10 Essential Lil Herb Tracks

At just nineteen years old, Herbert Wright has built quite the name of himself. The Chicago native, who goes by the name G Herbo (formerly Lil Herb), has worked with the likes of Nicki Minaj and Chance The Rapper, amongst others.

His skill has landed him a deal with the Cinematic Music Group, where he had to change his name officialy to G Herbo. His style is somewhere in between the Chicago-centric sounds of Chance The Rapper and King Louie with a healthy dose of nu-New York a la Joey Bada$$. Comparisons aside, the "Ballin Like I'm Kobe" artist is gaining respect because his style is all his own.

To get you better acquainted with G Herbo, here are his ten essential cuts.

Ballin Like I'm Kobe propelled G Herbo into a new level of popularity. "Shine," one of the mixtape's stand-out tracks displays our subject's versatility. The slacker-sung chorus might be reminiscent of Chief Keef, but his flow can be taken seriously as well.

G Herbo is comin' up because his story is worth hearing. As he tells it on "L's":

"13 - I'm in the books, I'm playing basketball
By 16 I'm cool with crooks and lettin' ratchets off
But let's rewind, go back in time, this how it happened ya'll
On the east side of the Chi, straight full of magnets ya'll"

G Herbo links up with fellow Chicago artist Lil Durk for this Balling Like I'm Kobe cut. The sound falls along the familiar Chicago style, boasting an eerie beat with lyrics of the struggle and a melodic chorus. 

 A track called "Gang" is going to go hard, especially when you're from Chicago. Alongside Lil Bibby, G Herbo delivers a fierce banger, once again from his Ballin Like I'm Kobe mixtape. 

At just 19 years old, G Herbo's rhymes often reflect that young and wreckless age:

"I was posted 30 in the toaster off of ecstasy
16 tryna get my check up, on the block freestyling
Now it's hard to hold my neck up, on the block freestyling
Niggas hate to see me in the league so they keep fouling" 

Ballin Like I'm Kobe might be the freshest mixtape, but G Herbo released two quality tapes last year as well. "Koolin" comes off the first of those two, Welcome to Fazoland.

You won't find too much toned-down, boom-bap production in Lil Herb's catalogue, but when you do stumble upon something like "Knucklehead," it's special. Alongside Earl Sweatshirt, our subject proves that he has quality bars atop an easier listen.

 Here's an impressive cut with another Chicago up-and-comer, CDot Honcho. 

This one was released right in between Pistol P Project and Ballin Like I'm Kobe. The track was better than a typical tie-us-over throw-away, and stands as one of Herbo's hardest hitting cuts.

If you aren't familiar with Herbo's "4 Minutes of Hell" series, it's time to get acquainted (part 1, part 2, part 3). While he says that part four is the last part, we certainly hope that he comes with a part five sooner than later. 

The series displays Herbo's ability to spit bars with no frills. If you doubt the Chicago MC's lyrical capabilities, at least give this one a spin before you start hatin'.