Apr 29, 2024 - News

Chief Keef to return to Chicago area for Summer Smash

Justin Kaufmann

Photo of a hologram of a man performing on stage — Chief Keef performed as a hologram at Wolf Lake Park Hammond, Indiana, in 2015. The show was shut down after the first song. Photo: E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

Chief Keef is headlining Lyrical Lemonade's Summer Smash festival in June, which will mark the controversial Chicago rapper's first local performance in almost a decade.

Why it matters: The notorious drill rap artist was effectively banned by Chicago authorities due to fears of violence and crime at his shows. But that's not stopping the Bridgeview music festival from bringing him back.

Flashback: Keef put Chicago drill on the hip-hop map with hits "I Don't Like" and "Love Sosa." In 2012, he was sentenced to house arrest for a weapons charge, which kept him from performing.

He was accused of mocking the death of a rival rapper in 2012 and was later banned from social media sites after reportedly posting an explicit photo.
Keef's last area show happened in Hammond in 2015 via hologram and was shut down.

If you go: The suburban outdoor festival, featuring other huge names like Travis Scott and Big Sean, will take place June 14-16..

The bottom line: City officials may not like Chief Keef, but he pioneered a unique style of Chicago hip-hop that's now recognized internationally.

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Chief Keef to return to Chicago area for Summer Smash

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