Pitchfork, the usually irreverent music blog, has apologized for publishing a videotaped interview with the Chicago rapper Chief Keef that was filmed at a shooting range and features images of the young hip-hop star firing a gun. “This concept was rushed and never should have happened,†Pitchfork's editor, Mark Richardson, said in an online statement. He called the episode, one of the site's “Selector†interviews with rappers, “insensitive and irresponsible.â€
The decision to delete the video, which was recorded several months ago at a shooting range in New York City, from Pitchfork's archive comes after some less-than-sensitive comments appeared on Chief Keef's Twitter account about t he death of another young Chicago rapper named Lil JoJo.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Lil JoJo, 18, whose real name is Joseph Coleman, was gunned down at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday on a street in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago. He had been engaged in a running war of words with several rival rappers, among them Chief Keef, who is 17. But Mr. Coleman also had been feuding with a local street gang, the Black Disciples, and the police were investigating whether his death was connected to that dispute, the Sun-Times reported, quoting the police.
Hours after the murder, a message appeared on Chief Keef's Twitter account that appeared to make light of Mr. Coleman's death.
The message drew angry responses from many of Chief Keef's followers on Twitter. He later sent a message suggesting that his account had been hacked.
But the controversy apparently made Pitchfork editors second-guess their decision to interview Chief K eef, whose real name is Keith Cozart, at the shooting range, with the snap of gunfire in the background.
“The horror of the gun violence that has plagued our hometown is something we all take very seriously,†Mr. Richardson wrote. “Many people have pointed out that this episode could be seen as trivializing gun violence, and we feel they have a good point.â€
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