Tension Occurs at Slain Local Chicago Rapper Lil’ Jojo’s Funeral
By: Victor “Doc V” Trammell
Family, friends and gang members on Friday bid their final goodbyes to slain teenage rapper Joseph “Lil JoJo” Coleman in funeral that was embroiled in tension and fear. There was a heavy police presence at the scene. Officers confiscated a loaded .45 caliber pistol after a weapons search conducted at a gas station nearby. The suspect was an attendee of the funeral as well. Mourners prayed in the Jones Funeral Home parlor as others smoked marijuana in the parking lot.
While family members paid their last respects, a crowd of young men eager to take a last look at Lil JoJo’s body lunged toward his casket, nearly knocking it to the floor and pushing family members out of the way.
The commotion drew outrage from relatives of the slain 18-year-old and several hundred other mourners, including a person who picked up a microphone and yelled, ”Y’all being disrespectful!”
Lil Jojo was gunned down last week as he rode on a bicycle with a friend at 69th Street and Princeton Avenue in the South Side of Chicago’ss impoverished Englewood neighborhood. Investigators have been looking into whether a war of words in the Chicago hip-hop community was linked to the slaying. A taunting tweet by rapper Chief Keef drew the interest of law enforcement. Label reps for Chief Keef subsequently released statements saying the rapper’s Twitter account was hacked. The account was also shut down immediately following the tweet.
“People are showing zero tolerance for (this behavior at) these gang funerals,” said Cmdr. James Gibson, whose Morgan Park police district covers Beverly and Mount Greenwood, predominantly middle-class neighborhoods where many police officers, firefighters and other city workers live near Chicago. ”There’s a constant dialogue (with the community) to come up with fresh ideas to help keep this under control.”
Lil’ Jojo was laid to rest at Mount Hope Cemetery on Chicago’s far South West Side. Though tensions mounted, no one was killed at the funeral proceedings.
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It really sadden’s me to see the position that a lot of our Black children in Chicago Englewood in with this gang madness. They should be joying their youth not soldier’s for a lost cause. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ig0k2qqpoWQ&list=PLC1BE9586843A8225&index=177&feature=plpp_video
DeepEntity
September 17, 2012 at 4:55 pm
All I can say is slaves, slaves, slaves! It’s been over 400 years since some of us black folks got over here and being that all the hell our forefathers been through just for 50% to 75% of us are still acting like slaves/niggers/niggas! The KKK don’t have to kill us and call us niggers anymore because we are doing it for them! It’s all start with love and respect of one’s self. Most black people in this country are loving, hard working, spiritual people but a lot of us has not learn to love self and therefore have to overcompensate by exposing the true hate within ourselves! We must find a way to communicate with our younger broters and sisters out here and put a stop to the madness WE MUST LEARN TO LOVE SELF AND END MENTAL SLAVERY!!!
BigJay
September 26, 2012 at 4:40 am
OUR BEAUTIFUL YOUNG BROTHERS AND SISTERS ARE DYING FOR NO REASON WE MUST END MENTAL SLAVERY NOW!!!!!
BigJay
September 26, 2012 at 4:43 am
I totally agree. They act as if they want to go back to slavery. A lot of this is contributed lack of parenting and spiritual guidance growing up in church, being brought to church and not just sent. Lack of communication, education within the homes and drug affiliation. I grew up poor; however, I couldn’t tell, because the enormous amount of love my parents had, taking quality time out with a family of seven. Mom attended church and we followed; therefore, I never seen any lack of family values. I was still blessed without money in my pocket, without technology we have today, no fast food places, we grew up on quality home cooking. Mom always prayed daily for each child and God met our needs, oh, and of course our Dad was the bread winner. Yep, parents need to get back to tender loving care by including God on their lives.
Marie
October 17, 2012 at 2:25 pm