It seems like every time Keith Cozart tries to do something, it constantly blows up in his face. After two cancellations from the police and city governments, one in Chicago, Ill. and the other in Hammond, Ind., Chief Keef still plans to have a benefit concert to raise money for charity later this fall.
The “Faneto” artist and Alki David, a billionaire backer and creator of FilmOn.com, plan to host the event in September billed as the “Stop The Killing Now Benefit Concert,” which will be held not only in the Chi, but simultaneously in New York and Los Angeles. The concert aims to raise money for Chi-town charities and organizations working to put an end to the violence in the city and the families of his affiliate Capo, and a 13-month-old who was killed in a hit and run.
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The concert was met with a lot of resistance from Chicago mayor, Rahm Emmanuel who considers Keef to be “an unacceptable role model.” Emmanuel also said the concert “posed a significant public safety risk.” After the city shut it down, Keef later announced it to be at a “secret location,” which was later revealed to be Hammond, Ind. After only four minutes into the show, the city’s mayor, Thomas M. McDermott Jr., had the event shut down by law enforcement.
In an article from Billboard, McDermott stated, “I don’t even know Chief Keef, but in my opinion, he glamorizes gang-lifestyle, anti-cop, anti-women, pro drug-use. This was a public venue and surrounded by a residential neighborhood. We don’t want to invite the possibility of some of the gangs that are terrorizing Chicago right now to come to Northwest Indiana.”
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The three way concert will still stream from FilmOn.com and will be held at the Chicago Theater in the Windy City. However there are new complications arising. Billboard reports that New York’s Madison Square Garden will now be severing its ties with the event altogether. This also adds the possibility that the concert in Chicago may be cancelled as an added consequence since MSG owns the Chicago Theater.
David issued a statement via Billboard stating, “Andrew Lusgarten and his team from Madison Sq Gardens were on the phone with us earlier this week and they couldn’t be more excited about getting into the Hologram USA business. I mentioned Keef to them and his controversial image but they didn’t seem to mind,” he says. “We had a verbal agreement to build the partnership and ‘agreed to agree on the exact terms’ but basically agreed to move forward with a mid September show as the first in a series Hologram USA specials.”
David added, “Apparently since doing their research The Madison Square Gardens people have bought into Rahm Emanuel’s disturbing disregard for the 1st amendment rights. Personally I feel disappointed and but not surprised. Regardless the show will go on.”