Lil Reese

Englewood roots

Tavares Lamont Taylor was born in Chicago on January 6, 1993, and was raised in the Englewood neighborhood on the South Side. He came up alongside Chief Keef in the circle of young artists that powered the early drill movement, and he was part of the 3Hunna crew associated with it.

“I Don't Like” and “Us”

His verse on Keef's “I Don't Like,” released in March 2012 and produced by Young Chop, made him one of the first recognizable voices of the scene. The song reached No. 73 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was later certified double platinum. His own track “Us” spread quickly on YouTube, and in 2012, at 19, he signed with Def Jam Recordings, a deal the label said was helped along by producer No I.D. That July he released the mixtape “Don't Like,” hosted by DJ Drama and Don Cannon, and in October a remix of “Us” added Rick Ross and Drake.

Mixtapes and later work

“Supa Savage,” hosted by DJ Scream, arrived on September 2, 2013, with guests including Chief Keef, Lil Durk, Waka Flocka Flame, Wale and Fredo Santana, and production from Young Chop among others. A steady run of tapes followed: “Supa Savage 2” (2015), “300 Degrezz” (2016), “Better Days” (2017), the “GetBackGang” pair (2018 and 2019), “Supa Savage 3” (2021), “Demon Time” (2022) and “Ask About Me” (2023). Over the years his releases also came through partners including 300 Entertainment. In 2017 he released the joint project “Supa Vultures” with Lil Durk.

Survival

On November 11, 2019, he was shot in the neck in Country Club Hills, Illinois, and survived, one of several first-wave drill artists touched by the violence the music described.

Read the story: Chicago Rap, Decade by Decade: From Hip House to Drill