8 Ball & MJG
Photo: Bad Boy
An 8 Ball & MJG concert in Arkansas was canceled on Saturday (April 21) after fans waited until the wee hours of the next morning to see them. The group cites racial profiling by local authorities for the cancelation of the show.
According to sources, city officials forced concert organizers to change the location of the event on the day of, claiming they were "afraid of violent behavior and riots" in the area as a result of the duo's "lyrics," forcing them to move to a new venue in the nearby city of Rogers.
Local area authorities then -- in what 8 Ball & MJG cite as racial profiling -- activated the Drug Task Force and Gang Task Force throughout the city to set up roadblocks, barricades, drug searching K-9s and interrogation units on roads leading to and from the new concert venue, causing opening act SoundChild Crew to arrive later than scheduled, and Yukmouth and 8 Ball & MJG to not make the event at all.
The Memphis, Tennessee duo claim that they were interrogated on their way to the show for no reason at all, something they say has gone on for years. "Yeah, it was some backwards racist bullsh--," 8 Ball said in a statement released to BallerStatus.com. "They acted like we still in the 60s. The South is my home, but sh-- like that will never change. And a lot of the people who were against the show just mad cause they kids, wives and sisters are fans of our music."
Set to kick off earlier in the evening, after several hours of delay, passing through roadblocks and check points, SoundChild Crew arrived at the venue around midnight.
Not long after, 8 Ball & MJG were on their way to the venue and were also stopped, questioned, and for reasons unknown, returned backed to their hotel in the city of Rogers, therefore resulting in no performance.
With continued harassment from police, Yukmouth also refused to be transported and perform at the concert.
It is not immediately known if concertgoers were refunded or if another event will be scheduled in its place.
The group's latest album, Ridin' High, is out now.
Photo: Bad Boy
An 8 Ball & MJG concert in Arkansas was canceled on Saturday (April 21) after fans waited until the wee hours of the next morning to see them. The group cites racial profiling by local authorities for the cancelation of the show.
According to sources, city officials forced concert organizers to change the location of the event on the day of, claiming they were "afraid of violent behavior and riots" in the area as a result of the duo's "lyrics," forcing them to move to a new venue in the nearby city of Rogers.
Local area authorities then -- in what 8 Ball & MJG cite as racial profiling -- activated the Drug Task Force and Gang Task Force throughout the city to set up roadblocks, barricades, drug searching K-9s and interrogation units on roads leading to and from the new concert venue, causing opening act SoundChild Crew to arrive later than scheduled, and Yukmouth and 8 Ball & MJG to not make the event at all.
The Memphis, Tennessee duo claim that they were interrogated on their way to the show for no reason at all, something they say has gone on for years. "Yeah, it was some backwards racist bullsh--," 8 Ball said in a statement released to BallerStatus.com. "They acted like we still in the 60s. The South is my home, but sh-- like that will never change. And a lot of the people who were against the show just mad cause they kids, wives and sisters are fans of our music."
Set to kick off earlier in the evening, after several hours of delay, passing through roadblocks and check points, SoundChild Crew arrived at the venue around midnight.
Not long after, 8 Ball & MJG were on their way to the venue and were also stopped, questioned, and for reasons unknown, returned backed to their hotel in the city of Rogers, therefore resulting in no performance.
With continued harassment from police, Yukmouth also refused to be transported and perform at the concert.
It is not immediately known if concertgoers were refunded or if another event will be scheduled in its place.
The group's latest album, Ridin' High, is out now.
