(AllHipHop News) Rapper Lil Reese is the latest artist from Chicago to land a major label deal, thanks to the success of his hit single “Don’t Like” featuring fellow featuring Chief Keef.
Lil Reese is preparing a debut album for Def Jam and a mixtape also title “Don’t Like” that will be hosted by DJ Drama and DJ Don Cannon.
“I’m from the projects, I’m one of those ’lil childs. We played everything, we did everything,” Lil Reese said. “Gang life was all around me. It was around all of us, that’s what Chicago is…I was barely lucky to make it out. I lost a lot of friends. Either they’re locked up or dead right now. I made it out. That’s a blessing.”
Lil Reese caught the eye of producer No I.D., who had crafted legendary albums or tracks for artists like Common, Kanye West and others.
The legendary Chicago producer brought Lil Reese to Def Jam, where he serves as A&R for the label.
“Lil Reese brings a gritty, authentic perspective to life on the streets of Chicago,” Def Jam Recordings president Joie Manda told AllHipHop.com in a statement today (July 2). “It’s fitting that one of our brightest A&R executives, No I.D. – a fellow Chicago native and superproducer in his own right – brought Reese to us. Artists like Reese are part of our lifeblood here at Def Jam, where we not only cherish our heritage as the definitive label in hip-hop, but seek out, sign and develop the freshest talent our culture has to offer.”
The 19-year-old rapper, who hails from the Southside of Chicago, will release his debut mixtape “Don’t Like” across the Internet on July 4.