The Implications of NYPD Involvement In Rolling Loud
Since its birth in 2015, Rolling Loud has rapidly ascended to one of the most prominent music festivals with expansions to major cities from L.A. to New York. The two-day festival, located in Queens, catered to an impressive list of hip hop icons, with an average of 60,000 concert-goers per day. A ticket roughly cost around five hundred dollars. A sea of white tents and gigantic stages were set up within a matter of days as fans flew across the country to view their favorite artists. The star- studded lineup brought in heavy-hitting names, which included Travis Scott, Young Thug, Playboi Carti, and Lil Uzi Vert. However, it soon became apparent that not all artists were able to perform. Five local New York rappers Casanova, Don Q, Pop Smoke, Sheff G, and 22GZ all had their performances canceled at the request of the NYPD. In a letter signed by Borough Commander Martin Martinez, who oversees law enforcement in northern parts of Queens, he requested Rolling Loud to remove the rappers from their lineup due to “public safety concerns.”
In a move reminiscent of police attempts to prevent NWA from performing anti-police songs, this letter is just another example of the contentious relationship between law enforcement and rappers. The NYPD has had a long history of campaigns against hip hop and rap performances, which makes the Rolling Loud incident unsurprising. These sentiments were echoed back in 2016 when former police commissioner William Bratton stated, “The crazy world of these so-called rap artists who are basically thugs that basically celebrate the violence that they’ve done all their lives. And unfortunately, that violence often times manifests itself during their performances.”
The actions taken at Rolling Loud also mirrors the tactics of NYPD's infamous hip hop police unit. Officially called the Enterprise Operations Unit, the “hip-hop police” was accused of using officers to aggressively stalk and harass rising New York artists. Their operations mostly involve employing undercover officers to monitor an artist’s movements. Depending on the threat level assigned to an artist, police presence is increased during their concerts. All New York City clubs are also required to inform the unit if any watchlisted artists are performing. This unit, which has been around for decades, has compiled a massive watchlist of notable New York artists such as Nas, Jay-Z, and 50 Cent. More recent rappers include Drake, Tekashi 6ix9ine, Kodak Black, Lil Wayne, and Wiz Khalifa. Despite the unit’s claims they have surveillance on everyone within the entertainment industry, they appear to target rappers and minorities unfavorably. Although the EOU doesn’t seem to be involved in this incident, it’s another case of the intrusive role NYPD plays in the New York rap scene.
The ban does bring up questions to whether the concerns by law enforcement are warranted. Who are the five banned rappers, and do they pose a threat to the city? All five rappers are local New York talent who are relatively new to the scene. The most known of the five may be Casanova, an artist signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation label and Don Q, who has done multiple collaborations with fellow Bronx rapper A Boogie wit da Hoodie. All five rappers also had brushes with the law in their pasts. Casanova was convicted back in 2007 and served a sentence of around seven years. While imprisoned, he had his sentence lengthened for smuggling contraband and drugs. During his time, he shared a cell with fellow New York rapper A$AP Rocky who was also on the Rolling Loud lineup. In 2017, 22GZ was arrested and held for five months for a shooting that happened in Miami. However, the murder charges against 22GZ were soon dropped after the investigation revealed his friend committed the act. The other three rappers have much more minor offenses. Don Q is involved in an ongoing case for possession of marijuana and a small handgun found during a traffic stop. Similarly, Sheff G faced charges for possession of a handgun. Pop Smoke has previously been on house arrest for unknown charges.
Despite the NYPD’s accusation of the rappers affiliating with “recent acts of violence” across the city, there hasn’t been any concrete evidence or arrests backing this up. Their rap sheets consist of mostly possession charges and dropped offenses. The most serious offense committed by Casanova occurred over a decade ago. There doesn’t seem to be much validity to the NYPD claims of a high risk of violence, considering the crowds attending their sets would have been much smaller compared to other artists.
Meanwhile, Rolling Loud has issued an official response to the cancellation suggesting the NYPD strong-armed the festival into compliance. The CEO of the festival, Tariq Cherif, has tweeted, “All the public sees is the letter. Way more happened behind closed doors. If we want RL to return to NYC, we have no choice but to comply. That’s the position we’re in.” Both Casanova and Don Q have also posted their responses on social media regarding the cancellation.
Don Q:
“THIS IS MY HOMETOWN. I just found out I can’t perform at @RollingLoud tomorrow in my home city due to misinformation, I love my city and i never been in any gang activities or never had issues at any of my previous shows. I hope the city will wake up and see that cancelling me and my fellow NY artists isn’t the solution, we just love what we do and want to perform for our fans. We won’t give up."
Casanova:
“I JUST WANNA LIVE. My last felony conviction was 2007. I lost everything I ever loved and I’m STILL losing. So much so that “they” won’t allow me to perform at Rolling Loud NYC on Sunday. It’s unfair and unfortunate that my past, which I’ve dealt with legally and personally, continues to stigmatize me and my career as a recording artist. I’m at war with my past and the scars that they still leave on me everyday.”
The words of Cassanova reflects many issues of the American legal system. In a culture that favors punishment more than rehabilitation, ramifications follow a felon even after their sentences are over. The fact that most jobs won’t consider a prior felon creates a problematic situation, where former criminals are unable to sustain themselves after their release. However, in the case of Rolling Loud, it’s not the public who continues to punish the formerly incarcerated but law enforcement itself. The NYPD’s active interference in these artist’s careers is concerning. Considering how much a Rolling Loud performance can elevate new artists to success, this cancellation is detrimental to not only the fans but the rappers’ livelihoods. The prevention of their performance also raises questions of fairness and biases. The five canceled rappers have only faced minor possession charges, but bigger artists who have committed similar offenses are disregarded. Travis Scott, who has been accused of inciting riots at his concerts, may be more concerning for public safety. A$AP Rocky, who once shared a cell with Cassanova, was just recently involved in an assault case in Sweden. Young Thug was also arrested for possession of a handgun, the same offense committed by Don Q and Sheff G. Yet there is zero scrutinization over these other rappers. Seeing how only local underground talents were targeted, police motives are dubious. Is it really a public safety concern or a vendetta against rising New York rappers? It wouldn’t be surprising for an organization who has a history of censoring artists, to suppress the budding careers of local rappers. For all the progress the NYPD has made in terms of community engagement and minority inclusion, this incident is a major step back. The letter is another case of evident over policing and a disconnect to local marginalized communities. The NYPD’s crusade against hip hop is nothing new, and this case certainly won’t be the last.
