In 2012, Chief Keef was the hottest new artist with his now-classic “Don’t Like” and notorious in his hometown of Chicago. He signed a 6 million dollar value deal with Interscope Records. However, former Interscope A&R Larry Jackson revealed what the popular rap star was going through at the time last week in a new interview. Jackson, now Gamma CEO, revealed that Sosa was on the FBI watch list and had a $50,000 bounty on his head before signing with Interscope Records.
“With Chief Keef, he wasn’t just a vision,” Jackson told NPR. “This is the first time I’m telling this story, but I was getting a call from a friend of mine. Who was in touch with the FBI. Who told me that this kid [Chief Keef] was on a watch list. Then also called me back and told me there is a $50,000 hit out on this kid. You may want to do something about it.”
Larry Jackson would confirm that Chief Keef had signed to Interscope before he was made aware of the rapper’s issues. The A&R revealed that he became a father figure to Sosa after signing him.
Jackson continued: “From a traditional, vocational perspective of an A&R executive. He had got into some trouble. I personally wrote a letter to the judge. My letter was effective and persuasive. It kept him out of jail… So I kinda stepped up in a ‘father figure’ role. So, it’s so much deeper than, ‘Oh, let me just sign this guy because everybody wants him. he has a bidding war. Single, the album, and the video. No, this is so much deeper in terms of a vision, not just for the music but for his life. And we’re close still till this day because of that.”
Chief Keef was 16 when he signed his deal with Interscope Records, which led to the release of his debut album, Finally Rich. The album took Drill Rap mainstream, featuring 50 Cent, Wiz Khalifa, Young Jeezy, and Rick Ross.
On this week’s episode of Popcast, Jackson sat down with hosts Jon Caramanica and Joe Coscarelli to dissect a whirlwind year in music. The conversation touched on the ongoing rivalry between Kendrick Lamar and Drake, two of hip-hop’s most influential figures, and explored how Jackson’s experiences from his label days inform his strategies in today’s unpredictable industry landscape.
Jackson, co-founder of the entertainment powerhouse Gamma, has spent decades navigating the ever-evolving landscape of the recording industry. From the era of CDs to the dominance of streaming, Jackson has been at the forefront of seismic shifts, shaping the careers of some of the world’s most iconic artists along the way.
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