Chief Keef Mocks Rival's Shooting Death On Twitter
By Chuck Sudo in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 6, 2012 2:15PM
Chicago rising star teen rapper Chief Keef is facing criticism from fans and a possible investigation by the Chicago Police Department today after he supposedly mocked the shooting death of a rival rapper on his Twitter feed.
Joseph Coleman, aka “Lil JoJo,” was riding double on a bicycle in the Englewood neighborhood on the South side when he was killed in a drive-by shooting Tuesday night. Witnesses say six or seven shots were fired from a tan, older model Ford Taurus. Coleman was struck in the back and later died outside a nearby home.
Coleman was engaged in a gang-related war of words with rapper Lil Reese, a member of Chief Keef’s “300 squad” and recently released a diss track online called "3hunnak." In the video below the song plays over graphic images of young men and boys holding semi-automatic weapons.
After Coleman’s murder an update was posted to Chief Keef’s (real name Keith Cozart) Twitter feed.
Its Sad Cuz Dat Nigga Jojo Wanted To Be Jus Like Us #LMAO
— CampaignSosa300 (@ChiefKeef) September 5, 2012
Keef later updated his Twitter feed to claim it was hacked, although the tweet is still up. “If u dnt talk 2 me or dro my manager... it’s not real” His manager, Rovan Manuel, told the Chicago Sun-Times he was unaware of what had transpired or why his phone was ringing off the hook until the Sun-Times told him about the tweet and that Keef had posted Manuel’s phone number on his Twitter feed.
Chief Keef also set his sights on Lupe Fiasco, who was critical of the teen rapper during an appearance on a Baltimore radio station a few days prior. Lupe was discussing the increase in Chicago’s murder rate this year.
“Chief Keef scares me,” Fiasco had said. “Not him specifically, but just the culture that he represents.” He decried the rising murder rate in his hometown and said, “You see who’s doing it and perpetrating it, they all look like Chief Keef.”
Keef responded with this tweet.
Lupe fiasco a hoe ass nigga And wen I see him I'ma smack him like da lil bitch he is #300
— CampaignSosa300 (@ChiefKeef) September 5, 2012
Chief Keef recently signed a record label deal with Interscope Records, but his lengthy rap sheet for someone so young has become part of the marketing behind him. Keef was under house arrest on a gun charge when he signed his label deal and his songs are often punctuated with gun shots. Yet Keef isn't even the youngest rapper telling stark tales of violence in Chicago's South side. Thirteen-year-old rapper Lil Mouse recently released a track called "Get Smoked" where he's seen with others holding guns and making it rain with a stack of dollar bills.
In response to the increase in violence in Chicago, a group called the Black Youth Project released a 14-song CD called "The Pledge Mixtape" featuring socially conscious Chicago rappers like Lupe Fiasco, Rhymefest and Psalm One to use hip hop as a positive tool for change. "The Pledge Mixtape" can be downloaded here.