It's been just over five years since Lil Durk made his debut and a lot has changed, but his work ethic has not. Durk made a name for himself alongside Chief Keef, Lil Reese and other notable drill rappers when the sub-genre peaked nationally in 2012, but has since outlasted and surpassed many of his peers. The street life Durk and associates came up knowing consumed many. Whether it was death, prison, or just their inability to distance themselves from the streets long enough to properly pursue their career in music, many of Durk's peers just didn't last in this business. Even the successful Keef hasn't released a noteworthy project in years.

Staying in the studio and staying focused has kept Durk under the Def Jam wing and generated two great albums, the most recent of which Lil Durk 2X was just released in July of this year. This weekend Lil Durk has followed up his summer release with They Forgot, a free mixtape with a tracklist that closely resembles that of an album, calling on Dej Loaf, 21 Savage, YFN Lucci and others for some big features. Durk has come a long way personally and professionally over the years, but the street life is very influential and maintains a prominent place in his music. The difference between Lil Durk and some of his counterparts is that he has the desire to leave that life behind, and perhaps the mixtape's final track is a way of doing that.

He may spend more time in studio than he does in the street these days, but don't forget where Lil Durk came from. Give They Forgot a listen if your memory is a little foggy.