Doodie Lo After Touring with Lil Durk: “You Gotta Stay Working”
Lil Durk’s OTF is a machine. Led by the Chicago star, OTF proves that it isn’t a one-star group. As Durkio took off across the country for his headlining 7220 Tour, he was joined by his OTF crew of rising rappers, one of which was Doodie Lo.
Doodie Lo released Big Doodie Lo in 2021, putting a light on his artistry and allowing for the recently concluded tour to be a glimpse into what would be the next level. Speaking after the 7220 Tour hit Chicago, Doodie Lo revealed what he had learned from Durk, the hurdles of the music industry, and more.
The SOURCE: Being so close to Lil Durk and King Von – what did you learn about creating music and overall how the music industry operates?
Doodie Lo: “I’m still trying to figure out how that motherfucker operates. *laughs* I’ve learned a lot about networking, meeting different artists, and building relationships with those people. I learned from Von and Durk that you gotta stay working – specifically from Von, I learned that you can be whatever you want to be.”
This tour has taken you and the OTF across the country. Now you are here in this big homecoming show. What have you learned about performing and how did you prepare for the Chicago show?
I’ve learned how to engage with the crowd and keep the crowd going. Even if the crowd is stubborn, you gotta keep going. If you can gain about two or three fans – as long as you gain a fan it’s cool. It’s all about gaining fans. When it’s time to prepare for a show, I make sure I pray a lot by myself.
How did you feel being able to be part of one of the biggest nights in Chicago rap history, in a sold-out United Center?
It felt like the playoffs when Michael Jordan was in there. We sold that bitch out. It felt good, especially the moment when I was able to bring my kids on stage. It was legendary. That was a legendary night. They always said we couldn’t always come back and perform in Chicago, but [OTF] did that – we did that up in the biggest venues in Chicago.
You released Big Doodie Lo in 2021, looking back how do you feel about that project?
Big Doodie Lo really allowed people to get a first impression of me, and I think that’s why I fucked with it most. My next project is really going to give people more of a chance to get to know me because the songs are talking about things that made me who I am today.
What more can we expect from you for the rest of this year?
I’m shooting a few videos and getting prepared for my next project. On top of that, we getting ready for that OTF compilation tape coming soon.