Young Chop

Beats by age eleven

Tyree Lamar Pittman was born in Chicago on November 14, 1993, and grew up on the South Side. He started making beats around age 11 with help from a cousin, and at first he also wanted to rap. His recognizable producer tag, announcing that Young Chop is on the beat, was voiced by a young cousin. He began working professionally around 2010 and connected with Chief Keef through Facebook.

Architect of the drill sound

His first official production work appeared on Keef's 2012 mixtape “Back from the Dead.” That tape included “I Don't Like,” and Chop followed it with “Love Sosa” and “3Hunna,” songs whose heavy, ominous synths and booming drums became the template for the style. When Kanye West remixed “I Don't Like” for the G.O.O.D. Music compilation “Cruel Summer,” Chop publicly objected to the remix, and the dispute was settled that same year. He was a central producer on Keef's debut album “Finally Rich” (2012) and worked with other drill artists including Lil Reese and Fredo Santana, including the 2012 remix of Reese's “Us” with Rick Ross and Drake.

Solo releases and business

He also recorded as an artist, releasing “Precious” in 2013 and “Still” in 2014, later followed by projects including “King Chop” (2016) and “Under Surveillance” (2021). His credits extended to artists such as Rick Ross, Big Sean, Juicy J and Ty Dolla $ign. He founded the independent label Chop Squad and an online store selling production sound kits.

Legacy

His early work with Chief Keef remains his defining contribution, and it shaped the sound that later drill producers built on in Chicago and beyond.

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