Buzzing Chicago artist Chance The Rapper (pictured) was instrumental in a social media campaign that led to a quieting of the escalating gun violence in the Windy City for 42 hours straight. Using Twitter to spread a message of hope, Chance partnered with his father in an ambitious mission to combat the rising murder rate in his beloved hometown.
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The campaign was largely a secret, and Chance explained the impetus behind the #SaveChicago movement in a series of tweets earlier Tuesday.
“[W]hen i was in LA My pops asked me to help with a project. He was tryin to get Community Org’s in CHI to prevent every murder on Memorial Day,” tweeted Chance.
Chance The Rapper’s tweets related to the event below:
“He had talked to Churches, Schools, Outreach Prog’s and Business’s, trying to get them to commit to saving every life possible yesterday. The plan was to get these mass numbers of people out on street corners Friday night with posters and banners with the plea “#SAVECHICAGO.”
His plan was to get radio stations like @WGCI and @Power92Chicago to say “PUT YOUR GUNS DOWN CHICAGO” every hour on the hour the wk before. all he asked of me was to say something on social media. and so i did ambiguously through tweets that hinted at an album, or a song #MAY23rd.
And even though i was outta town i checked in constantly. come to FIND OUT WE WENT 42 HOURS FROM THURSDAY TO SATURDAY NIGHT W/O ONE SHOOTING.
However, Chance would point out that on Monday, a man was killed and seven others were shot on the actual Memorial Day holiday throughout the city. There isn’t any proof that Chance and his father’s street-level campaign actually held the violence at bay, but it does give some measure of hope that the city can turn its fortunes around.
Chance posted an article from the Chicago Tribune highlighting the killing and shootings, ending it with a plea saying:
“Read that from top to bottom and then come help us #SaveChicago.”
Chance The Rapper’s 2013 breakout mixtape, “Acid Rap,” catapulted him on to the national stage. He has toured with actor/rapper Childish Gambino (Donald Glover) and has addressed gang violence in Chicago on his last release.
Goodbarz 