For almost two days, Chicago was a safer place with a little help from Chance The Rapper. When his father asked him and his brother Taylor to start a #SaveChicago anti-violence campaign for the Memorial Day weekend, they happily obliged. Even though Chano was recovering from illness and busy with performances, he made sure to tweet out info about the campaign and check in on the progress. He was happy to see that since he started the social media campaign (in partnership with radio stations, schools, churches and outreach programs), there were no reported shootings in Chicago for 42 hours. Check out his Twitter timeline during the real life Social Experiment:
May 23rd the communities of Chicago are stepping out to make out stand. #may23rd
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) May 20, 2014
May 23rd in Chicago @WGCI #putYourGunsdown
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) May 21, 2014
Save Chicago. this friday.
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) May 22, 2014
#MAY23rd We had a plan. We made our stand. We won the battle. But the WAR in CHICAGO is being LOST. http://t.co/pYuDCiJcwa
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) May 25, 2014
They’re still murdering kids in Chicago.
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) May 26, 2014
Hey @WGCI… LETS KEEP IT GOIN #SaveChicago Put The Guns Down Chicago http://t.co/pYuDCiJcwa
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) May 26, 2014
when i was in LA My pops asked me to help with a project. He was tryin to get Community Org’s in CHI to prevent every murder on Memorial Day
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) May 27, 2014
He had talked to Churches, Schools, Outreach Prog’s and Business’s, trying to get them to commit to saving every life possible yesterday
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) May 27, 2014
The plan was to get these mass numbers of people out on street corners Friday night with posters and banners with the plea “#SAVECHICAGO“
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) May 27, 2014
His plan was to get radio stations like @WGCI and @Power92Chicago to say “PUT YOUR GUNS DOWN CHICAGO” every hour on the hour the wk before
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) May 27, 2014
all he asked of me was to say something on social media. and so i did ambiguously through tweets that hinted at an album, or a song #MAY23rd
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) May 27, 2014
And even though i was outta town i checked in constantly. come to FIND OUT WE WENT 42 HOURS FROM THURSDAY TO SATURDAY NIGHT W/O ONE SHOOTING
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) May 27, 2014
not one reported shooting from the day before we stepped on those corners til the day after. http://t.co/pYuDCiJcwa
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) May 27, 2014
and when monday came this is what happened http://t.co/XUJnCgvzgN Read that from top to bottom and then come help us #SaveChicago
— Chance The Rapper (@chancetherapper) May 27, 2014
So far, he’s received kudos from fellow Chi-town champs Common, Lil Durk, Twista, Lupe Fiasco and, of course, Papa Bennett. “#may23rd came and went, and we all made it. Thank you so much Chicago. Thanks to the community organizers and Radio stations that helped. And thanks Dad for teaching us to be hands on, there is no change with us. #takingbackmycity #socialexperiment,” he said in the below Instagram post. “Chiraq” reputation aside, great things have been happening for the Windy City. On top of the 42 hour violence lull, Kanye West and Common came together to create 22,000 summer jobs for the city’s youth earlier this year. Photo Credit: Getty Images