'Love Sosa': This 1983 Box-Office Banger Was the Inspiration Behind Chief Keef's Nickname
Chief Keef adopted his moniker, Sosa, early on in his career. The rapper has become known for the alias, which was inspired by a box office hit.
By D.M.Dec. 14 2023, Published 6:41 p.m. ET
Rapper Chief Keef has become synonymous with his nickname, Sosa.
Born Keith Cozart in Chicago, Chief Keef rose to fame in the early 2010s after releasing a series of popular mixtapes. He got his big break in 2012 with the song “I Don’t Like,” featuring Lil Reese.
The song earned Chief Keef his first Billboard Hot 100 entry, peaking at No. 73. He later signed with Interscope Records and went on to release his debut studio album, Finally Rich.
Chief Keef attends the 2023 BET Awards.
Chief Keef enjoyed moderate success with his freshman attempt.
The album premiered at No. 29 on the Billboard 200 chart, with its lead single, “Love Sosa,” reaching the 56th spot.
Chief has all but claimed the moniker for his own, but some fans may still be curious about where the name came from. Read on to find out!
What does “Sosa” mean?
Recording artist Chief Keef backstage at Gramercy Theatre.
Chief Keef has always referred to himself as Sosa, drawing parallels between his journey and that of a powerful drug lord.
The nickname is a nod to Paul Shenar’s character in the 1983 movie, Scarface. In the classic film, Paul plays a character named Alejandro Sosa – who is a feared kingpin and Tony Montana’s largest supplier.
The movie is a rag-to-riches story that saw Tony go from a Cuban immigrant to the ruler of Miami’s drug scene and Sosa played a key role in his mission.
Chief Keef seemingly adopted this alias as a reflection of his own ambitions, mirroring the fictional Sosa’s unrelenting pursuit of success and dominance.
Chief Keef further solidified Scarface’s influence on his music when he dropped the 2021 track “Tony Montana Flow.”
In the song, Chief Keef further compares his life to the fictional drug empire run by Alejandro Sosa. “Just in case the opps see me and be like, ‘There go Sosa,’” he raps. “Got a warrant, the cops saw me, like, ‘Let's go, Sosa.’”
However, Chief Keef is not the only rapper to reference the famed movie drug lord in his music. Future also has a song titled, “Tony Montana.”
In 2007, Lil Wayne released “Scarface” as a part of his Carter 3 Sessions (The Drought Is Over) mixtape while Tupac shouted out the fictional character in the music video for his 1995 hit “Gangsta Party.”
Where is Chief Keef now?
Chief Keef performs onstage at The Novo by Microsoft on May 22, 2019
Chief Keef’s career has been littered with problems.
According to Time Out, the Chicago-born drill rapper had more than six encounters with law enforcement from 2011 to 2013. The MC has been arrested for disorderly conduct, failure to produce child support payments, and speeding.
In 2014, the “Hate Bein’ Sober” lyricist was admitted to rehab for substance abuse. He opened up about the ordeal in an interview with Billboard and explained that he felt trapped by the experience.
“It’s like being locked up,” he said. “And when I’m locked up, I don’t want anybody to come see me. I won’t let my family come here. I haven’t seen my two-year-old daughter.”
Unfortunately for Chief Keef, his troubles did not end there. According to TMZ, a bench warrant was issued for the rapper’s arrest in November 2022 after he failed to appear in court.
