Review Summary: ALL BOW TO THE GODFATHER KEEF HIMSELF!
Chief Keef is the godfather of drill music, lets get that out of the way right now. Without Chief Keef, there would be no drill scene. Chicago is a grimey ass place men. Born and raised in the now famous "O Block", named after fallen Black Disciple member Odee Perry, Keef is no stranger to violence, drugs and gangs.
Back from the Dead is the mixtape that launched this disgusting, vile and violent genre of music into the spotlight, and for good reason considering it is still the peak of Chicago drill and drill in general.
This tape is all killer and no filler. Keef isn't the best lyricist and nobody expects him to be.
Back from the Dead is an anthem for gangbangers, gun toters and drug dealers and the production is what makes it. These beats are quintessential early 2010s Chicago drill, bashing your skull in with filthy beats a la the 90s Memphis scene. You can practically hear the murders taking place on the Southside Chicago streets as these beats pierce through your flesh and into your soul. Keef's slow, almost drugged out flow is the perfect compliment to the production. Tracks such as "I Don't Know Dem", "Sosa" and "I Don't Like" are legendary street anthems that gang members all across the land can appreciate. Tales of murder and drug deals gone wrong are prevelant with lines such as "this nigga lookin' at me like he want somethin', pistol to his face if he owe somethin'" and "shots fired now a nigga fallen, we see an opp my lil' niggas off him" just go to show the headspace Keef was in during this time period.
Chief Keef has moved on to bigger and better things since this mixtape propelled him into the mainstream but
Back from the Dead remains his crowning achievement. This is him at his rawest and most "hood". Remember, he was still a 16 year old gang member at the time of this release. He was still deep in the trenches of Chicago trying to get out and this mixtape embodies that. This is drill music at it's absolute core. This is the sound of the horribly rough streets of Southside Chicago and all that comes with that life. This is pain and suffering and chaos. And above all else, it is one of the best and most authentic pieces of music ever made.
