At a hip-hop festival called Craze Fest in Hammond, Indiana, just outside of Chicago, rapper Chief Keef appeared on stage as a hologram. But his Saturday night performance only lasted one song before the police shut it down.
Chief Keef, born Keith Cozart, originally planned to hold a benefit concert for his friend and a toddler who were both killed during a shooting this month. The concert was to be held at a theater in Chicago, but Mayor Rahm Emmanuel's office reportedly pressured the theater to cancel the event, according to the Chicago Tribune. The New York Times says the mayor's office called Chief Keef "an unacceptable role model" whose music "promotes violence."
Instead, Chief Keef told his fans that he would perform at an undisclosed location and enlisted Hologram USA to help him appear virtually rather than physically, citing outstanding warrants for his arrest in Illinois. Fans weren't told Chief Keef would be performing in Hammond at Wolf Lake Pavilion as part of Craze Fest until 9pm that night.
According to the Chicago Tribune, Chief Keef performed his hit "I Don't Like" [remix and NSFW] from a sound studio in Beverly Hills, California. "[He] was talking about putting a stop to violence when the power was cut off. Police rushed toward the stage, turning the music off about 10:25pm. Shining flashlights, they ordered concertgoers to leave. Fans who gathered Saturday left the grounds in an orderly fashion, though disappointed."
Wanted in Illinois, appeared as a hologram in Indiana, still shut down by police. Good thing for him he was in California.
Additional material from the BBC.
(Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Tuesday July 28 2015, @09:31PM
I get the whole fire in a crowded theater trope, blah, blah, blah. But really listen to what you just said. It gives authorities carte blanche censorship privileges and I'm pretty sure that's not what was intended when the Bill of Rights was written. I suppose we can soon toss the 1st Amendment on the bonfire of all the others.
When I think about it, I would rather live in a country were people are free to express their opinions without being gulaged. Even Keef -- I listened to about 10 seconds of the song linked above and it's totally not for me, but I'm not the arbiter of all musical taste and nobody should be. Secondly, whatever opinions he expresses in that song should be protected speech, but we do happen to live in a country where a US Citizen's expression of unpopular opinions can get you drone bombed to death without trial (*) in clear violation of the Constitution, so shredding the First isn't much more of a step.
(*) Anwar Awlaki (sp?) -- remember, the only evidence the public has to support his execution, was youtube postings, i.e. shit he said. Everything else is unsupported bare accusation by the Executive branch -- that's not evidence, that's accusation, just like I can accuse you of being dog fucker -- accusations aren't truth, aren't factual, and can be totally made up for any reason, just like I made up one here. This is exactly like being put to death by an arresting cop without trial and then he or she gets off by saying it was justified, and no you can't evaluate the evidence yourself. Talk about an anti-freedom system.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Wednesday July 29 2015, @01:03AM
Straw man. At what point do I say that authorities should not be fully accountable?
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Wednesday July 29 2015, @10:56PM
What straw man [wikipedia.org]? You said: "Public safety trumps 1st amendment every time."
I interpret "every" as "carte blanche".
Secondly, "public safety" in this instance is clearly rooted an executive pronouncement by a mayor and the cops under him.
So my thoughts don't seem like straw at all, more like a logical conclusion, specifically, that if the 1st Amendment can be trumped every time a mayor/governor/president declares sometime a public safety issue, the 1st Amendment carries no weight.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Sunday August 09 2015, @08:35PM
> It gives [...]
No it doesn't.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves