Lil Durk will need to slow it down a little bit. Over the last week, Durkio was in the hospital after suffering from severe dehydration and exhaustion.
According to TMZ Hip-Hop, Durk fell ill in Ohio and checked into a hospital on July 6. His trip to the hospital was for safety, but doctors assessed his condition as a bit more serious.
“My fans mean everything to me, you’re the reason why I do this,” Durk said to ESPN. “I was looking forward to touching all of my European fans, performing this week(end), attending the ESPYs and more but after performing and traveling daily I’ve become severely dehydrated and advised by my doctors not to travel due to exhaustion. Once I get my full energy back, it’s back to business which I’m looking forward to. #StillHealing.”
Back in February of this year, authorities hit Kay Flock and seven other individuals on RICO charges amid a murder case. Since then, the rapper’s provided a few updates here and there on his well-being, including statements, pictures from behind bars, and more. In his most recent Instagram post, though, the New York drill rapper actually prompted a crossover with one of the biggest drill-adjacent artists in the world right now. Moreover, Flock posted a picture of himself on a call from his cell, and his background music was Lil Durk and Only The Family’s “One Mo Chance.”
Furthermore, as fans anxiously await what will become of Kay Flock, he and his legal team continue giving signs of life. For example, his attorney Jeffrey Lichtman, who previously represented El Chapo, called him a “good kid” and expressed confidence in him winning his murder case. “I’m looking forward to winning his trial. When the facts come out I think people will be shocked he was even charged,” Lichtman expressed. With these new RICO charges, though, it seems like an even more difficult case to overcome.
Meanwhile, the 20-year-old recently issued a message urging people to stop the violence. “First off I want to say sorry to all my fans, my mother, my family, my team. Last but not least, my brothers that’s home and the ones I lost in the streets,” Kay Flock wrote. “They say the streets has three outcomes but I say it’s two, dead or in jail. If you know me you know that I have a good heart. But you also know I’m damaged inside and hurt from my past. While being in here I lost two of my brothers to gun violence. [I] wasn’t even able to see them for the last time.”
Meanwhile, he went on to mention how people focus on negativity and stood by his denial of gang accusations. He also championed rap as his way out of his lifestyle. Furthermore, he wants to set an example for the youth by starting a #StopTheViolence campaign. To close things off, he mentioned many other rappers who currently face similar situations like Casanova and Young Thug. For more news and the latest updates on Kay Flock, check back in with HNHH.
Sometimes, we get the mash-ups we never knew we needed. For example, if, say, Jack Harlow were to pair up with Lil Durk, that would be a collaboration of the highest order. Especially right now, while both are at the top of the rap game. That’s exactly what happened on Independence Day; Jack and Durk paired up in the Big Apple for a photo. Posted on the Instagram page @nojumper, the caption reads, “Jack Harlow and Lil Durk tapped in. Would you want to hear a collab between these two?”
The answer to whether we want a Harlow-Durk song, of course, is “absolutely.” Whether that’s what they’re up to in New York is speculative at best. But we know they can make solid music together. Back in 2020, Jack Harlow and Lil Durk were on the French Montana song “Hot Boy Bling.” To get another certified banger from the duo would be a blessing in 2023.
Kentucky-grown Jack Harlow has been doing shows and going to fashion events. Classic Harlow vibes. Funny enough, Jack did a show in Paris recently where the crowd had zero clue what the lyrics to his songs were. However, he got some cool praise from the iconic Kendrick Lamar, as well as Ludacris. Harlow has been accused of being a “culture vulture,” a white person making his millions in a predominantly Black art form. Despite this, he has many fans and many accolades, plus the praise of his peers.
As for Lil Durk, his song “All My Life” hit Platinum a few days ago. He’s also embracing his spiritual roots, posting photos of him engaging in Muslim prayer traditions. To see him and Jack Harlow mobbing in the streets of New York is a promising sneak peek into what might come soon. Lil Durk used to record his songs in a closet, and Jack is a nobody from the South. Together, they could make some rap gold.
Lil Durk burst onto the scene a few years ago, shaking rap up with his unique style and early collaborative efforts. Once he got a verse on a Drake song, 2020’s “Laugh Now, Cry Later,” it’s been off to the races with the young rapper. Now, he’s sitting pretty with a Certified Platinum record for “All My Life,” a song from his 2023 album Almost Healed. This is Lil Durk’s first Platinum song as the featured artist. A collaboration with the one and only J. Cole, “All My Life” just topped a million total units sold in the United States.
“I send my love out to all my fans for keeping me motivated and hungry and not lazy and comfortable,” Lil Durk says on his Instagram. Adorning the post is a pic of him and J. Cole with a crowd of people, an ice cream truck in the background. Almost Healed has a 21-song tracklist that serves up some of Durk’s best songs yet, such as “War Bout It (feat. 21 Savage,” “Cross the Globe (feat. Juice World,” and “Stand By Me (feat. Morgan Whalen).” The Morgan Whalen collab showcases a mash-up of country and rap, an effective method.
Fans have been overwhelmingly positive about Almost Healed, as well as the rapper’s recent embracing of his Muslim heritage. Durk is becoming more spiritual (at least in the public eye), and perhaps this will reflect in his music. With a Platinum song under his belt, Lil Durk is looking to continue running the rap game with maximum impact. He isn’t afraid to make waves and be who he truly is. So whenever his next album drops, fans know it will be even more “Durk.”
In other Lil Durk news, he was seen on Morgan Whalen’s tour stop in Chicago, which is Durk’s hometown. He is having a fun time with the amazing success that’s been years in the making. And best believe this is the first of many Platinum certifications for the rapper’s music.
Lil Durk always maintains a pretty direct and no-frills social media presence, for better or worse. Often, he sends out subliminal messages to other rappers, people who have wronged him, about his relationship with India Royale, or just simple promotion and flexing. However, it’s rare to see him engage in social media beef, save for his long-running feud with Quando Rondo. Even then, The Voice would much rather leave that sort of stuff for in-person interviews and keep the Gram for his subs and promos. Moreover, his most recent Instagram Story does just that, as he apparently checked someone over their public comments and didn’t specify.
“He said some in public I got in his dm and made em apologize,” Lil Durk claimed on his IG Story recently. “I can’t say what I want on my page my page is monetized,” the Chicago rapper concluded. Overall, it’s interesting that something made him draw a line, as he typically posts all kinds of content on his page. Alas, that’s the nature of vague social media beef. It would be far from the first time that Durk engaged in this kind of stuff, be it direct or otherwise.
Furthermore, on the Off The Record podcast with DJ Akademiks, Smurk talked about King Von’s passing. Not only that, but he took specific shots at Quando Rondo and Lul Tim for causing and taunting it, expressing that “that changed everybody’s lives irreparably.” “Yeah, that s**t f***ed everybody up, boy, when a real gangsta get took out by a nerd type,” Lil Durk said, calling Rondo a “little boy.” He responded via Twitter with “The Nerds Got 7 Of ‘Em Last Year Urkkkk…” Though he was very direct in person, Durk didn’t address that on social media beyond presumably some subliminal shots.
Meanwhile, his Instagram page is one of the first points of contact with fans to announce new music. For example, the 30-year-old recently announced that a deluxe version of his latest album Almost Healed is on the way. We’ll see how he continues to use his social media to speak briefly on his actions and push his latest moves. On that note, come back to HNHH for the latest news and updates on Lil Durk.
While the rap community laments the lack of a No. 1 song or album this year from the genre, Morgan Wallen sits atop the mountain. Moreover, his “One Night at a Time” world tour has been very successful so far, reflecting his massive commercial run. Most recently and notably, the tour stopped by Chicago on Thursday night (June 22) at Wrigley Field, and the country star had a special surprise. “This is where I usually step off stage and take a little break, but I’ve got a good buddy in town… he is one of Chicago’s own,” he announced to fans. “Y’all make some noise for my brother Lil Durk!”
Of course, the two performed their latest collab “Stand By Me,” which appears on Smurk’s latest album Almost Healed. Fans were overjoyed, whether for Lil Durk’s appearance or for the hit track. What’s more is that Wallen appeared at Wrigley Field a second time before heading to his next stop in Michigan. Furthermore, the two previously collaborated on the MCs album 7220 on the track “Broadway Girls.”
However, that’s far from the most acclaimed feature on Almost Healed. In fact, there’s a clear winner that people haven’t stopped talking about. Recently, Lil Durk reflected on how it took him a while to land on the perfect record to collaborate with J. Cole on before finally finding “All My Life” off the album. “He went super cr*zy,” the 30-year-old said on The Nadeska Show. “It’s so cr*zy because we’d been talking for like, two years, and he’d always be like, ‘Send me a record.’ And I’m like, ‘I gotta find the right record.’ I’m glad I waited two years.
“In my eyes, he a legend,” he went on. “If you have a chance to do a song with a legend, it be like, will you send them something just to send it, just to say you got one, or you gone make it stick. So that’s why I never just sent him a record. Cause I’m like, ‘I want something that’s gon’ stick.’” For more on Lil Durk and Morgan Wallen, stay logged into HNHH.
Undeniably, Lil Durk is one of the hottest rappers in the industry today. The Chicago native helped solidify Drill as a subgenre that would take over Hip Hop, and with over a decade of music hits under his belt, Durkio is a formidable force. He recently dropped his latest album Almost Healed and sat down with Nadeska Alexis on Apple Music 1 to detail his journey and new project. Check out a few highlights from the conversation, including Lil Durk speaking on his J. Cole feature, being mentored by people like Swizz Beatz, and how far he’s come in the last ten years. You can also watch the interview for yourself below.
Lil Durk Talks J. Cole Feature On “All My Life”
“Shout out to J. Cole. Even just to have that type of music out, just on a positive level, feels super, super good. I think that the J. Cole feature was definitely unexpected for my fans. He went super crazy. And it’s so crazy, because we’ve been talking for two years. He always be like, “Send me a record,” and I’m like, “I got to find the right record.”
“And I’m glad I waited two years, because in my eyes he’s a legend. So if you have a chance to do a song with legend, do you send him something just to send it, just to say you got one, or you’re going to make it stick? So that’s why I never just sent him a record, because I want something that’s going to stick. As soon as I did the record, he was the first person that popped into my head. I’m like, ‘I got it.’”
Reflecting On The Last 10 Years Of His Career
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA – APRIL 01: Lil Durk performs during the 2023 Dreamville Music festival at Dorothea Dix Park on April 01, 2023 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images)
“Yeah, a lot can change from then to now. You can tell the big difference in just the character, the music, the beat selection, and the entourage. Everything has changed from that point, but that’s where it started from. That’s where I get my motivation from.”
“Honestly, I didn’t even have a direction. I didn’t even have a goal. I didn’t know I’d be a real artist. I’d be doing arenas and festivals and stuff like that, so at that time I was just doing it just on some local, ‘I got the trenches on lock,’ type stuff. So my vision wasn’t as big as I would’ve thought it had been.”
On Having Mentors Like Swizz Beatz
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 22: Lil Durk, Jewelry detail performs during “One Big Party Tour” at Capital One Arena on January 22, 2023 in Washington, DC.(photo by Prince Williams/Wireimage)
“It’s important. Where I’m from, they don’t really do it like that. So, I’m saying ain’t a lot of leaders, where I’m from. It’s like whatever make money, the quick money. If it’s violence, if it’s this, they going to get to the money, but people like Swizz, and like my daddy, my mom, and a couple more people in my life, we’ve got something to prove, to show them we’re going to be the difference and we’re going to change the world. Because if you just look at this whole Chicago, it’s like everybody doing the same thing. Not too many want to change a lot. A lot trying to change, but can’t change because ain’t no way to. So, I hope I could be a platform for them.”
Lil Durk On Pushing Out Projects
“I’m really like, a studio head. Yeah, I’m just so much of a fan of music. I just spend all my time doing music. So, when you say ‘having fun,’ when I actually do go have fun, we feel just super good. No bad energy. Then do therapy, then talk to your friends. Let me give you an example. So, if I got my kids, and one of my guys probably see his kids but not like that, it’ll motivate him to keep his kids around more. That’s how I got motivated too, by bond.”
Lil Durk On Religion
“It keeps me sane. It keeps me stress-free. I don’t really look at everything like, “Oh, he got good luck. He got…” I believe in a higher power. As I say, the rug is what we pray on. So, whatever you believe in, whoever you believe in, if you believe in them and you’ve been through a lot of stuff in your life and you at a peaceful place, going to a happy place, I think you should get more into your religion.”
Lil Durk On Meeting NBA Legend Allen Iverson
“It was funny because it was me and French Montana in the club, and Allen Iverson pointed, and I thought he pointed at me. So I’m doing all this sh*t, and they walk up to me. He walked to French. So, I played it off like, ‘Damn, I thought you were talking to me.’ Then he turns around, like, ‘Man, bro, I f*ck with you.’ I’m like, ‘Oh…’ So that was one of the moments, with me and Allen Iverson.”
While it’s still pretty unclear, it seems like the beef between Gunna, YSL, and others in the hip-hop world continues to manifest itself. Moreover, eagle-eyed fans noticed that the College Park MC unfollowed Lil Baby and Lil Durk on Instagram. Not only that, but this comes months after Baby unfollowed Wunna on IG, and while The Voice still follows him as of writing this article, he took larger steps to blast his plea deal in the YSL RICO case. “Now I don’t sit up here and play games, man,” he told DJ Akademiks during a podcast interview. “That man told. You should have went in there and kept your mouth closed.”
Also, here’s what Thugger seemingly told Lil Durk. “Aye Durk, I’m dropping this surprise album on the same day buddy drops his album,” he allegedly stated. “That s**t coming up soon. I need a verse from you. If you feel like you want to reply to what that n***a sayin’ of something, man, don’t do it. Drop it on my album. I’m droppin’ an album the same day that f**k n***a drop. Send your verse in. I want you and Wham on the same song.” However, it’s worth noting that neither Smurk nor Baby appear on the album’s final tracklist.
Meanwhile, in a new song snippet, Lil Baby seems to have directly dissed Gunna and others who took plea in the YSL case. “Some n***as taking pleas at trial I know that slime ain’t happy,” he raps in a new video clip. With all this in mind, it’s interesting that YSL still promoted a Gift & a Curse and that Gunna reposted Thug’s countdown for BUSINESS IS BUSINESS on his social media. While many don’t see the reciprocation from Thug, he did once share a link to Wunna’s music on social media recently, and Gunna clearly only cares about him and not the other former collaborators sending shots at him. Regardless, stick around on HNHH for the latest news and updates on Gunna, Lil Baby, Lil Durk, and Young Thug.
It might seem silly or too soon to start thinking about which songs from 2023 will get nominated come next year’s awards season. Still, if you’re going to entertain yourself with that notion, “All My Life” by Lil Durk and J. Cole seems like a surefire prediction. Moreover, the track is a perfect blend of contemporary style, timeless messaging, and impressive lyrical displays, bridging all sorts of worlds within hip-hop. What’s more is that the collaborators spoke for two years before finally landing on this record in particular. During his latest interview, Smurk expanded to Nadeska on how the song came about.
“He went super cr*zy,” the Chicago MC said of the North Carolina native’s performance on the cut. “And it’s so cr*zy because we’d been talking for, like, two years. He’d always be like, ‘Send me a record.’ And I’m like, ‘I gotta find the right record.’ Man, I’m glad it wasn’t three years. In my eyes, he a legend so if you have a chance to do a song with a legend, you either send them something just to send it, just to say you got one, or you gon’ make it stick. But that’s why I never just sent him a record. ‘Cause I’m like, ‘I want something that’s gon’ stick.’ Yeah, as soon as I did the record, he’s the first person that popped into my head. I’m like, ‘I got it.’ Yeah, that’s why I believe in timing. Timing is everything.”
Of course, this is far from the first time that Lil Durk praised J. Cole’s performance. “I had to listen to it like four times,” he said of the verse. “You know I ain’t super big on lyricist-type rappers. With Cole, [he] was one of the ones, like him and Jay, you gotta play them 50 times to catch what they’re saying. Like, if you listen to Lil Wayne right now, and you heard some s**t ten years ago that you just catch onto today. But he definitely gave me one of them verses and I appreciate it. ‘Cause he ain’t even have to, for real. He could’ve gave us anything.”
Meanwhile, Cole’s manager Ibrahim Hamad clarified rumors that The Voice paid him almost a million dollars for the feature. While he quickly called cap on that number, such a moment this year was surely priceless for many fans. One can only imagine what other dream track team-ups Durk is waiting for the perfect moment for. For more on Lil Durk and J. Cole, stay up to date on HNHH.
Lil Durk must be celebrating a lot these days, given the success of his latest album Almost Healed, one of 2023’s most high-profile rap releases so far in the mainstream. Moreover, he just took to his Instagram Story to show off a load of cash, surely a reflection of his wild earnings from that project and other endeavors. While he’s no stranger to great commercial heights, The Voice is one of those rappers whose profile only seems to expand and grow more universal with each year. This time around, a killer song with J. Cole and more prolific media appearances have cemented his already burgeoning status as a leader in the game.
“I see the plot now I gotta play my part threats to everybody thang way,” Lil Durk wrote on a picture of stacks of hundred dollar bills seemingly from his neck to his knees. “Threats To Everybody” is actually a track off of OTF’s Loyal Bros 2 compilation presented by Smurk himself. Also, “thang” is likely a tribute to his late brother OTF DThang. Reference aside, the Chicago MC often balances his success with his commitment to street values, and giving back to the circumstances and community he came from. As such, it’s no surprise that he would give material wealth in service to those ideas.
In fact, the 30-year-old posted a lot on his Instagram Story as of late, resulting in a nice post-album rollout of updates. While he’s never one to stay quiet, he’s taking advantage of everything he can to capitalize on the many sets of eyes on him: interviews, a tour, and much more. For starters, he posted a desire to return to shorter albums after Almost Healed‘s 21-song run. “I’m going back to 13 songs a album y’all can have that 20+ song album,” Lil Durk expressed.
Meanwhile, the “All My Life” hitmaker also took a moment to commend the female rappers that are pushing the game right now. “Make hip hop fun again,” he wrote on IG. “We understand everybody got money but let’s f**k em up like we was doing s/o the females who been working salute keep going up.” For the latest news and updates on Lil Durk, stay posted on HNHH.
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(@lildurk)
