Citing "a significant public safety risk," police halted a hologram benefit concert by rapper Chief Keef to raise money for a child killed during a hit on one of his pals in Chicago.
The show, part of Craze Fest in Hammond, Indiana, was stopped by police after the first song,
reported the Chicago Tribune. The promoter had promised Hammond the hologram concert wouldn't be shown there after being banned in Chicago.
"We spoke to the promoter several times, and they assured us (Chief Keef) would not be performing," Hammond Police Cmdr. Pat Vicari told the Tribune. "Later, an officer working the show realized it was being streamed on one of the hip-hop sites, and promoters were warned again they would be shut down.”
Chief Keef, whose real name is Keith Cozart, partnered with Hologram USA to perform at the event and was actually rapping from a soundstage in Beverly Hills, California, because there are outstanding warrants for him in Illinois.
The arrest warrants are for gun and drug charges along with allegations he hasn't paid child support, said a spokeswoman for the Cook County Sheriff's Department. The warrants are enforceable only in Illinois and Cozart cannot be extradited from California for them.
The benefit concert was originally scheduled at the Redmoon Theater in Chicago on July 17 but city officials said the rapper wasn't welcomed and asked the theater to pull the plug,
reported the Chicago Sun-Times.
"The reasons were pretty clear: Not only is he an unacceptable role model, but he promotes violence," said Kelley Quinn, a spokeswoman for Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel.
The benefit was organized to raise money for the families of 13-month-old Dillan Harris and rapper Marvin Carr, 22, who were killed July 11. A vehicle fleeing the scene of Carr's killing hit the toddler while escaping, according to the Tribune.
The Hammond concert-goers waited 6 ½ hours for the show only to see it shut down by police after one song.
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