Chicago-born Lil Durk is the best rapper in the game. He currently is on top of any other artist due to the fire albums he’s dropped.

He released his first album “I’m A Hitta” on Aug. 26, 2011, and has since amassed 25.1 million monthly listeners on Spotify.

If you like rap or hip-hop music, you would like Lil Durk’s music. Durk’s music mainly speaks and relates to people with similar backgrounds and childhood experiences. 

Durk did not have an easy childhood growing up in Englewood, a neighborhood in Chicago. 

Coming from “the trenches,” as he says in some of his songs, inspired him to start rapping and making money so he could provide for his family.

As a Durk listener,  including old songs and albums like “Just Cause Y’all Waited 2 (Deluxe),” which had the hit song “All Love” on it, I can honestly say that his music is very chill and doesn’t disappoint when you listen to it.

All of his songs have meaning to them, which is something that a lot of rappers don’t do. They have many different meanings such as paying homage to some of his close friends who have passed, the harsh realities of street life, violence and staying true to yourself in the face of hardship.

One example is “The Voice.” He dropped this album after his friend and fellow rapper King Von passed. One of his songs from this album, “Death Ain’t Easy,” has a voice recording of Von to pay tribute to him. 

Furthermore, he’s not comparable to other rappers because he’s speaking from real experience. 

He uses his experiences in his life to cope with tragedies and speak from his past, which is incredibly clear in his song “Started From.” In this song, he talks about how he grew up with his family in one house and his humble beginnings. He named the album “7220 Deluxe” after his grandmother’s address where his family stayed. 

He is successful due to his journey as an artist being different from other rappers and his portrayal of street life in his music, which can be an inspirational story to many. His music may draw people’s attention like others who have gone through similar experiences as he did. 

Yeah, I hear all of you G Herbo fans. You think he’s better. But he is never on the charts and he just is not as popular as Durk. Durk’s last album debuted at No.1 on the Billboard 200 and Herbo’s last album, “Strictly 4 My Fans 2” did not make it. Durk works hard for his music which is why I believe his album made it to the charts. Herbo doesn’t work as hard for it as he used to which is why I feel like he fell off. Herbo only has 7.5 monthly listeners, which is not bad but cannot compare to Durk’s over 196 million monthly listeners.

His recent album, “Almost Healed” is about struggles that he deals with and how to heal from traumatic moments such as the losses of his brothers and Von. This album has some of the biggest hits in 2023, like the number one billboard song, “All My Life” featuring rapper J Cole. 

His story is also inspiring. One of his quotes that inspired me was- “You got to have a strong mind if you fall back. When you fall back, they are going to count you out. So you got to have a strong mind and know your worth. When you come back, you’ve got to be different and even better.”

“Durk is the best rapper right now,” said freshman Angelique Smith,  “And he is very versatile inputting all different types of genres in his music.”

With Durk’s recent success in the music industry and big numbers, he’s been putting up. It is safe to solidify him as the best rapper right now. 

In conclusion, go home and listen to “Pass The Water” by Lil Durk. You won’t regret it.