In terms of Chicago rap, Chance The Rapper is the outlier. His sunny demeanor is a far cry from the downright ruthless depiction of the city from most of it’s rappers. It’s not that Chance paints the Chi as a utopia, but he filters his music through a serious optimism whereas other rappers representing the Windy City flesh out some of the grittiness of the troubled and violent city.
Currently at the forefront of that stark contrast is the East Side’s G Herbo, who has suddenly leaped above the likes of Lil Durk, Chief Keef and his partner in rhyme Lil Bibby as the premier MC of Chicago street rap. His latest addition to an already loaded catalog is “For Real For Real,” where Herb utilizes an auto tuned hook and verses full of gunplay and vivid imagery that has become standard for the scene.
Herbo’s debut album Humble Beast has yet to receive a release date, but he continues to build his buzz towards that debut. With his work rate, that still might mean he’s a few mixtapes away, but he’s clearly showing off the talent necessary to craft an entire major label project and make the leap from underground stardom to the next level.
