Grefe dropped his first solo mixtape Chapter 1: The Sun & Moon on October 31, 2011. The artist then launched the website for Basement Made, his production and publication company, in mid-August 2012. He coined the slogan "it all started in the basement..." around this time. He followed the double-sided indie album up with The GRIME TAPE EP on April 8, 2013. Beef was nominated for song of the year for the 2014 Wisconsin Area Music Industry Awards as a featured artist on Anthony Lamarr's "Elevation."
