5.10.2024
Chief Keef Shares Almighty So 2, His Highly-Anticipated New Album
Sosa Ascends to a Higher Plane on the Sequel to His Influential and Beloved 2013 Mixtape, His First New Solo Album Since 2021’s 4NEM
Out Now Via 43B / RBC Records, the 16-Track Album Features Guest Appearances From Sexyy Red, Quavo, G Herbo, Tierra Whack, Lil Gnar, and Ballout
Critical Praise:
Rolling Stone’s 200 Best Hip-Hop Albums of All-Time (Finally Rich, #32)
“There is still nothing that feels like ‘Love Sosa,’ the breakout single from a then 17-year-old Chief Keef, from his debut album, Finally Rich. The Chicago rapper’s melodic, hard-nosed anthem shook the foundation of hip-hop. The kids were taking control in a way that the genre had never seen.” – Rolling Stone
“There’s no denying the influence of Keef’s menacing production, straightforward verses, and early D.I.Y. rap ethos on the generation of hip-hop artists that has followed.” – Pitchfork
“The influence and staying power of Chief Keef really cannot be overstated.” – The FADER
The Album:
With over a decade in the game and a litany of followers in his wake, Chief Keef pushes rap music forward with every release. Today, the 28-year-old artist releases his highly-anticipated album Almighty So 2, via his own label, 43B, formed last year in a joint venture with BMG and RBC Records. The new album is the sequel to one of Sosa’s most acclaimed and influential projects, 2013’s Almighty So. Spanning 16 tracks, Almighty So 2 explores beyond the mind-expanding territory staked out in the original, creating a grand-scale epic that ranks among the best works of the proud Chicago native’s incredible career.
Crafted over a period of two years, Almighty So 2 is largely produced by Sosa himself. The young auteur mostly eschews melody on the new album–instead, he resolves to showcase his prodigious abilities as an emcee, sharpening his pen and emptying out his arsenal of flows. Sosa throws his entire body into his vocal performances, whether he’s building in intensity until he reaches a thunderous crescendo, or delivering his smirking punchlines with an audible disrespect.
Starting with the towering intro “Almighty,” which expertly features a sample of Carl Orff’s iconic “Carmina Burana,” the early part of the album uses liturgical and classical music samples to establish Almighty So as a larger-than-life, nearly mythical figure, who was ready for stardom since before he was even born (“I was born in ’95, I been ready since ’91/Let’s give a thanks to the God, yeah the mighty one/B*tch, I’m almighty, I’ll shoot ya with my mighty gun,” he shouts).
After he demonstrates his imperial might, Sosa proves that there’s no sound he can’t warp until it fits his expansive sonic palette. Keef duets with Wilson Pickett on “1,2,3” and warps a hidden 70s gem on the Nancy Wilson-sampling “Runner.” The haunting “Prince Charming” features Sosa’s take on the Detroit sound, with squelching bass and propulsive hi-hats, while the flute-inflected cloud-trap of “Drifting Away” pays tribute to the underground sound he helped inspire before Sosa reminds the audience who really invented drill.
Though the production is a one-man show, Sosa welcomes a series of kindred spirits to share the mic. He and new favorite collaborator Sexyy Red unite over churning french horns on “Grape Trees,” while Quavo brings his dulcet melodies and triplet flows to “Never Fly Here,” and fellow drill pioneer and South Sider G Herbo joins the fray for the oh-so-Chicago “Neph Nem.” Tierra Whack makes an unexpected appearance on “Banded Up,” delivering a double-time verse as blistering as any released this year. Featuring additional appearances from Sosa’s 43B signee Lil Gnar and longtime associate Ballout, Almighty So 2 is available to stream on all platforms via 43B / RBC Records.
Almighty So 2 continues an incredibly busy 2024 for Chief Keef. In March, Sosa teamed with Mike-WiLL Made-It for DIRTY NACHOS, an acclaimed mixtape. Hosted by Trap-A-Holics and featuring guest spots from Sexyy Red and 2 Chainz, DIRTY NACHOS finds the two street titans harkening back to the classic mixtape era on singles like the furious “DIRTY NACHOS” and “DAMN SHORTY.” Recently, Sosa collaborated with Sexyy Red on two singles from her Hood Hottest Princess (Deluxe)–”Ghetto Princess,” and “Bow Bow Bow (F My Baby Mama),” and teamed up with Lil Yachty for “Say Ya Grace,” a highlight from All Is Yellow, the first album by Lyrical Lemonade. The song’s Cole Bennett-directed video reached the top 5 of YouTube’s Trending chart, and racked up over 3 million views in its first week of release (8.5 million total). Chief Keef makes his long awaited return to Chicago on June 16th, performing his first show in his hometown since 2012, at Lyrical Lemonade’s Summer Smash.
With Almighty So 2 out now, Sosa continues to build his legacy as one of the most innovative and influential rappers in the history of the game.
Stream Almighty So 2: https://chiefkeef.lnk.to/AlmightySo2
Buy Chief Keef merch at https://chiefkeef.com/
Almighty So 2 tracklist:
*all tracks produced by Chief Keef
- Almighty (Intro)
- Neph Nem (ft. Ballout & G Herbo)
- Treat Myself
- Jesus (Skit)
- Jesus ft. Lil Gnar
- Too Trim
- Runner
- Banded Up ft. Tierra Whack
- Grape Trees ft. Sexyy Red
- 1,2,3
- Drifting Away
- Never Fly Here ft. Quavo
- Prince Charming
- Believe
- Tony Montana Flow
- I’m Tryna Sleep
Photo credit: Casimir Spaulding
Contact:
For Chief Keef, please contact:
Kerry Harrison, Audible Treats
The Background:
Uncountably prolific, yet never seeming to run out of ideas, Chief Keef is embarking on a new chapter of his storied career. In 2022, ten years after he stormed into the game and changed it forever at only 16-years old, he announced the formation of 43B, his new record label formed in conjunction with BMG, and signed its first artist, Lil Gnar. The two 43B artists combined for the single “Almighty Gnar,” a beat-shifting banger, and reconnected in 2023 for the fiery “PB&J,” which also featured Young Nudy. In December 2021, the rapper shared his critically acclaimed project 4NEM, home to viral single “Yes Sir” and titanic opener “Bitch Where,” prominently used in the fourth season of FX’s Atlanta and recently included in Pitchfork’s Best Singles of 2022 list, and founded his new Web3 venture DigiGlo. With Almighty So 2 on the way and more milestones to achieve, Chief Keef plans to make 2024 his own. Stay tuned for much more.
Links:
instagram | twitter | youtube | spotify | apple
Almighty So 2: https://chiefkeef.lnk.to/AlmightySo2
“DAMN SHORTY” ft. Sexyy Red (w/ Mike WiLL Made-It): https://youtu.be/dPwGJdZ2Q-o
Dirty Nachos (w/ Mike WiLL Made-It): https://chief-keef-mike-will-made-it.lnk.to/Dirty-Nachos-Album
“Dirty Nachos” (w/ Mike WiLL Made-It): https://chiefkeef.lnk.to/Dirty-Nachos
Finally Rich (Complete Edition): http://chiefkeef.lnk.to/FinallyRichCE
Pre-order Almighty So 2: https://chiefkeef.lnk.to/AlmightySo2
“Racks Stuffed Inna Couch”: https://chiefkeef.lnk.to/RacksStuffed
“Chief So”: https://stem.ffm.to/chiefso