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Lil Durk’s “Deep Thoughts” album sees the Chicago rapper exploring personal growth and the challenges of his life, all while reflecting on his faith and the streets that shaped him.
From the introspective opening track “Shaking When I Pray,” Durk sets the tone for the album, starting with a recitation of a Muslim prayer, signaling the importance of religion in his life. He touches on how the streets criticize him for not doing enough, despite his numerous contributions. While it’s an important track, it doesn’t quite hit the mark as an intro compared to some of Durk’s previous work.
“Keep On Sippin’” dives deep into Durk’s ongoing battle with lean. He confesses that whenever life goes wrong, he turns to the cup, and when things go right, he does the same. His partner, India, even makes it clear that they won’t get married if he doesn’t stop. This track captures Durk’s vulnerability and struggle with addiction.
In “They Want to Be You,” Durk reflects on the way the streets look up to him, and how he feels the need to better himself for them. He also stresses that he has nothing left to prove but a lot to be used for. Future’s feature adds to the track, bringing his signature energy. “Soul Bleed” is classic Durk, with that raw emotional honesty fans have come to expect, reminiscent of hits like “All Love” and “Backdoor.” In “1000 Times,” the collaboration with Lil Baby shines, addressing the struggles that come with the street life.
“Turn Up a Notch” serves as an anthem for those looking to level up, while “Vanish Mode” lives up to the hype surrounding its release, echoing the excitement fans felt for “Three Headed Goats.” Lastly, “Monitoring Me” brings back Durk’s drill roots, talking heavy about his ops, much like his hit “AHHH HA.” Deep Thoughts is a solid project that showcases Durk’s growth and depth, balancing his street narrative with introspection and faith.
Check out the ratings of each song and overall for Lil Durk’s latest album, “Deep Thoughts” below.
1. Shaking When I Pray – 5/10
2. Keep On Sippin’ – 5.5/10
3. They Want to Be You – 6/10
4. Soul Bleed – 7.5/10
5. 1000 Times – 7/10
6. Turn Up a Notch – 7/10
7. Vanish Mode – 8.5/10
8. Monitoring Me – 9/10
9. Untouchable – 8/10
10. Notebook (No Hook) – 7.5/10
11. Can’t Hide It – 5/10
12. Wonderin’ Again – 4.5/10
13. Late Checkout – 4.5/10
14. Think You Glowed – 5/10
15. Opportunist – 7/10
16. Alhamdulilah – 6.5/10
17. Deep Depression – 7/10
18. Lil Durk’s “Deep Thoughts” Overall Rating: 6
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Lil Durk is currently embroiled in a legal matter involving an alleged murder for hire plot involving rival Quando Rondo. While behind bars, Lil Durk released his ninth studio album, Deep Thoughts, and the early reactions are in on X.
Lil Durk, 32, announced the release of Deep Thoughts on social media and left a message for his fans, along with sharing the album covers and images of the Chicago rapper at work.
From Instagram:
I WASN’T GON PUT THIS OUT BUT THEN I REMEMBERED THE STREETS NEED THIS.
NOT BEING OUTSIDE WITH Y’ALL WHEN I DROP IS HARD, BUT I KNOW I WILL FEEL Y’ALL LOVE AND ENERGY THROUGH THESE WALLS
THANK Y’ALL FOR ROCKING WITH ME THROUGH EVERYTHING. I TELL THESE STORIES SO OUR VOICE IS NEVER LOST. I’M COMING HOME SOON STRONGER THAN EVER. INSHALLAH, THE VOICE
LOVE, DURK
Deep Thoughts only has four features, with Future showing up on “They Want To Be You” and Lil Baby delivering a verse on “1000 Times.” On “Cant Hide It,” Jhené Aiko delivers vocals, and lastly, Hunxho appears on “Late Checkout.”
Much of the album finds “The Voice” in a reflective space, especially on the opener “Shaking When I Pray,” which features the artist born Durk Banks praying in Arabic. The common themes of his back against the wall, eclipsing his meager beginnings, and speaking directly to his detractors are present throughout Deep Thoughts. However, it is an extension of the rhythmic comfortability Lil Durk displayed on his 2023 album, Almost Healed.
On X, formerly Twitter, we’ve scoured the site and got the best reactions to the album we could find. Find those replies below.
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Lil Durk just shook up the rap game, announcing his new album “Deep Thoughts” dropping March 28th.
This marks Smurk’s first project in over three years, following his 2022 album “7220”, which gave fans bangers like “AHHH HA,” “What Happened to Virgil,” and “Petty Too.” The streets been waiting, and now Durk is finally back.
Unfortunately, A LOT has happened since his last drop. Durk got caught up in some heavy legal drama after being hit with Murder for Hire charges. Word is, he and his team were tied to the 2022 killing of Quando Rondo’s cousin allegedly in retaliation for King Von’s death. Von. “T Roy” aka King Von who was signed to Durk’s OTF label, was shot and killed in 2020 by Quando’s homie, Lul Timm. Ever since, there’s been tension in the streets, and Durk found himself in the middle of it all.
Despite the drama, Smurk ain’t lost a step. He’s one of the realest voices in the game, and “Deep Thoughts” is expected to be his most personal project yet. Fans are ready for that pain music, those street anthems, and the real-life stories only Durkio can tell. After everything he’s been through, this album might just be his biggest moment yet. Many of his female fans are asking for an “India Part 4” which would continue the series of Durk loving on his lady. Which many have made it the soundtrack to their love lives.
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Terrance “Gangsta” Williams, Birdman’s brother, recently claimed that NBA YoungBoy allegedly knocked out an inmate at FCI Talladega federal prison in Alabama for repping Lil Durk’s collective, OTF.
This incident is just another chapter in the ongoing feud between YoungBoy’s 4KT camp and Durk’s OTF crew, a beef that has been boiling since the tragic night in Atlanta when Quando Rondo’s associate, Lil Tum, shot and killed King Von during a fight outside a club. Since then, the tension between both camps has only escalated, with diss tracks, social media shots, and street politics keeping the rivalry alive. Interestingly, despite the long-standing issues, there might be a path to peace. Quando Rondo, one of YoungBoy’s closest affiliates, recently converted to Islam, the same faith that Lil Durk and many around him follow.
Activist Zül Qarnain met with Quando and asked if, now that he’s Muslim, he would consider ending the beef between 4KT and OTF. Quando’s response? He wouldn’t be opposed to it.
While his answer wasn’t a full commitment to peace, it’s a notable shift considering how deep the feud runs. Whether or not this leads to any real reconciliation remains to be seen, especially with new incidents like YoungBoy’s alleged prison fight keeping tensions high. But if Quando Rondo is open to squashing the beef, it could be the first step toward ending one of the most heated rivalries in modern hip-hop.
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Lil Durk, already facing a mountain of legal issues, was just named in a wrongful death lawsuit in connection to the murder-for-hire plot that left a cousin of a rival dead. In the recent court filing in Illinois, Lil Durk, his record label, and another business were the target of the lawsuit.
As reported by the Chicago Sun-Times, Lil Durk, real name Durk Banks, is being held on charges connected to the shooting death of rival rapper Quando Rondo’s cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, also known as Lul Pab or Bandup Pablo. The lawsuit was filed in Cook County in Durk’s home state and is aimed towards his Only The Family recording label and a connected business interest along with the rapper.
“The premature loss of Mr. Robinson has devastated his family and community,” Warren Postman, an attorney representing Robinson’s mother, Andrea Laquila Robinson, shared. “We filed this lawsuit to hold those responsible accountable and to ensure his family receives the support they need during this difficult time.”
There has not been an official response from Banks or his legal team.
Lil Durk was arrested in October of last year in Miami as he attempted to board a chartered plane. The arrest came as investigators unsealed an indictment that revealed charges against five men in the murder-for-hire plot. Quando Rondo, real name Tyquian Bowman, was the alleged target of the hit but Robinson was the one who was gunned down in Los Angeles back in 2022.
Rondo was targeted in response to the shooting death of Durk ally King Von, who died after confronting Rondo and his crew in Atlanta. Authorities say that Durk’s Only The Family recording label was also a front for a criminal organization with Durk as its mastermind.
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Lil Durk is currently behind bars awaiting trial for his role in a murder-for-hire plot that targeted Quando Rondo but instead left the rapper’s cousin shot and killed in 2022. In new court documents that were recently filed, Lil Durk’s trial has been postponed until October of this year as officials will comb through 230 gigabytes of digital evidence.
As shared by independent legal reporter Meghann Cuniff, Lil Durk was slated to go on trial next week as seen in the filing made on Dec. 31 to the United States District Court, Central District of California. Cuniff combed through the filing and discovered that Durk’s new trial date will be Oct. 14 as the state continues to examine its haul of evidence as prosecutors continue to build out their case.
Cuniff shared that Durk’s co-defendant Asa “Boogie” Houston is opposing the trial postponement while another co-defendant Deandre “DeDe” Wilson appears to be seeking a plea deal after requesting a pre-plea sentence report.
The discovery portion of the matter focuses on “approximately 230 GB of digital evidence such as audio/video recordings and surveillance footage, and approximately 20,000 pages of reports concerning murder and other violent acts, photographs, witness statements, and medical documents.”
It is expected that Lil Durk will remain behind bars until the trial after being denied bond due to a potential flight risk. The Chicago star was arrested while en route to a Florida airport that was reportedly heading to Europe before he was cornered and arrested.
Meghann Cuniff’s thread from X regarding the matter can be viewed below.
Rapper Lil Durk is looking at a new trial date of October 14 in his murder-for-hire case in Los Angeles, according to a stipulation today from federal prosecutors and the defense. pic.twitter.com/XtMjADEOPd
— Meghann Cuniff (@meghanncuniff) December 31, 2024
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Lil Durk will spend the holidays behind bars in California and it appears that his time in prison is already marred by reported infractions and rule-breaking. A new report breaks down why prosecutors want Lil Durk held in detention and also reveals that the Chicago artist is breaking prison rules connected to his phone privileges.
As seen on Law & Crime’s Sidebar with Jesse Weber YouTube program on Tuesday (Dec 17), an exhibit filed by prosecutors in Lil Durk’s murder-for-hire case pointed to the Only The Family (OTF) figure’s alleged criminal interference. That same brief also unveiled that Durk has been breaking the rules at Los Angeles’ Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC).
Despite clear instructions to not engage in three-way calls, defendant repeatedly abused the phone system at MDC to engage in such conduct,” Weber shares in his video report. This was used by the state to illustrate that Durk can’t be trusted to follow the rules if he’s released on bond if he can’t follow the rules while imprisoned.
Durk’s legal team attempted to gain bond for their client earlier this month, offering a bond package that included a pair of homes the rapper owns in Georgia along with $1 million from the Sony Music recording label.
Lil Durk was arrested in October while appearing to flee the country en route to a Florida airport, and was extradited to California to face charges in connection to the murder-for-hire plot originally meant to target Quando Rondo but resulted in the shooting death of Rondo’s cousin in Los Angeles instead.
Durk’s trial will take place on Jan. 7 of next year.
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Lil Durk is currently being held in Los Angeles in connection to a murder-for-hire plot sparked by the death of fellow Chicago artist King Von in Atlanta. Lil Durk was denied bond this week and is now being linked to another murder case in his hometown where officials say he gave orders for another killing in the city.
The Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times both report that Lil Durk, 32, was at a detention hearing on Thursday (Dec. 12) which was attended by over two dozen of Durk’s supporters, including Sony Music representatives. U.S. Magistrate Judge Patricia Donahue said that due to the showing of support for Durk and citing state prosecutors, he is a person of significant influence and a flight risk.
The attorneys for Durk, real name Durk Devontay Banks, put together an extensive bond package that included two homes in Georgia and $1 million from Sony Music along with promises of twenty-four-hour security to keep Durk both safe and on schedule.
Assistant U.S. Atty. Ian Yanniello pointed to the over 30 individuals inside the courtroom as a demonstration of the power Durk has and could wield if he is released on bond.
“This case is about how he used that power and used that influence and how he used those resources to promote and perpetuate violence with deadly consequence,” Yanniello said.
With this setback, Durk’s attorneys are promising to work on behalf of their client to get him out on bond.
‘We were obviously disappointed, but will continue to fight on,” Jonathan Brayman said to the Chicago Tribune. “Mr. Banks remains confident and optimistic about the future. He deeply appreciates the outpouring of love and support he has felt since his arrest.”
As this case unfolded, back in Chicago, Lil Durk is now linked to the 2022 shooting death of an alleged leader of a notorious gang faction in the city’s Far South Side section.
A newly unsealed filing from the U.S. District Court in Chicago asserts that Durk was the mastermind of the Jan. 2022 shooting death of Stephon Mack, who was gunned down while leaving the Youth Peace Center of Roseland. FBI officials say Mack was the alleged leader of the Smashville faction of the wider Gangster Disciples gang network.
According to the filing, Durk’s brother, Dontay “DThang” Banks, was shot and killed outside the now-closed Club O in Harvey, a suburb of Chicago, in 2021. Based on the filing, a Gangster Disciples member who was reportedly connected to Smashville carried out the killing of DThang. In 2023, a federal agent wrote in a statement that Durk was offering a cash reward to anyone who could locate his brother’s killers.
Lil Durk is alleged to have ordered a cross-country hit on rival Quando Rondo after an affiliate of Rondo shot and killed King Von. In retaliation, investigators believe Durk ordered members of his crew to take out Rondo but instead ended up killing Rondo’s cousin, Lul Pab in Los Angeles.
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Lil Durk has entered a not guilty plea in his murder-for-hire case in California this week, setting the stage for an upcoming trial that has been set for the top of next year. Lil Durk is accused of ordering members of his OTF (Only The Family) collective to carry out a revenge killing in response to the shooting death of King Von.
The Chicago Tribune reports that Lil Durk, 32, was in a Los Angeles court on Thursday (November 14) for his arraignment in connection to the death of a family member of rival Quando Rondo. One of Rondo’s associates shot and killed Dayvon “King Von” Bennett in 2020 during an altercation in Atlanta, Ga.
Durk was initially arrested three weeks ago near a Miami airport where he was allegedly attempting to leave the country on a flight bound for Italy and according to reports, Durk was booked for three international flights on private airplanes.
The Tribune adds in its reporting that Durk is being held in a federal prison in California and prosecutors want him to remain jailed until his trial, which is set for January 7, 2025. The prosecutors in the case are stating that Durk is a potential flight risk and a danger to the community.
Lil Durk is accused of allegedly putting five OTF members on the task of taking out Quando Rondo after rapper Timothy “Lul Tim” Leeks shot and killed King Von. Charges against Lul Tim were later dropped according to Georgia’s “stand-your-ground” laws.
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Lil Durk and his ongoing legal woes that led to his arrest are mounting after new information provided additional details connected to an alleged murder-for-hire plot. With the Chicago rapper already facing serious charges, two additional charges were handed down as Lil Durk awaits his fate.
In a press release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Central District of California last Friday (November 8), it was revealed that Lil Durk, 32, will face two additional charges connected to the brazen 2022 shooting at the Beverly Center shopping mall in Los Angeles.
From the Justice Department’s public relations hub:
Durk Banks, 32, a.k.a. “Lil Durk,” “Blood,” and “Mustafa Abdul Malak,” of Chicago, is charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of use of interstate facilities to commit murder-for-hire resulting in death, and one count of using, carrying, and discharging firearms and a machine gun and possession of such firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence resulting in death.
The indictment adds two felony charges against Banks, who previously was charged via criminal complaint in this case.
The four-count superseding indictment, returned late Thursday, adds Banks as the lead defendant to a previous indictment returned October 17 and charging the following defendants in connection with the August 2022 murder:
The other defendants named in the press release were Kavon London Grant, 28, a.k.a. “Cuz” and “Vonnie,” of Atlanta, Deandre Dontrell Wilson, 33, a.k.a. “DeDe,” of Chicago, Keith Jones, 33, a.k.a. “Flacka,” of Gary, Indiana; David Brian Lindsey, 33, a.k.a. “Browneyez,” of Addison, Illinois; and Asa Houston, 36, a.k.a. “Boogie,” of Chicago.
Lil Durk was arrested while reportedly looking to leave the country on October 17 near Miami International Airport. He was ordered jailed without bond until his transfer to Los Angeles for arraignment. He was charged in the 2022 shooting death of rival Quando Rondo’s cousin, Saviay’a Robinson, aka Lul Pab, in retaliation for the 2020 death of King Von in Atlanta.
Durk and his co-defendants have not entered any pleas.
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