3 days ago
Milwaukee rapper Chicken P's Summerfest 2025 show canceled following arrest
Milwaukee rapper Chicken P's Summerfest 2025 show is canceled because he is in custody of the county jail and could be incarcerated for quite some time.
As part of a headliner lineup shuffle mid-festival, festival officials announced the rapper, whose given name is Rahkeib Smith, will no longer perform on the Generac Power Stage June 28.
Smith, 30, is arguably the most popular rapper living in Milwaukee and has held that title for several years as the city's rap scene has gained recognition nationally with the rise of social media and viral personalities. He has a record deal with 10K Projects, the indie label behind Ice Spice and Trippie Redd.
Festival officials offered no details about the cancellations other than "unforeseen circumstances."
But, according to online court records, Smith is in custody of the Milwaukee County Jail after he failed a drug test that was being administered as a condition of the bail for two open felony drug-related cases from 2022.
In March, Smith pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm by a felon. He was supposed to be sentenced on June 30, but his attorney filed a motion to postpone the hearing to late July after the failed drug test. The judge granted the motion and ordered Smith be held until sentencing, which is scheduled for July 24. He faces decades behind bars for the drug-related charge.
Last month, Smith had a felony charge of recklessly endangering safety dismissed after the prosecution's essential witnesses failed to appear.
Smith is represented by Anthony Cotton, who also represents convicted murderer Maxwell Anderson, whose highly publicized trial concluded earlier this month. Cotton didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee rapper Chicken P's Summerfest show canceled after arrest
