To describe his music in three words, Lil King only uses one: “Unique.”

The rising Chicago rapper, signed by Simple Stupid records earlier this year, hasn’t stopped performing since he first took the stage at age 12—now, he’s positioned to be up next far beyond his city. Taking a hint from his longtime inspiration—and recent cosigner—Lil Durk’s rich flows and weathered tales from the trenches, King builds verses around stories straight from his South Side childhood that couldn’t have been made elsewhere, by anyone else. In just a few months, his charismatic freestyles and carefully-crafted music videos have raked in hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube, including the runaway hit “Late (Remix)”.

He began his career working out verses with his uncle before developing the uber-personal writing style and voyaging out on his own. Ultimately, the bold decision has catapulted him to the vanguard of melodic drill in one of America’s most important regional hip-hop ecosystems. His uncle instilled a taste for old-school rhythms and work ethics early on, but Lil King was still always a few beats ahead, listening the “new generation.” He’s also a natural comedian—despite the heavier tone of some of his reflections, his fluency with witty punchlines still comes through on tracks like “Told Em” and “We Gone Ball.” When he began to imbue his earworm, piano-laden tracks with a POV completely his own, everything took off. Now his platform just keeps growing, with engagement across TikTok and Instagram increasing consistently. It’s a clear example of what he calls the best advice he’s ever received in the industry: “Never give up.”