Drake Concert Shut Down: NYPD Blames NYC Crowds, Violence

Drake‘s free New York City concert had to be shut down by the NYPD, after violence erupted among the thousands who came to the South Street Seaport to get a glimpse of the Toronto rapper, whose highly anticipated album Thank Me Later, hit stores today. Despite a statement released by Drake citing “overcrowding” as the reason for the shutdown, the NY Daily News reports a rowdy, chaotic crowd, drunkenness, fighting and flower-pot throwing (!).

Drake never performed, and those who came out for the free performance, were told to leave during the opening acts. A statement released by Drake, implies that the NYPD simply shut the show down due to overcrowding, perhaps looking to save the NY hip hop audience the black eye of being, once again, labeled as violent and rowdy.

But as much as we wish it wasn’t true, we’re not going to sugar-coat it.

At BirthplaceMag.com, we are clearly advocates of NY area hip hop, particularly our own, homegrown artists, but also supportive of events and concerts that roll through our area. For a star at Drake’s level to perform in the heart of our city, and do so for free, acting out in this manner is an embarrassment both on New York City and hip hop music and culture.

Yes, the hip hop generation certainly have had issue with police in the past, and yes, rap music often gets a bad rap from mainstream media, and yes, this has more to do with ignorance, lack of parenting skills, and only a handful of bad apples.

But these particular individuals do nothing to help the advocate for the advancement of hip hop, especially in New York City area, do nothing to help repair the tarnished, often-prejudicial attitude of the “rest of the world” toward minorities and hip hop and for all that nothing-doing, they should have stayed their asses home.

It’s a damn shame.

Update: WorldStarHipHop has some video.

---