Who is The Voice?
Durk Banks or famously known as “Lil Durk,” or “The Voice,” is an American Rapper and Singer from Chicago, Illinois, who first emerged within the Music Industry during the early years of the 2010s. The release of his “Signed to the Streets” Mixtape series at the beginning of his career garnered a mass following that allowed the Chicago Rapper to be quickly popularized and well-liked at a global scale. Banks utilized the hardships within his life to be an inspiration and source of his lyrical configurations, allowing his audience to be entertained through his stylistic flow and be made aware of the Chicago scene. His unique fusion of Pop and Chicago-Based Rap allowed Banks to be an influential and prominent Rapper within the Music Industry.
Early Life
Durk Banks was born on October 19th, 1992, in Chicago, Illinois. He often references his upbringing within the neighborhood of Englewood, a poorly funded assembly of section housing along the South Side of Chicago. Within the early stages of his life, Banks was raised in a single-family home until the incarceration of his father, Dontay Banks, at the age of seven. Resulting in the responsibility of the Chicago Rapper to take care of himself and his little brother, D Thang, recalling that they did not have enough food to eat within their home at times.
For much of his adolescent years, Banks was present within various social media platforms like MySpace and Youtube, releasing songs here and there, gaining little media attention that sparked more interest in the music scene for him. At the age of seventeen, Banks had dropped out of High School due to being heavily involved within the Black Disciples, a known Chicago Street Gang. Banks found himself in constant trouble with the law, resulting in him serving time in 2011 for gun charges. It wasn’t until after his sentence; he began to take music seriously, realizing that he wanted a better life for himself; his difficult upbringing and past tribulations became a model for his lyrical narrative.
After the positive response of his two singles, “Sneak Dissin” and “I’ma Hitta,” the Chicago Rapper flourished with success, gaining mass media attention from various platforms and Music Labels. In 2014, Banks was honorably mentioned and put on the XXL Freshman Class list, highlighting up and coming Rappers that have proven to be successful within that specific year. Through this exposure, Banks quickly became idolized amongst all ages, his musical capabilities as an Artist being admired and appreciated.
The Voice Today
Throughout the years, the idolization and admiration for Lil Durk’s music did not hinder his popularity rapidly grew as he released albums and began to collaborate with other influential Artist, like Drake, Lil Baby, Queen Najia, etc. In recent years, the Chicago Rapper has been featured on the Billboards Hot 100 for numerous singles, some of them being the following: “Viral Moment,” “Hellcats and Trackhawks,” “The Voice of the Heros,” etc. Bank’s devotion to his musical releases and presence within the media captivated the hearts of many. His constant recognition and appreciation for those who have aided him throughout his progression as a Rapper allowed many to label his authenticity and kindness to correlate to who he is as a person directly.
In Bank’s early career within the Industry, his lyrical tone and configurations were labeled “wordy” and “drill” due to his limited exposure to other types of stylistic flow. As previously mentioned, much of his adolescent years centered around violence, resulting in his lyrics being a mirror and a promotion within that lifestyle. Still, as he began to transgress from being affiliated within that scene, his music expanded to be more meaningful and less advertising towards violence.
Discography
Life Aint No Joke (2012)
I’m Still A Hitta (2012)
Signed To The Streets (2013)
Signed To The Streets 2 (2014)
Remember My Name (2015)
300 Days 300 Nights (2015)
Lil Durk 2X (2016)
They Forgot (2016)
Signed To The Streets 3 (2018)
Just Cause Yall Waited (2018)
Love Songs 4 The Streets 2 (2019)
Just Cause Yall Waited 2 (2020)
The Voice (2020)
The Voice Of The Heroes (2021)
