July 22--Chicago rapper Chief Keef plans to hold a benefit concert Saturday to memorialize a toddler killed in the aftermath of shooting despite city officials thwarting his last effort to appear at another local venue.
The rapper posted a video to Instagram announcing the show this Saturday, though it's not clear from the video where the concert might be held.
"Banned by the mayor of Chicago," the voice booms. "Chief Keef, from a secret Chicago location, live via hologram, collecting for charity. Stop the violence now."
A spokesman for event host Hologram USA declined to release details about the show. Representatives of the city of Chicago didn't immediately respond for a request for comment.
Earlier plans for the concert involved having Chief Keef, whose real name is Keith Cozart, perform from California and have his hologram appear on a stage built into a parked semitrailer.
The concert was planned as a benefit for the family of Dillan Harris, a 13-month-old who police say was hit by a car sought in connection with a fatal shooting that had happened moments earlier.
The person who had been shot, Marvin Carr, rapped under the name Capo and was affiliated with Chief Keef.
The memorial concert was met with some skepticism. Among Chief Keef's major detractors has been the Rev. Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Church on Chicago's South Side.
"I've had the same stance since the beginning of this thing," Pfleger said Wednesday. "If Chief Keef is calling to stop violence, that's great. But his music and Instagram and Facebook pictures have to reflect the consistency of that. You can't say, 'Stop the violence,' but promote it in your music."
Concert organizers postponed the event, which was initially planned to be held at Redmoon Theater in the city's East Pilsen neighborhood. Redmoon officials said they did not "understand the full nature of the event."
Hologram USA CEO Alki David accused Pfleger of meddling, claiming in a written statement last week the clergyman "bullied the owner of the downtown theater to back out of his contract." Pfleger denies having communication with organizers, though he said people have encouraged him to speak with Chief Keef. Pfleger said he remains open-minded to that.
"The question is going to be, is this real change?" Pfleger said. "Both of these, the 13-month-old and the young man, are two lives lost. Let's not use this tragedy to promote a concert, to be a one-time saint.
"Is this a real shift? If this is, I'll be the first to say congratulations."
Relatives of the slain toddler held funeral services on Saturday. The concert hasn't been a topic of discussion, said Dillan's cousin James Perkins, who described the controversy over the event as a "sideshow."
"Right now, everyone's still grieving," Perkins said.
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 this newest 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 skipping a pretrial hearing in a case where he is charged with driving under the influence of drugs.
Tracy Swartz and Peter Nickeas contributed.
tbriscoe@tribpub.com
