Lil Durk’s Musical Journey: From Def Jam to Alamo Records

Lil Durk, a prominent rapper hailing from Chicago, achieved his first Grammy award in February of this year but found himself in legal trouble with an arrest on October 24. The incident occurred near Miami International Airport, where he faces serious charges including murder-for-hire. Durk’s arrest also involved several other members of his OTF crew, including Kanyon Grant, Keith Jones, Deandre Wilson, Asa Houston, and David Lindsey.

This isn’t the first brush with the law for the artist known for his hit “3 Headed Goat.”Back in October 2011, at the outset of his career, he served a prison sentence for possessing a firearm with an altered serial number.

Lil Durk burst onto the music scene in 2010 as an independent artist and joined Def Jam Recordings two years later. In 2018, he transitioned from Def Jam to Alamo Records, which was the label he was affiliated with at the time of his recent arrest.

Lil Durk’s Exit from Def Jam in 2018

The rapper launched his career by releasing a freestyle version of Gucci Mane’s “Wasted,”which he titled “Lamron Wasted,”in 2010. After two successful years of independent music production, he opted to sign with Def Jam.

During an interview with Complex on April 25, 2012, Durk shared insights regarding his contract, highlighting how he and Lil Reese were among the first artists from Chicago to engage directly with Def Jam without any intermediaries.

He followed up with his fourth mixtape, “Signed To The Streets,”released in October 2013, and in July 2014, he rolled out its sequel, “Signed To The Streets 2,”both distributed through Def Jam.

Additionally, the artist dropped two studio albums during his stint with the label: “Remember My Name”(2015) and “Lil Durk 2X”(2016). In his final year at Def Jam, he produced four mixtapes, encompassing two solo projects as well as collaborations with Lil Reese and Tee Grizzley.

On March 29, 2018, while speaking to Billboard, the “No Auto Durk”rapper explained his choice to leave Def Jam, stating:

“I’ve been with Def Jam Records for five years and they gave me my first recording contract so for that I’m forever grateful. But I’m a different artist than I was five years ago, and the time is right for a change.”

He further elaborated:

“At the same time, Def Jam is making changes in their offices and trying a new direction. I didn’t want to be a part of another regime change.”

After parting ways with the label, the 32-year-old rapper quickly released his first official independent mixtape, “Just Cause Y’all Waited.”

Just three months post his departure, Durk revealed a new signing with Alamo Records.

On July 27, 2018, the “Petty Too”rapper expressed to Billboard that Alamo Records made him feel like a “top priority,”which influenced his decision to join them. He described the label’s deal as “lovely,”saying:

“My team and I went a whole year and a half where we basically did everything on our own. It made us stronger. Now that Alamo and Interscope partnered with us, the sky is the limit for sure.”

With this partnership, Durk released his eagerly awaited third studio album, “Signed To The Streets 3,”on November 9, 2018, marking his debut full-length project with Alamo Records.

As reported by Rolling Stone, Lil Durk is currently detained in Broward County Jail in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as he awaits trial.

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