An extremely anticipated documentary about the mighty rapper Chief Keef is underway. Helmed by director Cole Bennett, aka the head behind Lyrical Lemonade, and produced in tandem with sitcom writer Kenya Barris’s Khalabo Ink Society, it will be an in-depth look at the career and influence of Chief Keef culturally.
Chief Keef’s story is that of artistic triumph and personal turmoil, and this documentary aims to highlight how Chicago defined his personality and his music. The thesis regarding the city’s influence-from street culture to its identity in music heritage-on his sound is a core emphasis. By doing so, a focused look through that very lens shall also present an intimate portrait of the rapper as an artist and a cultural icon.
Set against the grain, one of the key moments the documentary might want to touch on would be Chief Keef’s very public return to Chicago after more than a decade. In June 2024, he came back home to stretch his wings at the Summer Smash event, again performing in his town for the first time in over a decade. The night was fully symbolic, being that Chicago is where his career got started, and this return after such a long period simply underlined his deep roots with the city.
The Summer Smash performance was a historical moment, one with waves between Chief Keef and the Chicago music scene that is forever changed because of him. The documentary will look at what such a return means, not as a matter of one personal victory for a rapper but as a greater statement to the genre he has touched and to the city he calls home.
This collaboration between Chief Keef and the music video director Cole Bennett is out of necessity and organic in nature between these two figures. Up to now, Bennett has been instrumental in mapping the careers of most modern rappers through his futuristic approach to directing music videos. He has collaborated on several music video projects with Chief Keef in the past, and a lot of those went viral-very much typifying their synergy and creative understanding.
But this new documentary represents their most ambitious collaboration to date. With Bennett behind the wheel, the film is visual surety and offers up an insightful look into Keef’s life and career. The documentary will touch on his artistic journey but also share his personal life-a very rare look behind the scenes at the man who changed a genre.
After all, this is not the first attempt in making a documentary about Chief Keef. As far back as 2017, there was a project for Apple Music called The Story of Sosa: The Movie that was in the works, but never came out. All the more reason to be excited for this new documentary, considering how long fans have been wanting to see Chief Keef’s story reach the screen. This project was now finally coming to life with the combined powers of Lyrical Lemonade and Khalabo Ink Society.
The documentary is produced by such an illustrious team besides Cole Bennett’s own direction: Thehlen joins Kenya Barris through his Khalabo Ink Society, Jeremy Allen is a producer, Jake Millan, Krista Worby, Emile Geneve, and Idris Dykes executive producers. Certain to rise with such an influential crew on board, this documentary electrifies with vivid strokes and lingers out of sight with its emotional depth.
