Earlier this month, Chicago rapper Chief Keef announced a benefit concert following the deaths of Melvin "Capo" Carr, an affiliated rapper, and a 1-year-old boy who was struck and killed by the getaway car used by the assailants in Carr's murder. Due to a set of outstanding warrants against Chief Keef, formally known as Keith Cozart, he isn't able to leave Los Angeles, so he came up with the plan to perform via hologram.
The performance was quickly called off by the city, and after the venue was changed to Hammond, Indiana, police shut it down.
Seemingly frustrated with the powers that be in Chicago, Cozart has announced that he'll be running for mayor of the city.
I'm running for mayor of Chicago..... Vote for me!!!! It'll be the best thing done yet!!!!! Yall gonna love me in the Office.....
— AlmightySo (@ChiefKeef) July 27, 2015
The 19-year-old Englewood native , whose hits include "Bitches Love Sosa" and "Shit I Don't Like," has plenty of time to develop a campaign strategy. The next mayoral election won't take place until 2019.
Both the mayor's office and the Hammond Police Department have received a good amount of pushback after shutting down Cozart's performances. The concerts were intended to be fundraisers for the families of the two murder victims. Chief Keef might not have the best reputation for endorsing peace in Chicago, but then again, that stigma also applies to dozens of artists playing at music festivals across the city this summer.
As Neil Steinberg of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote, "The mayor’s office said a Keef concert 'posed a public safety risk.' So does the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. So does traffic. So does Lollapolooza, but that’s a bunch of white kids, so the risk is acceptable."
In any case, Cozart's promise to run for mayor is almost certainly in jest and is a good poke at Rahm Emanuel, who hasn't exactly done much to curb violence in Chicago since he took office.