What Is Lil Durk's Net Worth?
Lil Durk is an American rap artist who has a net worth of $8 million. Lil Durk emerged from Chicago's drill music scene in the early 2010s, releasing his breakout mixtapes like "Life Ain't No Joke" (2012) and "Signed to the Streets" (2013). His raw lyrics about street life in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood and melodic delivery style helped establish him as a pioneer of the drill movement alongside Chief Keef.
After signing to Def Jam in 2014, Durk released his debut album "Remember My Name" (2015). However, his career reached new heights after founding his Own The Light Nation (OTF) label and signing with Alamo Records. His 2020 album "Just Cause Y'all Waited 2" and Drake collaboration "Laugh Now Cry Later" marked a major commercial breakthrough. The albums "The Voice" (2020) and "7220" (2022) further cemented his mainstream success. His 2023 album "Almost Healed" was led by the single "All My Life." The song, which featured J. Cole, won a Grammy Award for Best Melodic Rap Performance. He released the album "Deep Thoughts" in 2024.
Unfortunately, Lil Durk's career has been marked by a number of legal controversies. On October 24, 2024, Lil Durk was arrested by U.S. marshals in Florida on charges of conspiring to kill a rival artist in a murder-for-hire plot. He was accused of ordering the murder of a Georgia rapper named Quando Rondo, real name Tyquian Bowman. Durk allegedly put a bounty on Bowman after an associate of Bowman allegedly killed King Von in 2020. King Von was one of Durk's closest friends and collaborators.
Early Life
Lil Durk was born Durk D. Banks on October 19, 1992, in Chicago, Illinois. He grew up in the tough neighborhood of Englewood on Chicago's South Side. His father went to prison when Durk was just seven months old. Durk has recalled that there were times when there was not enough food in his home when he was growing up.
Durk had his first breakthrough at a young age through social media, across channels like MySpace and YouTube. He became a father for the first time at age 17 and dropped out of Paul Robeson High School to join a street gang in Chicago called the Black Disciples. He began to run into trouble with the law and was brought up on multiple gun charges, pleading guilty to aggravated unauthorized use of a weapon.
(Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
Career
Lil Durk released his first mixtape in 2011. Unfortunately, he was sent to jail around the same time on weapons charges. After being released a few months later, he returned to focusing on his rap career. He released a second mixtape, "I'm Still a Hitta," in 2012. His track, "Sneak Dissin'," began to gain attention, and he began guest-performing on other artists' tracks, including Lil Reese, Fredo Santana, King Louie, and Chief Keef. He released another mixtape in 2012.
He began to gain wider notice in 2013, releasing another mixtape, "Signed to the Streets," and guest performing on tracks by Jim Jonez, Trae da Truth, and Chinx Drugz, among other artists. In 2013, "Rolling Stone" named "Signed to the Streets" the 8th Best Mixtape of the Year. He was sent back to jail in early 2013 but was released in mid-summer. He subsequently signed with Def Jam Records and released his debut studio album, "Remember My Name," in 2015. The album reached #2 on the US Rap and US R&B/Hip-Hop charts and #14 on the "Billboard" 200 chart.
Lil Durk released his second studio album, "Lil Durk 2x," in 2016, and it reached #4 on the US Rap chart, #5 on the US R&B/Hip-Hop chart, and #29 on the "Billboard" 200 chart. His most successful single, "My Beyonce" (featuring Dej Loaf), reached #21 on the US Rap chart. Lil Durk has also collaborated with several other artists, including Meek Mill, French Montana, Travi$ Scott, will.i.am Young Thug, Boosie Badazz, RiFF RaFF, and more.
In April 2020, Durk hit the "Billboard" Hot 100 for the first time when he released his single "Viral Moment" off his fifth studio album, 2020's "Just Cause Ya'll Waited 2." Lil Durk saw more commercial success with singles such as "3 Headed Goat" featuring Polo G and Lil Baby, as well as "Backdoor" and "The Voice." His joint album with Lil Baby, "The Voice of the Heroes," was released in 2021 and became his first release to debut at the top of the "Billboard" 200 charts. In August 2021, Lil Durk appeared as a guest on Kanye West's tenth studio album, "Donda." His 2022 release, "7220," became his second consecutive #1 album. Lil Durk has earned four Grammy nominations, winning Best Melodic Rap Performance for "All My Life" (featuring J. Cole) from his 2023 album "Almost Healed."
Personal Life
Lil Durk is a practicing Muslim. His father, Dontay Banks Sr., served two life sentences without parole. The details have never been disclosed. Durk is the father of six children, each from a different mother. His kids are named Angelo, Bella, Zayden, Du'mier, Skylar, and Willow.
In 2021, Lil Durk became engaged to Instagram model India Royale.
Tragedies
In May 2014, Durk's cousin, rapper McArthur "OTF Nunu" Swindle," was murdered. In March 2015, Durk's friend and manager, Uchenna OTF Chino Dolla Agina, was shot dead. On November 6, 2020, Lil Durk's close friend, King Von, was also murdered in Atlanta. On June 6, 2021, Durk's brother, Dontay "DThang" Banks Jr., was tragically killed at a Chicago nightclub. In July 2021, Durk was the victim of a home invasion. He and his fiancé exchanged gunfire with the suspects, and the suspects fled the scene. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
Legal Drama
Lil Durk continued to run into trouble with the law after his 2011 weapon charge. After he was released on bond, he was sent back to serve an additional 87 days. On June 5, 2013, he was arrested again on South Green Street in Chicago after he was accused of throwing a loaded handgun into his car when approached by police. Lil Durk was held on a $100,000 bond. His lawyer claimed to have nine witness affidavits that confirmed Durk's innocence, with one witness admitting the gun was his. Durk was released in July 2013.
In September 2015, mere hours before a scheduled concert at the Theatre of Living Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, there was a shootout that tragically left one man dead and left Lil Durk's tour bus damaged by gunfire. Durk was reportedly not involved and was not arrested or questioned by police. In August 2016, he was arrested on felony gun charges; the judge subsequently dropped the charges, and Durk was cleared.
In June 2019, Durk and King Von were arrested on attempted murder charges. The two men, according to prosecutors, robbed and shot a man outside of a busy Atlanta drive-in. They allegedly robbed the man over a Jeep Cherokee and $30,000. After a few weeks in jail, Durk and Von were released on bonds of $250,000 and $300,000. In October 2022, the charges were dismissed.
2024 Murder-For-Hire Arrest
On October 24, 2024, Lil Durk was arrested by U.S. marshals near the Miami-Dade airport. According to an indictment that was revealed the next day, federal agents allege that Lil Durk hired a team of five men to fly to Los Angeles to murder a rival rapper named Quando Rondo, real name Tyquian Bowman. He allegedly ordered the hit against Bowman because he believed Bowman was associated with the person who killed King Von at an Atlanta nightclub in 2020. The indictment alleges that in August 2022, Durk and several associates learned that Bowman was staying at a hotel in Los Angeles. Allegedly at Durk's direction, five men then flew from Chicago to Los Angeles on commercial flights while Durk flew in from Miami on a private jet. An associate allegedly used Durk's credit card to book a hotel, rent a car, and purchase weapons for the five men. Traveling in two cars, Bowman was tracked all over Los Angeles. When he pulled into a gas station, the gunmen allegedly shot up his Cadilac Escalade. In the process, they inadvertently murdered Bowman's cousin. Bowman was unharmed. After federal agents arrested the gunmen earlier in the day on Thursday, October 24, 2024, they were alerted by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol that Lil Durk had booked one-way flights to Dubai and Switzerland and was also listed as a passenger on a private jet that was scheduled to take a one-way trip to Italy.
