Keith Farrelle Cozart (born August 15, 1995),[5] better known by his stage name Chief Keef, is an American rapper and record producer. Born and raised in Chicago's South Side, he began his recording career as a teenager and initially garnered regional attention and praise for his mixtapes in the early 2010s.[6] Cozart is often credited with popularizing the hip hop subgenre drill for mainstream audiences, and is considered a progenitor of the genre.[7][8][9] Stereogum has referred to Cozart as a "modern rap folk hero".