Chief Keef Benefit Concert for baby Dillian Stopped

Chicago Rapper Chief Keef in happier times
Chicago Rapper Chief Keef in happier times

Chief Keef Benefit Concert for Baby Dillian Stopped

City Hall officials asked an East Pilsen theater not to allow a benefit concert by Chief Keef who was supposed to appear by hologram to help memorialize a toddler killed in the aftermath of a shooting, according to a spokeswoman for Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
In addition to the city, the Rev. Michael Pfleger, pastor at St. Sabina Catholic Church on the city’s South Side, also blasted the rapper for not doing more to curtail city violence.
On Saturday, Emanuel spokeswoman Kelley Quinn stated officials with Emanuel’s office reached out to urge Redmoon officials to not allow the concert by Keef, whose real name is Keith Cozart.
One could say that this is an obstruction to individual self expression regardless the intention. The government or its officials as well as clergy do not get to dictate whether or not concerts can be held or  not but here in Chicago apparently this happens.
“The mayor’s administration called Redmoon and informed them that the show by Mr. Cozart, whose music promotes violence, posed a significant public safety risk,” Quinn said.  Interestingly they fail to note that war songs promote violence as we’ll and wars kill more people than the street violence. Ku Klux Klan rallies are allowed and often result in violence.
Thirteen month old Dillan Harris,  was killed  July 11 when a car struck his stroller on a sidewalk in the 6300 block of South Ellis Avenue in the Woodlawn neighborhood. And in an effort to provide some token of apology in the form of compensation  Chief Keef  planned the concert in Dillan’s honor.
Antoine Watkins, 21, of the 8100 block of South Bennett Avenue in Chicago, was charged Monday with murder and attempting to elude police in connection with Harris’ death.
According to the Police report  Watkins was fleeing the shooting of 22 year old, Marvin Carr, a Chicago rapper known as Capo who was affiliated with Chief Keef. The shooting took place n the 7700 block of South Kingston Avenue in the South Shore neighborhood and later died.
It’s no secret that Father Pfleger does not favor rap so to learn that he  pressured the theater to cancel the show. comes of no shock.  Pfleger however has denied speaking to the Redmoon officials. On Thursday Redmoon said it would not host the concert because it did not “understand the full nature of the event.” But what exactly does that mean?  A concert is a performance for which  the audience purchases ticket to attend. A Redmoon representative said Friday the theater had no direct communication with Pfleger.
Pfleger can’t deny that on his Facebook page  earlier in the week, he  posted  that Keef shouldn’t hold a concert.
“Instead of having a concert … why doesn’t he man up and acknowledge it’s time to stop this violence and apologize for his part in it!!!! We don’t need a concert … we need PEACE,” Pfleger wrote.
The plan for the Chicago concert was to project a hologram of Chief Keef on a stage built into a parked semitrailer as the rapper sang on a soundstage in Beverly Hills, Calif.
David’s company Hologram USA also planned to live-stream the concert on filmon.com and charge a $50 minimum donation to attend, Hologram USA spokesman Owen Phillips said. Any money raised at the concert, and matched by Chief Keef and David, reportedly would to go to the family of the boy. The memorial concert has been met with skepticism since it was first announced July 12 primarily due to Chief Keef’s association with Carr and the tie to Dillan Harris’ death.
Chief Keef has a history of concert failures, including a 2014 concert in Cicero that was canceled amid security concerns.
Organizers said Chief Keef couldn’t attend the concert in person because of outstanding warrants out for him. Records show a July 2014 warrant out for nonpayment of child support and a warrant issued last year out of Lake County for driving under the influence of drugs.
Meanwhile, David, an entrepreneur, recently announced a stunt to pay $250,000 to anyone who would run naked in front of Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
 Redmoon was also behind last year’s failed Great Chicago Fire Festival.
, Chief Keef said he has plans to help stop violence in Chicago, in a statement he issued to the media Monday.
“I’m with the ‘Stop The Violence’ campaign. That’s why I paintball now. Everybody go pick up some paintball lessons, go to the field. I think it’s a big deal to do that. It’s crazy back home. I’m glad to be someone that people can look up to and listen to. I’m glad that I can be able to change the situation and the scenery that’s going on around Chicago. I love my city still,” his statement read.
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