Chief Keef Faces Return to Jail Over Pitchfork's Gun Range Video | Complex
Embattled Chicago rapper Chief Keef belongs back in jail for violating his probation, prosecutors argued in juvenile court Wednesday.
With the 17-year-old rapper listening, Cook County prosecutors outlined why they think the Interscope Records artist should be returned to juvenile detention.
The rapper, whose real name is Keith Cozart, is serving 18 months of probation for pointing a gun at a Chicago cop. He was also found delinquent on two other felonies.
Prosecutors argued he violated the probation by having a gun in a video posted online. They pointed to a recorded media interview the rapper did in June at a gun range in New York, where he can be seen with a gun. That’s a probation violation, prosecutors argued, because his probation bans him from having any guns or illegal drugs or associating with gang members.
He also didn’t get his GED by the deadline set in his probation, prosecutors said.
Cook County Juvenile Court Judge Carl Anthony Walker on Wednesday decided to hold a hearing next month on two alleged probation violations by the 17-year-old.
The rapper, at one point Wednesday, was scolded by his probation officer for signing court papers “Chief Keef” instead of his real name.
He also posed for a photo with a fan in a court hallway, did a little rapping — and predicted an eventual victory.
“It’s a piece of cake,” he told a reporter.
Chief Keef drew national attention last month when his name became tied into the Chicago Police Department’s investigation into the Sept. 4 murder of a Chicago rapper, Joseph “Lil JoJo” Coleman, 18, who had clashed with Chief Keef’s allies before he was slain.
He also faced a backlash when a Tweet mocking JoJo’s death was sent out on his Twitter account. He later claimed the account was hacked.
His attorney, Dennis Berkson, acknowledged the gun range video was “stupid,” but argued it wasn’t his client’s fault because he was simply listening to advice from adults.
Berkson also apologized for the delay on the GED. He said the rapper was working on it and had switched tutors, since he was living in California recently while he was recording songs for Interscope Records.
Prosecutors cited other aggravating factors for Judge Walker to consider as well.
Assistant State’s Attorney Jullian Brevard noted that on Sept. 30, Chicago police responded to a call of a gang disturbance in the 6300 block of South King Drive and found the rapper there associating with Black Disciple gang members.
“I don’t know how he knows who is in a gang...and who is in the Boy Scouts,” Berkson responded.
The rapper has failed to provide his probation officer with a current phone number, authorities said. Prosecutors also suggested he should be taken off the streets for his own safety.
During a break in the hearing, Chief Keef lingered in the hallway, singing snippets of his raps.
One young girl, awaiting her own court hearing nearby, heard him singing, then posed with Chief Keef and her mother for a quick iPhone photo.
Berkson requested the judge allow Chief Keef to return to California Wednesday, which prosecutors sharply disagreed with.
“He is still blowing off this court. He is still doing what he wants to do,” Brevard said. The rapper’s “whole image is that he is a tough guy.”
The rapper does plan on returning to California until his Nov. 20 court hearing.
Embattled Chicago rapper Chief Keef belongs back in jail for violating his probation, prosecutors argued in juvenile court Wednesday.
With the 17-year-old rapper listening, Cook County prosecutors outlined why they think the Interscope Records artist should be returned to juvenile detention.
The rapper, whose real name is Keith Cozart, is serving 18 months of probation for pointing a gun at a Chicago cop. He was also found delinquent on two other felonies.
Prosecutors argued he violated the probation by having a gun in a video posted online. They pointed to a recorded media interview the rapper did in June at a gun range in New York, where he can be seen with a gun. That’s a probation violation, prosecutors argued, because his probation bans him from having any guns or illegal drugs or associating with gang members.
He also didn’t get his GED by the deadline set in his probation, prosecutors said.
Cook County Juvenile Court Judge Carl Anthony Walker on Wednesday decided to hold a hearing next month on two alleged probation violations by the 17-year-old.
The rapper, at one point Wednesday, was scolded by his probation officer for signing court papers “Chief Keef” instead of his real name.
He also posed for a photo with a fan in a court hallway, did a little rapping — and predicted an eventual victory.
“It’s a piece of cake,” he told a reporter.
Chief Keef drew national attention last month when his name became tied into the Chicago Police Department’s investigation into the Sept. 4 murder of a Chicago rapper, Joseph “Lil JoJo” Coleman, 18, who had clashed with Chief Keef’s allies before he was slain.
He also faced a backlash when a Tweet mocking JoJo’s death was sent out on his Twitter account. He later claimed the account was hacked.
His attorney, Dennis Berkson, acknowledged the gun range video was “stupid,” but argued it wasn’t his client’s fault because he was simply listening to advice from adults.
Berkson also apologized for the delay on the GED. He said the rapper was working on it and had switched tutors, since he was living in California recently while he was recording songs for Interscope Records.
Prosecutors cited other aggravating factors for Judge Walker to consider as well.
Assistant State’s Attorney Jullian Brevard noted that on Sept. 30, Chicago police responded to a call of a gang disturbance in the 6300 block of South King Drive and found the rapper there associating with Black Disciple gang members.
“I don’t know how he knows who is in a gang...and who is in the Boy Scouts,” Berkson responded.
The rapper has failed to provide his probation officer with a current phone number, authorities said. Prosecutors also suggested he should be taken off the streets for his own safety.
During a break in the hearing, Chief Keef lingered in the hallway, singing snippets of his raps.
One young girl, awaiting her own court hearing nearby, heard him singing, then posed with Chief Keef and her mother for a quick iPhone photo.
Berkson requested the judge allow Chief Keef to return to California Wednesday, which prosecutors sharply disagreed with.
“He is still blowing off this court. He is still doing what he wants to do,” Brevard said. The rapper’s “whole image is that he is a tough guy.”
The rapper does plan on returning to California until his Nov. 20 court hearing.
