Photos via InstagramWay back in 2012 when Chicago rap was something barely anyone outside of Chicago was paying attention to, everyone was more or less on the same team with the same objectives (making money, getting out, getting heard). Lil Durk and Chief Keef, GBE and OTF—it was all two sides of the same coin. Young Chop was making beats for everyone, DGainz was making videos for everyone, and Lil Reese was on songs with everyone. At the top it was just them. But the years have passed and everyone has gotten out and gone and worked with the biggest rappers in the world and made lots of money and stuff has gotten in the way. GBE and OTF went from being on good terms to not on good terms, for reasons that are probably impossible for anyone to fully explain.Fortunately, as Fake Shore Drive points out, that tension seems to have finally ended. Last night, Young Chop, Lil Durk, and Chief Keef released a song called "Decline." It's all three doing what they do best in 2015—and channeling what they were already doing very well in 2012. Keef is brash and loud and singing clearly when he's not warbling incomprehensibly in the background. Durk is the more melodic counterpunch. Chop's beat is like a drill version of a cartoon TV theme. Keef reminds us that "you know how it glo / with the Glo we get dough" and Durk offers the confirmation that the olive branch has been passed: "OTF bitch that's Glo Gang / got 20k stuffed in these Balmains." There's no better way to bury the hatchet than over a Young Chop beat (both because that's the essence of Chicago rap and because hatchets chop stuff). And there are really no words to describe what a great mess of melody this song is. Chief Keef and Lil Durk for co-presidents. Listen to "Decline" below:
Glo up with Kyle Kramer on Twitter.