A new album from Gunna is bound to be notable and controversial. Many in the rap world had strong feelings about how the racketeering case against many members and affiliates of his label YSL Records — including, most notably, him and Young Thug — worked out for the Atlanta star. After Gunna took a plea deal in December 2022, the word "snitch" was thrown around not infrequently; he was rumored to have tensions with rappers including his close collaborator Lil Baby and, unsurprisingly, Young Thug.

Gunna's 2023 album, a Gift & a Curse, released about six months after his plea, seemed to be his attempt to move past all of that. In some ways, it worked. The album was a success, containing his highest-charting solo hit to date with "fukumean."

But still, the negative image followed him around. Despite his chart success — along with a few notable Afrobeats songs that brought attention from a whole new market — Gunna's controversial past was brought to light yet again when he was referenced in Kendrick Lamar 's recent Drake diss track, "Euphoria," in a less-than-flattering way .

Now, Gunna has made his latest big statement with his fifth album, One of Wun , where he addresses both his feelings about the public response to his plea, and what his life has been like since it occurred. The new LP finds Gunna unbowed, positive and defiant. It's a fascinating project, with themes that anyone with even a cursory knowledge of the rapper's career to date will find timely and relevant.

As you dig into One of Wun , take a look at five major takeaways from Gunna's new album.

Gunna Remembers What His Haters Said

One of Wun features many references to people who hated on or didn't believe in Gunna. Rarely is this explicitly tied to blowback from the YSL case, but it doesn't need to be: "I swear I don't want no apology," he says on "whatsapp (wassam)." But it's not that he doesn't feel he deserves one.

Throughout the album, Gunna makes it very clear that he is aware of all the criticism. "Heard all about how they want me to lose, but I'm W, here for a win," he spits on the title track; the first verse of "on one tonight" echoes that sentiment, "They hope I fall off, ain't no way." Gunna knows, as he says on the nautically themed "neck on a yacht," that his haters want him to sink like the Titanic, but he'll never give them the satisfaction.

The most explicit reference to the YSL situation is on "prada dem," where he disposes of any controversy with a simple pun: "I'm not a rat — still getting cheddar."

He Loves Women A Lot, But Not Deeply

It's not all just clapbacks on One of Wun ; there is a lot of rapping about women and sex, too. The aforementioned "neck on a yacht," for example, is about exactly what the title might lead you to think it to be. So is "treesh," named after New York slang for a person with lots of partners . Even "clear my rain," musically one of the most adventurous tracks on the project with its Afrobeats-esque feel, is lyrically in this vein as well.

However, it's clear this album wasn't inspired by romance. Gunna never gets personal, and "Body right, she a ten in the face/ F— her all night and all through the day" is about as specific as he ever gets. This is not out of line in Gunna's catalog, and this consistency provides proof that his lyrics about standing his ground are accurate both inside the recording booth as well as the world outside.

Emotion And Vulnerability Ultimately Make The Album Memorable

Gunna may not be in his feelings about women, but he certainly is in other ways. The times where he moves past his triumphing-over-the-haters stance and lets his guard down are the most effective moments of the whole album.

Exceptional in this regard is the track "conscience," in which he admits that the people who betray him are making him "feel low." "I'm fed up with this nonsense," he says. "Lotta s—, and it's weighing on my conscience."

That bit of vulnerability adds a tremendous amount of context to his talk of his determination — and the spiritual and material victories that come because of it — throughout the rest of the record. The very album title tells you of Gunna's uniqueness, and the record's glimpse at his vulnerabilities make the case for that even more than his boasts.

There are musically exceptional moments as well — a kind of aural equivalent to his lyrical openness. Much of the album is mid-tempo and trap-inflected, but it ends with an ambitious six-and-a-half minute, two-part epic called "time reveals, be careful what you wish for." It would be wonderful to see more songs with this scope in the future.

He's Back To Collaborating

a Gift & a Curse had no guest appearances at all, marking the first time Gunna had ever gone completely solo on any of his five albums. Whatever the reason for Gunna's decision for no features on his previous project — whether it was an artistic choice, the swirling talk around his guilty plea, or something else — he's back to collaborating on One of Wun. The rap star recruits Normani ("$$$") and Leon Bridges ("clear my rain"), as well as two fellow rappers, Offset ("prada dem") and Roddy Ricch ('let it breathe").

That said, Gunna has never been one for a ton of guest features, particularly in comparison to most big-name rap releases. And with regular standbys Lil Baby and Young Thug off the table (the latter was in jail), the return of Gunna's "Cooler Than a Bitch" collaborator Roddy Ricch seems to indicate that at least some of his rap pals are willing to work with him again.

He's Placing Emphasis On Being A Musical Rapper

With 20 songs on the track list, One of Wun gives Gunna plenty of time to experiment — to try different vocal approaches, melodies and rhythms. While there is plenty of rap's tried-and-true triplet rhythm across the album, he goes far beyond it as well.

He adjusts his rapping approach not only to fit the music of the song, but also the subject matter. He's straightforward, repetitive and aggressive when the subject matter calls for it, like on the defiant "whatsapp (wassam)"; elsewhere, he tries different musical ideas on songs like the more introspective "conscience." This makes the album feel like a true body of work, one where his defiance comes to life not only in his words, but in sound as well.

Gunna released One of Wun into a climate with a lot of questions. The record succeeds in not only talking about his recent worries and conflicts, but dramatizing them in lyrics and music. He's using the raw material of his life — and the media narratives around it — to sculpt a coherent narrative, where every aspect of the album has a part to play in telling his story. He delves deep into his defiance, and his worries, and converts them into a real artistic statement.

"Independence weighing on my conscience hard," he raps on "conscience." Gunna makes sure not only that he says that theme in words, but expresses it in every aspect of this record. That vision and ability makes him truly one of one.

GRAMMY Rewind: Megan Thee Stallion Went From "Savage" To Speechless After Winning Best New Artist In 2021

Photo: Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images

GRAMMY Rewind: Watch Lady Gaga Advocate For Mental Health Awareness During Her 2019 Win For "Shallow"

Lady Gaga accepts the Best Pop/Duo Group Performance award for "Shallow" from 'A Star Is Born' at the 2019 GRAMMYs while encouraging the audience "to take care of each other."

Between two award seasons, A Star Is Born received seven nominations — including Record Of The Year and two nods for Song Of The Year — and four wins for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media, Best Song Written for Visual Media twice, and Best Pop/Duo Group Performance.

In this episode of GRAMMY Rewind , travel to 2019 to watch Lady Gaga accept one of the album's first GRAMMY wins for Best Pop/Duo Group Performance for "Shallow."

After thanking God and her family for their unwavering support, Lady Gaga expressed gratitude for her co-star, Bradley Cooper . "I wish Bradley was here with me right now," Gaga praised. "I know he wants to be here. Bradley, I loved singing this song with you."

Gaga went on to express how proud she was to be a part of a movie that addresses mental health. "A lot of artists deal with that. We've got to take care of each other. So, if you see somebody that's hurting, don't look away. And if you're hurting, even though it might be hard, try to find that bravery within yourself to dive deep, tell somebody, and take them up in your head with you."

Press play on the video above to hear Lady Gaga's complete acceptance speech for A Star Is Born 's "Shallow" at the 2019 GRAMMY Awards, and check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of GRAMMY Rewind.

Run The World: How Lady Gaga Changed The Music Industry With Dance-Pop & Unapologetic Feminism

Japanese duo Creepy Nuts stand against a blue backdrop

Photo: Courtesy of Creepy Nuts

Global Spin: Creepy Nuts Make An Impact With An Explosive Performance Of "Bling-Bang-Bang-Born"

Japanese hip-hop duo Creepy Nuts perform their viral single "Bling-Bang-Ban-Born," which also appears as the opening track from the anime "Mashle: Magic and Muscles."

On their new Jersey club-inspired single "Bling-Bang-Bang-Born," Japanese hip-hop duo Creepy Nuts narrate the inner monologue of a confident man, unbothered by others’ negativity and the everyday pressures of life.

In this episode of Global Spin , watch Creepy Nuts deliver an electrifying performance of the track, made more lively with its bright flashing lights and changing LED backdrop.

"Before I show them my true ability/ My enemies run away without capability," they declare in Japanese on the second verse. "Raising the bar makes me very happy/ ‘Cause I’m outstanding, absolutely at No.1."

"Bling-Bang-Bang-Born" was released on January 7 via Sony Music and also serves as the season two opening track for the anime "Mashle: Magic and Muscles." The song previously went viral across social media for its accompanying " BBBB Dance ."

"Basically, the song is about it’s best to be yourself, like flexing naturally. Of course, even though we put effort into writing its lyrics and music, it’s still a song that can be enjoyed without worrying about such things," they said in a press statement.

Press play on the video above to watch Creepy Nuts’ energetic performance of "Bling-Bang-Bang-Born," and don’t forget to check back to GRAMMY.com for more new episodes of Global Spin.

From Tokyo To Coachella: YOASOBI's Journey To Validate J-Pop And Vocaloid As Art Forms

1 G Herbo Talks 'PTSD' And The Importance Of Mental Health: "People Need To Treat Mental Health More Seriously"
2 Chief Keef On 'Almighty So 2,' His Long-Awaited Return To Chicago & Why He's "Better Now Than I Ever Was"
3 Gunna Is Defiantly 'One Of Wun': 5 Takeaways From The New Album
4 GRAMMY Rewind: Watch Lady Gaga Advocate For Mental Health Awareness During Her 2019 Win For "Shallow"
5 Global Spin: Creepy Nuts Make An Impact With An Explosive Performance Of "Bling-Bang-Bang-Born"

Find anything you save across the site in your account

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By Alphonse Pierre

Machine Entertainment Group / Epic

March 5, 2020

G Herbo lives two lives. To some, the 24-year-old is simply a famous ex-boyfriend, an inescapable figure in the culture surrounding the Instagram-based rumor mill The Shade Room , which has closely documented his messy and complicated relationship with the IG-famous influencer Ari Fletcher (he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor battery earlier this year ). At this point, I’m sure VH1’s Love & Hip-Hop would write Herb a blank check to let cameras into his life. But G Herbo doesn’t need reality television—at least, not right now—because he also happens to be a rapper that has helped shape the last decade of hip-hop.

In 2012, a 16-year-old Herb released “Kill Shit” alongside Lil Bibby , a breathless marathon about trauma, pain, and Chicago life that helped lay the foundation for drill, arguably rap’s premier subgenre of the 2010s . By the time Herb was 18 years old, he had a classic Chicago mixtape and multiple street-level hits—his 2012 single “Gangway” has become timeless, so much so that Lil Uzi Vert flipped it into his comeback track “ Free Uzi ” last year. If Herb didn’t release another song past his teenage years, his legacy would remain, but his transition into the major-label rap cycle has been seamless.

PTSD , G Herbo’s latest album, is proof that of his two lives, his rap half still takes precedent. Over glossier, high-budget production than usual and alongside a handful of rap’s biggest names, PTSD stays true to Herb’s core: first-hand tales of living with trauma and paranoia and failing to overcome that trauma and paranoia with drugs and success. He tells his stories in a fiery, deep voice, emphasized by a chilling album cover, which replaces the American flag’s 50 stars with faces of friends that he’s lost.

From the Don Cannon-produced intro, which samples JAY-Z ’s classic (and basement freestyle standard) intro to The Dynasty , Herb learns that the hardest battle is with himself. “Ain’t no lil bitty pill just gon’ heal a man/He can’t chill, he need a pill, guess he too militant/Oh, you just like us, they robbed you of your innocence, huh?” he raps, in a rapid-fire delivery that could be air-dropped into ’00s Harlem. Listening to Herb on the intro (and for much of the album) is like watching him argue with a therapist through a crack in the door.

But Herb’s stories come to life when he has a partner to bounce off of. On “Party in Heaven,” alongside fellow former drill staple Lil Durk , the pair reflect over a beat chilly enough for a Drake time-and-location track . On “Lawyer Fees,” his rapping is so passionate he begins to swerve offbeat, interrupted only by Polo G ’s grim hook: “Demons in my head, and I trip every time them voices speak.” Eeriest of all is the Juice WRLD -assisted “PTSD”: “I made it on my own, they said I’d be in jail or dead/I’ve seen my brothers fall over and over again/Don’t stand too close to me, I got PTSD,” wails Juice. It’s a bleak song made even more so by Juice WRLD’s recent death, but there’s still a world where you can imagine it being catchy enough to fit within Hot 97’s daily rotation.

PTSD ’s missteps arrive when the album jettisons Herb’s rawness and begins to feel like any other album with access to major-label pockets. “Shooter” doesn’t sound like a G Herbo song; it’s like a record executive pieced together his vocals and tacked on a Jacquees chorus without Herb’s knowledge. The same could be said for the BJ the Chicago Kid -featuring “Gangstas Cry,” which is sappy, a tone Herb normally avoids.

“Feelings” feels like the unification of Herb’s two worlds. He balances his demons (“I got diagnosed but I don’t want no crazy pills,” he admits) with reflections on his highly publicized relationship. “Talked to my kid mom today, that was kinda hard/Sick of all the drama in my life, we ain’t gotta start,” says Herb. It’s the type of honest and thoughtful song that directly connects PTSD to his early raps like “Kill Shit,” as Herb refuses to become yet another artist known more for headlines than their music.

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G Herbo to Kick Off PTSD Tour Feb. 27

Returning to the road for what promises to be his biggest North American headline run to date, G Herbo embarks on the PTSD Tour this winter. The jaunt begins February 27 in Brooklyn, NY at Brooklyn Steel, plays major cities coast-to-coast for five weeks, and comes to a close at House of Blues in Cleveland, OH on April 7.

The full itinerary can be found below. If you've never witnessed the Chicago spitter live, be sure to catch him on this tour as he remains renowned for high-energy performances.

In other very big news, he's gearing up to unveil his anxiously awaited new album, PTSD-rumored to be releasing before the end of February.

On the road and on record, G Herbo has his sights set on the crown in 2020. Get ready for his take over.

TOUR DATES:

2/27 Brooklyn NY

Brooklyn Steel

2/28 Philadelphia PA

The Fillmore

2/29 Worcester MA

The Palladium

3/1 Hartford CT

Webster Theater

3/3 Silver Spring MD

3/4 Richmond VA

The National

3/5 Norfolk VA

3/6 Raleigh NC

3/7 Charleston SC

The Music Farm

3/10 Charlotte NC

3/11 Atlanta GA

3/12 New Orleans LA

3/14 Memphis TN

3/15 Houston TX

House of Blues

3/17 Dallas TX

3/19 Phoenix AZ

The Van Buren

3/21 Los Angeles CA

El Rey Theatre

3/22 San Francisco CA

3/24 Denver CO

Ogden (new show)

3/25 Lincoln NE

Bourbon Theatre

3/26 Wichita KS

The Cotillion

3/27 Lawrence KS

Granada Theater

3/29 Minneapolis MN

Varsity Theater

4/1 Grand Rapids MI

20 Monroe Live

4/3 Joilet IL

4/4 Milwaukee WI

4/5 Louisville KY

Mercury Ballroom

4/6 Indianapolis IN

Egyptian Room

4/7 Cleveland OH

G Herbo, formerly known as Lil Herb, first shook the music scene in 2012 with the Lil Bibby assisted viral smash, "Kill S**t." With praises from Drake, followed by a series of coveted collaborations ranging from Nicki Minaj to Common, G Herbo was instantly acknowledged as a pioneer of Hip Hop's "Drill Music" movement. G Herbo's lyrics of life or death circumstances, extreme loss, and adversity, has given a voice to underprivileged youth everywhere. Amassing more than 2 billion streams worldwide,

G Herbo's is the most potent lyrical documentarian of street culture for his generation. His new album, PTSD, dropping in February, followed by a U.S. tour, features Chance The Rapper, Juice WRLD, and many others.

Watch MTV's Jersey Shore Channel On Pluto TV

G Herbo Was So Nervous During His First Therapy Session That He Cracked His ID In Half

(Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)

G. Herbo 's new album, PTSD , comes after the rapper was clinically diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and realized that he had serious mental health issues. His music often reflects on the turbulent situations that he had to go through growing up, so now that he sees it in hindsight, he realizes just how much that his upbringing affected him. He sought out professional help in the form of therapy, and in a new interview with MTV News, he revealed that he was extremely nervous on his first day — to the point that he cracked his ID in half.

"I think it was important for me to talk to somebody who's never been through the stuff that you been through," G Herbo said when asked about his decision to go to therapy. "Talking to my therapist, I was telling her certain stuff and she couldn't believe it. I was so nervous during my first therapy session that I cracked my ID in half. She told me, 'You have PTSD.'"

"I had to really, like, get naked with her in a sense," he continued. "Every day I left out the house, I really felt like I was going to die or just go to jail for protecting myself. It's important to just talk to somebody. A lot of times, we'll block that intuition in the back of our head because we're desensitized by it and we think its normal. She was there to tell me, 'No, it's not normal.'"

After reflecting on why he had PTSD at a young age, and explaining that other kids who live in rough environments do to, G Herbo suggests that schools should have therapists. "Schools should have somebody that's going to ask you 'How was your day?' Because a lot of these kids, they don't have a sense of family, a sense of none of that at home. When they're in school, that's the only love that they're going to feel. Sometimes that the only meal. Sometime's that the only clean, safe environment that they have. And it's only for eight hours out of the day."

Later in the interview, G Herbo also talked about the legacy of late rapper Juice WRLD and his impact on their shared hometown. "Chicago never seen an artist like Juice — young and on top of the world, talented at that and reached this big level of stardom so fast," he said. "He was excellent with dealing with the fame."

Check out G Herbo's full discussion with MTV News up above.

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Due to unforeseen events, G Herbo at House of Blues Cleveland has been moved to April 7. All tickets & VIP packages will be honored but can be refunded at point of purchase if necessary.

Room : Music Hall

Lineup: Headliner: G Herbo *All support acts are subject to change without notice.

Door Time : 8:00 PM

Show Time : 9:00 PM

Ages : All ages

VIP Services : Upgrade to the ultimate VIP experience for priority access (no waiting in line!), premium menu and spirits, personal service with a dedicated VIP host, elevated seating 50 feet from the main stage, & access to our Foundation Room VIP Club. Details and reservations here . Fuel Up Before the Show! Head in to House of Blues Restaurant & Bar, located on East 4th Street, before your show and receive 15% off your meal when you mention this offer. Some restrictions apply. See server for details. Reservations and menu here .

Happy Hour in the Restaurant & Bar is from 3PM-7PM, Monday thru Friday available at the bar only - in the Restaurant & Bar. Click here for Happy Hour details. Pass the Line: Grab some grub or gear before select shows and you could Pass the Line ! Ask a box office, Restaurant & Bar or a Gear Shop team member to see if this fan favorite is available. Need some merch?! Music and art lovers find your swag at our Gear Shop – pro tip, discounts with Restaurant & Bar dining receipt apply. Stop by our Gear Shop located off of the Restaurant & Bar with an entrance on East 4th Street. After The Show: Experience the exclusive Foundation Room VIP Club located on the 3rd floor of House of Blues before or after the show. Complete with a plush lounge, fine dining and live music, Foundation Room is the best kept secret in downtown Cleveland and a must for all your VIP needs. Entry is valid with your show. Check the entertainment line-up here to check out the live music & DJ nights happening in Foundation Room. Must be 21+. Cover charge for non-Foundation Room Members may apply. Additional Details: All General Admission tickets are STANDING ROOM ONLY. All support acts are subject to change without notice. Valid photo I.D. is required to gain entry to the venue for shows that are 18+, it is the patron's responsibility to check and abide by posted age limits when purchasing tickets. No professional cameras, chain wallets & studded belts or jewelry. Want Rockstar Status? Text HOBCLE to 867530 to receive exclusive access to VIP access, special offers, and free tickets! *Up to 6 messages per month. Reply stop to cancel, help for help. Message and data rates apply. Available on participating carriers only. By signing up, you authorize us to use automated technology to send messages to the mobile phone number you supply. Your consent is not required in order to purchase something from us.

For the latest safety guidelines, please review our enhanced venue protocols at www.houseofblues.com/cleveland/faq .

Face coverings are strongly recommended for fans who are not fully vaccinated, unless actively eating or drinking, per CDC guidelines.

NOTE OUR BAG POLICY: Only the following bags are allowed:

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Rapper G Herbo opens up about PTSD to address ‘mental illness war zone’ in Chicago

The rapper's music is used in therapy sessions at the Urban Youth Trauma Center.

The 24 year-old hip-hop artist, whose full name is Herbert Randall Wright III, has lost dozens of friends to gun violence and has reflected on the pain and loss in his music over the years.

African Americans in Chicago face double scourge: Coronavirus and gun violence

PHOTO: G Herbo and Lil Durk perform during The PTSD Tour In Concert at The Tabernacle on March 11, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Even amid the stay-at-home order due to the coronavirus pandemic, gun violence is still on the rise in Chicago.

PHOTO: Rapper G Herbo performs during The PTSD Tour In Concert at The Tabernacle on March 11, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Despite stay-at-home orders, 49 people shot in Chicago in Memorial Day gun violence

The rapper’s hope of helping others in his community is already resonating.

PHOTO: Dr. Jaleel Abdul-Adil leads a hip-hop therapy training session in Toledo, Ohio.

“When PTSD first came out, it immediately jumped out … especially when you’re working with trauma programs, how can you not?” Abdul-Adil said.

Healing behind bars: San Quentin inmates release hip-hop mixtape

PHOTO: Dr. Jaleel Abdul-Adil poses with participants during a hip-hop therapy training session in Sacramento.

When told in a later interview that his music is being used in therapy sessions, G Herbo said “it feels great” to know that his songs are generating a conversation about mental health.

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24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events

Chief Keef Announces “A Lil Tour,” His Headlining Summer 2024 Tour

With Support from Lil Gnar and The Glo Boyz Tickets Available on May 15th at 10 AM Local at ChiefKeef.com

The influential rap titan plans a 17-date u.s. tour, shortly after releasing his highly-anticipated, self-produced album almighty so 2, featuring appearances from sexyy red, quavo, g herbo, tierra whack and more., almighty so 2 is available everywhere via keef’s own label, 43b.

Known for his shape-shifting sound and immense influence on rap music, Chief Keef draws a crowd wherever he goes. Today, the 28-year-old artist announces “A Lil Tour,” his upcoming nationwide headlining tour.

Produced by Live Nation, “A Lil Tour” criss-crosses the U.S. for 17 dates, starting in Boston on July 16th, passing through Brooklyn on July 24th (Brooklyn Paramount), Atlanta on July 29th (Coca-Cola Roxy), Los Angeles on August 10th (Hollywood Palladium), and more before ending in San Francisco on August 13th. 43B signee Lil Gnar and The Glo Boyz will join Sosa on tour as support for all dates.

TICKETS: General on sale begins Wednesday, May 15th at 10am local time at ChiefKeef.com

Chief Keef’s tour announcement arrives shortly after the release of his new album, Almighty So 2. Crafted over a period of two years, Almighty So 2 is produced by Sosa himself, with occasional assistance of reliable collaborators like Akachi and Young Malcolm. The young auteur mostly eschews melody on the new album–instead, he resolves to showcase his prodigious abilities as an emcee, sharpening his pen and emptying out his arsenal of flows. Sosa throws his entire body into his vocal performances, whether he’s building in intensity until he reaches a thunderous crescendo, or delivering his smirking punchlines with an audible disrespect. The new album features appearances from Sexyy Red, Quavo, G Herbo, Tierra Whack, his 43B signee Lil Gnar, and his Glo Gang associate Ballout. Home to previously released singles “Racks Stuffed Inna Couch” and “Tony Montana Flow,” and new highlights like “Drifting Away” and “Runner,” Almighty So 2 is now available everywhere via 43B.

Almighty So 2 continues a banner year for the influential Chief Keef. In March, he connected with superproducer Mike WiLL Made-It for the collaborative mixtape, DIRTY NACHOS , a Trap-A-Holics-hosted throwback to the heyday of the mixtape era. Earlier in the year, Sosa collaborated with Sexyy Red on two singles from her Hood Hottest Princess (Deluxe)–”Ghetto Princess,” and “Bow Bow Bow (F My Baby Mama),” and teamed up with Lil Yachty for “Say Ya Grace,” a highlight from All Is Yellow , the first album by Lyrical Lemonade . The song’s Cole Bennett-directed video went viral: the song reached the top 5 of YouTube’s Trending chart, and racked up over 3 million views in its first week of release. In June, Chief Keef makes his l ong awaited return to Chicago on June 16th , performing his first show in his hometown since 2012 at Lyrical Lemonade’s Summer Smash.

A LIL TOUR 2024 DATES:

Stay tuned for much more from Sosa as the year goes on.

Stream Almighty So 2: https://chiefkeef.lnk.to/AlmightySo2

View more photos HERE (credit: Casimir Spaulding)

Critical Praise:

Rolling Stone’s 200 Best Hip-Hop Albums of All-Time (Finally Rich, #32)

“There is still nothing that feels like ‘Love Sosa,’ the breakout single from a then 17-year-old Chief Keef, from his debut album, Finally Rich. The Chicago rapper’s melodic, hard-nosed anthem shook the foundation of hip-hop. The kids were taking control in a way that the genre had never seen.” – Rolling Stone

“There’s no denying the influence of Keef’s menacing production, straightforward verses, and early D.I.Y. rap ethos on the generation of hip-hop artists that has followed.” – Pitchfork

“The influence and staying power of Chief Keef really cannot be overstated.” – The FADER

Almighty So 2 tracklist: *all tracks produced by Chief Keef

Almighty (Intro)
Neph Nem (ft. Ballout & G Herbo)
Treat Myself
Jesus (Skit)
Jesus ft. Lil Gnar
Banded Up ft. Tierra Whack
Grape Trees ft. Sexyy Red
Drifting Away
Never Fly Here ft. Quavo
Prince Charming
Tony Montana Flow
I’m Tryna Sleep

For Chief Keef, please contact: Kerry Harrison , Audible Treats

For Live Nation, please contact: Monique Sowinski , Live Nation Nadine Peña , Live Nation

About Chief Keef

Uncountably prolific, yet never seeming to run out of ideas, Chief Keef is embarking on a new chapter of his storied career. In 2022, ten years after he stormed into the game and changed it forever at only 16-years old, he announced the formation of 43B , his new record label formed in conjunction with BMG , and signed its first artist, Lil Gnar . The two 43B artists combined for the single “Almighty Gnar,” a beat-shifting banger, and reconnected in 2023 for the fiery “PB&J,” which also featured Young Nudy . In December 2021, the rapper shared his critically acclaimed project 4NEM , home to viral single “Yes Sir” and titanic opener “Bitch Where,” prominently used in the fourth season of FX’s Atlanta and recently included in Pitchfork’s Best Singles of 2022 list , and founded his new Web3 venture DigiGlo . With Almighty So 2 on the way and more milestones to achieve, Chief Keef plans to make 2024 his own. Stay tuned for much more.

About Live Nation Entertainment

Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Sponsorship. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com.

instagram | twitter | youtube | spotify | apple Almighty So 2: https://chiefkeef.lnk.to/AlmightySo2 “Dirty Nachos” (w/ Mike WiLL Made It): https://chiefkeef.lnk.to/Dirty-Nachos

Finally Rich (Complete Edition): http://chiefkeef.lnk.to/FinallyRichCE

Pre-order Almighty So 2: https://chiefkeef.lnk.to/AlmightySo2

“Racks Stuffed Inna Couch”: https://chiefkeef.lnk.to/RacksStuffed

“Chief So”: https://stem.ffm.to/chiefso

Get Ready for Chief Keef’s A Lil Tour – Presales Start as Almighty So 2 Drops

H ip-hop fans are in for a treat as Chief Keef announces A LIL TOUR, which will hit the road soon after the release of his latest album, Almighty So 2, which dropped last week.

Kicking off on July 16 at Boston’s MGM Music Hall, the tour will mark Chief Keef’s first series of live performances since 2017. Over the course of the tour, Keef will perform across 17 cities, including notable stops in Detroit, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and various other locations.

Almighty So 2 has garnered attention with a lineup of guest artists like Sexyy Red, Quavo, Tierra Whack, G Herbo, Ballout, and Lil Gnar, captivating audiences since its May 10 debut.

Anticipation for A LIL TOUR is growing as fans eagerly await the opportunity to grab their presale tickets starting from May 13 at 10 am local venue time, including promoter presales and VIP Package presales. General public sales are set to begin on May 15 at 10 am local venue time.

To secure your tickets, check out the following options:

Ticketmaster — purchase here
SeatGeek — purchase here
Viagogo — purchase here
VividSeats — purchase here
StubHub — purchase here

When considering resale websites for ticket purchases, be vigilant of varying prices as these are third-party sellers. Prices can fluctuate based on demand, so you might encounter tickets above official face values or, conversely, find attractive last-minute bargains.

Stay tuned to our blog for more updates on Chief Keef’s ticket sales…

Ticket sale information detailed

Below are the specific dates and times for ticket sales pertaining to Chief Keef’s tour:

Chief Keef announces upcoming tour

Hot off the heels of his recent album release, Almighty So 2, Chief Keef has announced A LIL TOUR, which will travel to various cities.

Starting his tour in Boston at the MGM Music Hall on July 16, Keef is set to delight fans across 17 different cities throughout his touring period.

FAQs about Chief Keef’s A Lil Tour

When does Chief Keef’s A LIL TOUR start?

The tour begins on July 16 at Boston’s MGM Music Hall.

How many cities will Chief Keef be performing in?

Chief Keef will perform in 17 cities during this tour.

When can I buy presale tickets?

Presale tickets will be available from May 13 at 10 am local venue time.

When do tickets go on sale to the general public?

General ticket sales start on May 15 at 10 am local venue time.

Where can I purchase tickets for A LIL TOUR?

Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster, SeatGeek, Viagogo, VividSeats, and StubHub.

For fans eagerly awaiting the chance to see Chief Keef live, A LIL TOUR offers an exciting opportunity to experience the rapper’s latest work, Almighty So 2, in person. With a robust lineup of cities and a streamlined ticket purchasing process, securing a spot at one of his shows is within reach. Remember to mark your calendars for the presale and general sale dates to avoid missing out on what is sure to be a series of thrilling performances by one of hip-hop’s distinctive artists.

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Chief Keef Announces 'A LIL TOUR'

Running from july through august, the summer lineup includes 17 stops across north america..

After dropping off his latest album Almighty So 2 last week, Chief Keef has announced a string of North American shows, titled A LIL TOUR .

Marking the rapper’s first tour since 2017, the schedule sees him kicking things off at Boston’s MGM Music Hall on July 16, before hitting 16 additional stages in cities including Detroit, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix and more. Sosa will wrap up the tour on August 13 at San Francisco’s The Midway venue. Notably, Keef will return to his hometown of Chicago for the first time in a decade for his Summer Smash headlining set in June before embarking on his cross-country tour.

July 16 — Boston, MA | MGM Music Hall at Fenway July 18 — Grand Rapids, MI | GLC Live at 20 Monroe July 19 — Minneapolis, MN | Armory July 22 — Detroit, MI | Fillmore Detroit July 24 — Brooklyn, NY | Brooklyn Paramount July 25 — Washington, DC | Echostage July 26 — Philadelphia, PA | The Fillmore Philadelphia July 27 — Charlotte, NC | The Fillmore Charlotte July 29 — Atlanta, GA | Coca-Cola Roxy July 31 — Jacksonville, FL | Daily’s Place August 2 — Miami Beach, FL | The Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theatre August 5 — Houston, TX | 713 Music Hall August 6 — Dallas, TX | South Side Ballroom August 9 — Denver, CO | Fillmore Auditorium August 10 — Los Angeles, CA | Hollywood Palladium August 11 — Phoenix, AZ | Arizona Financial Theatre August 13 — San Francisco, CA | The Midway

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Chief Keef Announces “A Lil Tour,” His Headlining Summer 2024 Tour

With Support from Lil Gnar and The Glo Boyz Tickets Available on May 15th at 10 AM Local at ChiefKeef.com

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Get Ready for Chief Keef’s A Lil Tour – Presales Start as Almighty So 2 Drops

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Chief Keef Announces 'A LIL TOUR'

What to Read Next

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