Viral sensation Adamn Killa turned his viral catchphrase into reality Monday afternoon when Chicago police briefly detained him at a downtown traffic stop after months of encouraging them to do so.
The hip-hop artist, whose real name is Adam Kelly, built a massive online following by confronting law enforcement officers and dramatically demanding they arrest him.
What is his go-to move? He bent over, put his hands behind his back, yelled “Arrest me, daddy,” and started dancing — all to the tune of his song “Fall On.”
But on Monday (Nov. 10), things became a reality at the corner of East Randolph Street and North Michigan Avenue, with police actually accepting his offer.
Kelly was handcuffed and placed in the back of a police car for about 20 minutes before being released without charge.
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“Arrest My Dad” video series continues
“I got out of the car and just went and made more ‘Dad, arrest me’ videos,” Kelly told the Chicago Sun-Times.
As he said, he posted several more videos after the incident, maintaining his momentum online.
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Kelly, who hails from Chicago’s Chatham and Roseland neighborhoods, has nearly 2 million followers on Instagram and TikTok. His videos regularly reach hundreds of thousands of views, with some exceeding a million.
His most popular content often features him confronting everyone from Chicago police to the National Guard in Washington, D.C., while dancing and repeating his now-iconic lines.
Kelly’s manager Tyler Bennett (rapper Chance’s brother and manager) believes his antics are more than just internet comedy.
“You would laugh at him, but he just kind of created an environment through social events where people felt like they could participate even if they weren’t there,” Bennett said.
While many view his actions as performance art, Kelly insists his viral campaign has political advantages. He criticized officers for hiding their identities during operations and used historical comparisons to prove his point.
“How they covered their faces and ###, I feel like in the future, they’re going to look at them like Nazi soldiers,” Kelly said. “Because they know they did something wrong. That’s why they cover their faces, cover their badges and stuff like that.”
Kelly was acquitted on November 10 and filming resumed that day.
