‘We Pieced a Masterpiece Together’: Lil Durk’s Managers Talk Crafting His ‘Deep Thoughts’ Album While He Was Behind Bars
Flashback to Oct. 19, 2024: Lil Durk was celebrating his 32nd birthday and hosted his first Birthday Bash concert a day later, taking over the United Center in Chicago, and left inspired to revamp what became his Deep Thoughts album.
However, less than a week later, the Chitown rapper’s universe was flipped upside down when he was arrested in South Florida on federal murder for hire charges tied to a 2022 shooting allegedly targeting Quando Rondo that left another individual dead at a Los Angeles gas station.
Enter Cedrick “SB” Earsery and Kelvin Sherman, Durk’s managers, who were left picking up the pieces and tasked with delivering Deep Thoughts while having limited communication with the OTF leader behind bars in MDC Los Angeles.
“[Lil Durk] was at a space in life where he was just ready for elevation and transitioning,” Earsery tells Billboard. “He was getting toward religion more. He got married last year on Father’s Day. He was in a new place. He had went to rehab and [was] bettering himself.”
Earsery has known Durk since he was about nine years old and was the rapper’s first manager while returning to the role close to two years ago. Sherman came into the team’s mix around the time Durk was rolling out his 2023 album, Almost Healed.
The duo worked in collaboration with in-house A&R DJ Bandz, Durk’s engineer Justin (Jusvibes) and Fred Foster on the creative direction side to execute Durk’s vision to the fullest extent for Deep Thoughts, which arrived on Friday (March 28) – about five months after the rapper’s arrest.
“Everything was with [Durk’s], blessing so we were definitely making sure he was present in all of this with phone calls,” Sherman says. “Even though we tweaked some things, the bulk of this is really Durk. We wanted to make sure it sat in the intention he went when he set out.”
What started off as the next installment of Durk’s fan-favorite Love Songs for the Streets series developed into what eventually became Deep Thoughts. Durk seemed to be intentional with every couplet while showcasing his entire artistic repertoire. The rapper’s latest includes wistful trap anthems ruminating on his trials and tribulations, as well as menacing drill tracks and more melodic songs tapping into his romantic side to cater to his female fan base — all of which were run by Durk’s legal team before heading to streaming services.
“We went into the hard drive and listened to the stuff that might fit the direction that we’re going and we pieced a masterpiece together,” SB proclaims.
Guest appearances from Future, Lil Baby, Jhené Aiko and Hunxho are sprinkled in throughout Deep Thoughts, and were all completed prior to Durk’s arrest. Sherman recalls Durk being ecstatic when Aiko’s celestial vocals came in as he bumped the duet “1,000 times” on repeat at the studio around his birthday last year.
“I feel [the] weight of responsibility because fans are gonna cook us,” Sherman adds of the pressure to nail the project. “They gonna be like, ‘It’s y’all fault! Y’all should’ve been communicating with him the best.’”
The Recording Industry Association of America quelled Sherman and SB’s worries heading into release day when the RIAA announced on Thursday (March 27) that Durk collected another 53 plaques, giving him the most certifications of any rapper in 2025 and placing him among the top 50 artists of all-time with 52.5 million units.
SB spoke with Durk a day before our interview and claims the rapper’s “mindset is good, very positive” from behind bars. “He’s happy with how things are going,” he adds.
With plenty of heat in the stash, a deluxe for Deep Thoughts is in the works. While nothing is confirmed on that front, Durk’s management team wants to keep his name alive heading into his trial, which has been pushed back to October. Durk has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges against him.
“A lot of people miss him in the marketplace,” Earsery states. “We got his career in our hands, and he’s trusting us to [tend to] that.”
Michael Saponara
Billboard
