Popular rapper Chief Keef has had his benefit concert shut down by Chicago police. The police cited unspecific threats to public safety, according to Rolling Stone. The police’s decision to end the concert has made some wonder if the rapper’s First Amendment rights were violated. Chicago’s mayor Rahm Emmanuel and the mayor of the community of Hammond, IL, Thomas McDermott, have described Chief Keef in unkind tones, with Emmanuel calling the rapper “an unacceptable role model” due to his music and even said the rapper “posed a significant safety risk” to the public, even as a hologram.
Chief Keef was set to appear via hologram July 10 at the Redroom Theater in Chicago to give a benefit concert. But after the event had been announced as cancelled, but later labelled as being postponed.
An official statement about the event was released by Alki David, CEO of Hologram USA and FilmOn. The concert itself, as the Sun-Times states, was created in response to the shooting death of Chief Keef’s friend Marvin Carr (also known by his rapper name Capo) and the death of 13-month-old, Dillan Harris, died while in his stroller due to a speeding car that local police believe was fleeing a crime scene (21-year-old Antoine Watkins has been charged with the child’s death, as reported by Chicago’s NBC 5). David had agreed to match the proceeds from the event, and all money generated would be donated to the affected families.
In his statement, David directly called out Chicago pastor Rev. Michael Pfleger, who had stated previously that he believed the rapper was sending mixed messages with his foundation, Stop The Violence Now, and his music. He also took to Facebook to vent his frustrations,ending with telling the rapper to “SHUT UP!!!!!”
“Chief Keef’s Stop the Killing Now benefit concert has been postponed. The meddling, attention seeking Father Pfleger, who bullied the owner of the downtown theater to back out of his contract, will not succeed. He is exploiting this tragedy and taking money away from the victims and solid charities who are doing good work in Chicago,” said David in the statement. “Chief Keef is 19 years old and a loving father. His example of new maturity, redemption, and wanting to give back can influence young people on the South Side like no caterwauling clergyman can. We will bring Keef’s message of peace to the streets.” As the Sun-Times reports, Pfleger has called David’s statement “bizarre” and “absolutely ridiculous.”
Owen Phillips, a spokesman for David, has said Chief Keef “wants to speak out against all the violence” and that this message is “something new in Keef’s music that he’s trying to express.” Phillips also said that Keef couldn’t physically appear in Chicago because of an outstanding warrant.
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