Lil Durk Denied His Recent Meeting With Chicago’s New Mayor Was Album Promo: ‘It’s Saving Kids’ Lives’

Chicago rapper Lil Durk has taken to calling himself “The Voice” of his hometown, and it looks like he’s taking that self-declared position seriously. He recently met with Chicago’s new mayor Brandon Johnson in an effort to address the city’s violent reputation. Earlier this week, some behind-the-scenes footage surfaced online, prompting Durk to take the defensive against fans who cynically called the meet-up part of his album rollout.

In the comments of a DJ Akademiks post featuring the footage, he wrote, “It ain’t album promo it’s saving kids’ [lives].”

Durk’s certainly been putting his money where his mouth is. In April, he donated over a quarter of a million dollars to HBCU scholarships, while late last year, he vowed to stop name-dropping slain enemies in his music. Even the music itself might be taking a more positive edge; Durk teased one of the new songs from the album, which features J. Cole, with the help of a large cadre of teens.

While some skeptics could certainly view Durk’s uplifting turn as more of a shrewd business move than a newfound life philosophy, it at least looks like he wants to continue making a difference in the streets of the Windy City.