Chief Keef's 'Stop the Violence' hologram performance shut down by police

The infamous rapper was raising money for the family of Dillan Harris, a 13-month-old child who was killed by a vehicle involved with a drive-by shooting

Arrest warrants aren’t just stopping Chief Keef from appearing physically in cities all over the US; they’re preventing him from appearing digitally, too.

The Kanye collaborator was booked to play a hip-hop festival in Hammond, Indiana, via hologram but after just one song, his debut single ‘I Don’t Like’, police pulled the plug and ordered concert-goers to leave. The performance was being beamed from a soundstage in Los Angeles, over 2,000 miles away.

Keef, real name Keith Cozart, was appearing at the benefit concert to raise money for the family of Dillan Harris, a 13-month-old child who was killed by a vehicle involved with the drive-by shooting of Keef’s friend Melvin Carr – better known by his stage name, Capo. Footage of the performance, in which the rapper pleads to stop violence, has appeared online, watch below.

The ‘Stop the Violence’ concert was scheduled to happen on the 17 July but was postponed due to several arrest warrants against Keef in Illinois. Cities across the US have been refusing the rapper the right to perform even via hologram, with Chicago Mayor Rahm Emmanuel cancelling one show as thought Keef was “an unacceptable role model” who posed a "significant safety risk."

According to the Chicago Tribune, Craze Fest organisers had been warned several times by Hammond police: "We spoke to the promoter several times, and they assured us [Chief Keef] would not be performing," said police commander Pat Vicari. "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."

Fans at the concert were less than impressed with the police intervention, one concert-goer, Stefanae Coleman, 17, telling the Chicago paper: “There was no violence. It was the police who did this. Everyone was happy … We went through the whole show without any problems. They just waited for Chief Keef, and that’s what irks me. (The police) do this, then they get mad that we’re mad. It’s disrespectful to us.”

To attend the concer, fans had to donate either $50 or $80 and were only told the location at 9pm, when the concert started at 10.25pm.

In a statement, organiser and executive of Hologram USA, Alki David, criticised Hammond police: "Shame on the mayor and police chief of Hammond for shutting down a voice that can create positive change in a community in desperate need. And for taking away money that could have gone to help the victims' families.

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“This was a legal event and there was no justification to shut it down besides your glaring disregard for the first amendment right to free speech. You've clearly been bullied by the proud Mayor of the Murder Capitol of the U.S., Rahm Emanuel. Mark my words if you censor us you only make us stronger. Plus we'll be back to sue your asses."

Previously, Hammond’s mayor, Thomas McDermott, had told the New York Times, he knew “nothing about Chief Keef.

“All I’d heard was he has a lot of songs about gangs and shooting people — a history that’s anti-cop, pro-gang and pro-drug use. He’s been basically outlawed in Chicago, and we’re not going to let you circumvent Mayor Emanuel by going next door.”