Chief Keef Baptism: Rapper 'Different' Manager Claims
Chief Keef will reportedly be baptized following his upcoming prison release, and his manager claims that the 17-year-old is a changed young man.
The Chicago rapper, whose real name is Keith Cozart, was sentenced to serve two months in a juvenile detention facility for probation violation in January, and he is due for release on March 14. While his gun toting bad boy image has in part helped establish his celebrity status, the rapper is reportedly now on a mission to clean up his act, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
"I got a message from him that he's had a wake-up call," Keef's manager, Rovan "Dro" Manuel said.
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"I think he's gonna come out a different person. I think he's gonna come out with some new music, a new attitude…he's gonna get out and do some shows, and hopefully go up the charts," he continued.
Keef reportedly discussed baptism with Chicago reverend Corey Brooks who leads the New Beginnings Church in the city's Woodlawn neighborhood. Brooks recently confirmed that the baptism is in fact set to take place.
"I'm going to baptize him," Rev. Brooks told the Chicago Sun-Times.
"I think people forget he is 17 years old," he explained. "He is an entertainer, that is how he sees himself. But at the same time, he has a God-consciousness. He is not some terror who is wreaking havoc."
Critics continue to condemn Keef over his controversial past and some have questioned whether the troubled teen is genuinely capable of making any changes to his street thug lifestyle. However, his supporters, which include Atlanta rapper Waka Flocka, are urging the public to give him a chance.
"That's a kid at the end of the day. I feel like that's me when I first started rapping, people judged me," Flock told MTV. "It's just that they judge you because they don't understand you. Instead of judging the kid and just bashing him down, why not reach an arm out and help him."
The teenage father, who signed a $6 million deal with with Interscope Records in 2012, has enjoyed great success particularly since the release of his 2012 hit "I Don't Like."
Grammy award-winning rapper Kanye West created a remix of the track along with rappers Pusha T, Jadakiss and Big Sean and the video received over 20 million views on YouTube.
