Chief Keef Performs In Chicago For First Time In Over A Decade

Chief Keef returned to the Chicago stage for the first time in over a decade. Headlining the 2024 Lyrical Lemonade’s Summer Smash Festival, the rapper was able to perform in his hometown for the first time since Lollapalooza in 2012.

“He’s so integrated in Chicago and the Hip-Hop and music scene here. To bring him back home, in a way that feels like a true celebration,” explained Lyrical Lemonade founder Cole Bennett to NBC Chicago ahead of the festival. “I truly think it will be one of the more memorable, iconic, talked about moments. Not just Hip-Hop, live event history, but music history in general.”

The performance included tracks from the 28-year-old’s latest project Almighty So 2, and appearances from G Herbo, Ballout, Tadoe, Doo Wo, and his daughter Kay Kay, who was dedicated a track on the rapper’s 2012 debut album Finally Rich. Additionally, Chief Keef delivered fan-favorite tracks such as “Faneto” and “I Don’t Like” for the first time in the windy city.

Chief Keef’s absence from Chicago stages in the past twelve years was not a creative or artistic choice. Despite being one of its biggest stars, the city hindered Sosa’s efforts due to reported “fearmongering” from politicians related to local gang violence, reported Mark Braboy for Complex.

Before his Lyrical Lemonade homecoming, the closest Chief Keef got to performing in Chicago, after his mainstream breakout, was in 2015 when he performed at Craze Fest in Hammond, Ind. via hologram. The “Stop The Killing” concert, held after two teenagers were killed, was shut down in minutes.

At the time, then Hammond Mayor Thomas M. McDermott detailed to Billboard, “I don’t even know Chief Keef. But in my opinion, he glamorizes gang-lifestyle, anti-cop, anti-women, pro drug-use. This was a public venue and surrounded by a residential neighborhood. We don’t want to invite the possibility of some of the gangs that are terrorizing Chicago right now to come to Northwest Indiana.”

According to Complex, it was the second hologram performance from the rapper to be shut down that month, with former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel labeling the “3hunna” performer “an unacceptable role model.”

“Keef became the poster child for not only crime but also success in Hip-Hop, when it came to violence in Chicago,” explained Merk Murphy, Chief Keef’s co-manager, to Complex. “Chicago wanted to make him the face of violence while the rest of the world wanted to make him the face of a new genre of music.”

Although the efforts to keep Chief Keef from performing in Chicago were temporarily successful, those working with the rapper ripped through red tape, settled legal issues, and pushed through setbacks to make magic happen.

“His team outside of me did a great job in reconciling things as far as understanding what obstacle was in the way,” added Cheo Patrick, a crisis manager for Keef.

“[It’s] is a great sign of maturity on his part to go back and look over everything and be ahead of the game with that stuff based on where he was and what he had to deal with so that these judges can look at him from a human standpoint vs. a name on a piece of paper.”

For longtime fans unable to catch Sosa at Summer Smash, Lyrical Lemonade, SPKRBX, and GMGT Management are collaborating on a documentary about Chief Keef’s return with Kenya Barris, per Complex.

Additionally, the Chief Keef kicks off A Lil Tour next month with planned stops in Boston, Los Angeles, Detroit, Atlanta, and more. The tour supports the aforementioned Almighty So 2 which features G Herbo, Sexyy Red, Tierra Whack, Quavo, and more across 15 tracks.

Take a look at Chief Keef’s A Lil Tour dates below and find ticketing information on the official website.

A LIL TOUR 2024 DATES: 
July 16 | Boston, MA | MGM Music Hall at Fenway
July 18 | Grand Rapids, MI | GLC Live at 20 Monroe
July 19 | Minneapolis, MN | Armory
July 22 | Detroit, MI | Fillmore Detroit
July 24 | Brooklyn, NY | Brooklyn Paramount
July 25 | Washington, DC | Echostage
July 26 | Philadelphia, PA | The Fillmore Philadelphia
July 27 | Charlotte, NC | The Fillmore Charlotte
July 29 | Atlanta, GA | Coca-Cola Roxy
July 31 | Jacksonville, FL | Daily’s Place
August 2 | Miami Beach, FL | The Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theatre
August 5 | Houston, TX | 713 Music Hall
August 6 | Dallas, TX | South Side Ballroom
August 9 | Denver, CO | Fillmore Auditorium
August 10 | Los Angeles, CA | Hollywood Palladium
August 11 | Phoenix, AZ | Arizona Financial Theatre
August 13 | San Francisco, CA | The Midway

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