On July 12, 2023 Brandon Allen and DeLisa Glaspie received news no parent ever wants to hear: their son Khalil Amari Allen, 18, was killed in a shooting on Detroit’s westside.
“He was on his way to get some food and he was involved in a drive-by shooting,” his father Brandon Allen says. “He was shot 11 times, car was shot up 18 times.”
Khalil had just graduated from University High School Academy in Lathrup Village, and was a three-sport star athlete. He had just received a scholarship to Claflin University, an HBCU in South Carolina and was set to start in less than two weeks. He was also an aspiring rapper who went by Klil and had just started being courted by record labels.
“He had gotten like 300,000 views, I had people offering me deals and everything, but we were just waiting for the best thing,” says Allen.
As Allen and Glaspie processed their grief they received condolences and moral support from nonprofit organizations Peoples Community Anti-Violence Association, Ceasefire Detroit, and FORCE Detroit. They were encouraged to start a nonprofit organization of their own.
“He died in July, both of us were in total shock the month of August with all that comes with losing a child,” says Glaspie, adding, “They thought about us starting a nonprofit that would continue to honor [Khalil’s] life and legacy, but done so in a way that not only honors it, but it also gives a message behind it.”
The result is Seize The Smoke, a nonprofit organization started by Allen and Glaspie with the intentions of mitigating violence in Detroit and trying to save parents from experiencing the pain they’ve felt. An inaugural celebrity charity basketball game will be held at Wayne State Fieldhouse at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Participants include former NBA player Derrick Coleman, filmmaker DeJuan Ford, and Fox 2 Detroit anchor Josh Landon. The event will also include a shoe raffle, memorabilia with Khalil’s name on it, and scholarship giveaways. Another highlight of the event will be the debut of the single “Seize The Smoke” featuring Courtney Bell, J-Nutty from Rock Bottom, and HBK Kid from Doughboyz Cashout. Khalil was passionate about music and the single will be a tribute.
“The acclaimed producer Helluva gave us a beat for free of charge, and we got some Detroit legends and they got together and made a tribute track to him, so we’re going to drop that track at halftime of the celebrity basketball game,” adds Allen.
“They reached out to me and told me what was going on, so it was no question that I was going to help anyway I could,” says Helluva in a separate interview.
The tribute song is more than just a collaborative event from Detroit’s artists, but a lyrical calling for a change to be made.
“Seize the Smoke simply means we’re going to demand a stop to this and we’re gonna hold everyone accountable for fulfilling their roles — parents, judges, politicians, legistors, and all that’s involved to clean these streets up to make this movement move forward,” adds Glaspie.
Glaspie also wants to bring back positive themes in hip-hop music, and Allen cites the violent culture that goes unregulated within many social media platforms.
“If I was to post something on social media against community guidelines, they would take it right down,” says Allen. “Or if I posted something with a song I have to say, ‘I don’t own the rights to this music.’ But right now the new thing with the youth is trolling; they're on there with semi-automatic weapons rapping about the individuals, basically kind of telling the whole tale.”
The plan is to make the charity basketball game an annual event, and on July 12 a march in Khalil’s honor is scheduled from West McNichols and Greenfield to West McNichols and Evergreen, the area where Khalil was murdered.
Moving forward, both Allen and Glaspie are going to implement mentorship programs and conflict resolution strategies with trained professionals.
“We plan to present a proposal to the Detroit Public Schools to bring in programs by fall,” says Glaspie. “And if we can do that, that would be amazing. I work for Detroit Public Schools as a licensed therapist so I know the need, I know what’s happening every day.”
“We have to change that narrative because it’s a pandemic on us,” adds Allen.
Seize the Smoke’s inaugural celebrity basketball game is planned for 1-5 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 25; Wayne State Fieldhouse, 1290 W. Warren Ave., Detroit; allevents.in. Tickets are $25.
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