Chief Keef’s hologram appearance at US festival shut down by police

Rapper took novel approach to Craze Fest gig in bid to avoid arrest and raise money for slain toddler

Chief Keef‘s appearance at a festival in Indiana was shut down by police, even though the rapper was performing via hologram.

Keef appeared briefly at the Craze Fest in Hammond, Indiana last night (July 25) to help raise money for the family of a toddler who was killed earlier this month. The rapper originally wanted to hold the gig in Chicago but was forced to cancel following pressure from local authorities who said the performance “posed a significant public safety risk.”

Around 2000 people attended Craze Fest, with rappers Lil Bibby, Jacqueese, Tink and Riff Raff also on the bill. Keef was to appear via hologram from his home in Beverly Hills as he is unable to visit the Midwest due to various legal issues and warrants in his home state of Illinois.

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Keef’s appearance was designed to raise money for the family of 13-month old Dillan Harris, who was killed earlier this month by a car fleeing the scene of a shooting that killed Chief Keef associate Marvin ‘Capo’ Carr.

The rapper teased fans online throughout the day on Saturday, posting pictures of Craze Fest’s Wolf Lake Pavilion and the nearby Licoln Hall theatre as potential location’s for his hologram gig.

However, as the Chicago Tribune reports, Keef’s appearance at Craze Fest lasted just one song as police pulled the plug on the hologram. The rapper was talking to the crowd about ending violence and had just played breakout hit ‘I Don’t Like’ when the authorities arrived. Fans were ordered to leave at around 10:25pm.

Alki David, CEO of the Hologram USA company that aided Chief Keef with his performance, was left angry by the outcome.

“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,” he said in a statement.

“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. Mark my words if you censor us you only make us stronger.”

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Police have confirmed that they made no arrests related to the Craze Fest hologram.

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