Plug pulled on hip-hop concert in South Valley
By Aaron Burgin, The Porterville Recorder
VISALIA - A promoter of a recently canceled hip-hop concert here said that an anti hip-hop-music mentality played a role in the show's demise.
The Visalia Emergency Aid Council pulled the plug on “Hip-Hop for Hunger,” a March 11 benefit concert headlined by Bay Area rap star E-40 that would have raised thousands of dollars for the non-profit organization, because organization scoffers suggested the concert would end in gang violence.
“There is no doubt in my mind that if this was not a hip-hop concert, there would not be problems,” Reel Talk Entertainment CEO Bonnie “B.” Thompson said Thursday morning, a day after the show was canceled. “What the chief of police said alone is indication of the racist climate in the community.”
Interim Police Chief Bob Williams allegedly told Thompson in a Tuesday meeting that Visalia is a “redneck community” and the show would not suit the community's makeup.
The comments infuriated Reel Talk artist Cameron McClure, who raps under the moniker “Sole Profit,” who was at the meeting.
“What type of message do you think that sends to the minority community,” McClure said. “He didn't even hide the racism.”
Williams on Friday said that was not the statement he made.
“In the beginning of the conversation, I could tell things were a bit tense, so to break the ice I said ‘I think that a more profitable event would be a George Strait concert with a redneck audience,” Williams said.
Williams said he realized later that perhaps it wasn't the best choice of words.
Williams also said he told them he would not suspend the artist's First Amendment right of freedom of speech, or the crowd's constitutional right to assemble, but did say that no one other than the proposed 16 officers who would be securing the site would be allowed to bring weapons.
Williams also said after reading on E-40's Web site that the rapper dubs himself “The Northern Ambassador,” that there might be security concerns between rival southern and northern gangs.
The interim police chief cited Visalia's geographic location as the northern-southern gang boundary as the chief cause of concern.
When asked should he be more concerned about Crips and Bloods than nortenos and surenos, Williams stated that the “crip and blood” was just another way of saying “norteno and sureno.”
“We did not discourage anything, we welcomed him to perform,” Williams said. “I am just confused how an icebreaker comment now becomes the headline. Does any of the blame for the concert's demise go to an amateur, inexperienced promoter, and simply a promotion that fell through?”
While the city asked for the Police Department to look at what type of added security measures would be needed for the concert due to “gang concerns,” the VEC ultimately was the one to cancel the event, city Deputy City Manager Leslie Caviglia said Thursday night.
The show has since been rescheduled for a Fresno venue on the same day.
Caviglia referred to E-40, aka Earl Stevens as a “gangster rapper,” citing his lyrics as evidence.
“The city did not shut the concert down, in fact we invited Ms. Thompson to hold the event on a different date due to time constraints,” Caviglia said.
“Ms. Thompson wanted to assume the contract after the Emergency Council canceled, but it was not possible considering the narrow window of time.
“I didn't know who E-40 was, but I looked up some of his lyrics online, and they were pretty strident,” Caviglia said.
But Thompson said that the VEC, a 75-year-old organization charged with assisting the city's poorest residents with emergency food, transportation, clothing and shelter needs, was pressured by its sponsors to back out of the concert.
VEC Executive Director Reyes Zaragoza said that many sponsors, including corporate, faith-based and individuals, raised concerns about the potential for gang violence at a hip-hop concert, and threatened to withdraw support from the organization if they went through with the concert.
Zaragoza said former Police Chief Bruce McDermott was one of the people who urged him to say no.
“They basically told me they didn't think it was the best match for the organization, and it may be the reputation that hip-hop has developed, I don't know, but they were concerned there might be violence,” Zaragoza said.
“It is all perception, and I had to do what was best for the organization,” Zaragoza said.
Hip-hop music has longtime been stigmatized as violent in nature, especially following the early to mid-1990s with the emergence of “gangster rap” music.
Zaragoza said the city as a whole may not be ready to embrace hip-hop music with open arms.
“I can't change other people's perception,” Zaragoza said. “If it were a country music concert, it probably would have been different.”
McClure, a Valley resident, said the organization's decision to cancel was indicative of the climate against hip-hop music here.
By assuming that a hip-hop concert would attract gang violence, the organization's scoffers were promoting a stereotype rather than looking at what the concert was created for, McClure said.
“This was Hip Hop for Hunger, this was not just some concert, we were trying to raise money for what we believed to be a good cause,” McClure said. “And for them to just write us off because this is a ‘redneck community,' or whatever, just shows the mindset here.”
Stevens' manager, OLH group CEO Omeezy Helton, said that the city was incorrect with their assessment of the Vallejo artist.
“He's not a gangster rapper, he is respected in the community, he owns several businesses, has a wife and children, and the district attorney sent them a memorandum that said ‘Earl Stevens is not affiliated with any gang,' Helton said.
In addition, Helton said, hip-hop music has achieved mainstream status for over a decade, citing the effect the music has on the economy and the cross cultural appeal it has.
“I bet when the chief goes home, his daughter is probably gettin' hyphy and goin' dumb, she's the one who misses out with them canceling,” Helton said, referring to E-40's most recent single “Tell me When to go,” which is on heavy rotation on Valley radio stations and MTV.
His single peaked at No. 16 on Billboard's Hot 100 single chart last week.
“We've been to Ft. Wayne, Hawaii and Salt Lake City and have not had a fight or violence,” Helton said. “I mean, if we can go to Salt Lake City, why should this be any different?”
Williams said that while he was informed that other E-40 concerts had gone on without incident, Visalia's location made the venue unique.
“This was different, because it was not the artist, we never had a problem with the artist, but it was the audience that would be in attendance,” Williams said.
Helton said that the local E-40 fans, many of whom heard about the cancellation on the local radio stations Wednesday afternoon, are the ones who lose.
“The thing I don't understand is that they didn't give us a chance,” Helton said. “Until you accept something, how can you pass judgment on it?
“And what does the chief's comment say for the rest of the community? If this is a ‘redneck community' then blacks, Latinos and Asians should just quit, because their voice isn't the one that's going to be heard,” Helton said.
“Someone needs to stand up and speak out about this injustice,” Thompson said. “But I am scared that I will be in danger because of my stand.”
THIS IS SOME BULLSHIT FUCKING COWBOY SHITKICKERS THINK THEY RUN SHIT IN VI$ALIA, HOW IN THE FUCK IS THERE GOING TO BE HOMIE CONCERTS WHEN THEY WONT EVEN LET E40 DO A SHOW, FUCKING BULLSHIT! Scraps wouldnt have even showed their faces!!!! It was a charity event for fucks sake, now they moved the event to Fresno.
By Aaron Burgin, The Porterville Recorder
VISALIA - A promoter of a recently canceled hip-hop concert here said that an anti hip-hop-music mentality played a role in the show's demise.
The Visalia Emergency Aid Council pulled the plug on “Hip-Hop for Hunger,” a March 11 benefit concert headlined by Bay Area rap star E-40 that would have raised thousands of dollars for the non-profit organization, because organization scoffers suggested the concert would end in gang violence.
“There is no doubt in my mind that if this was not a hip-hop concert, there would not be problems,” Reel Talk Entertainment CEO Bonnie “B.” Thompson said Thursday morning, a day after the show was canceled. “What the chief of police said alone is indication of the racist climate in the community.”
Interim Police Chief Bob Williams allegedly told Thompson in a Tuesday meeting that Visalia is a “redneck community” and the show would not suit the community's makeup.
The comments infuriated Reel Talk artist Cameron McClure, who raps under the moniker “Sole Profit,” who was at the meeting.
“What type of message do you think that sends to the minority community,” McClure said. “He didn't even hide the racism.”
Williams on Friday said that was not the statement he made.
“In the beginning of the conversation, I could tell things were a bit tense, so to break the ice I said ‘I think that a more profitable event would be a George Strait concert with a redneck audience,” Williams said.
Williams said he realized later that perhaps it wasn't the best choice of words.
Williams also said he told them he would not suspend the artist's First Amendment right of freedom of speech, or the crowd's constitutional right to assemble, but did say that no one other than the proposed 16 officers who would be securing the site would be allowed to bring weapons.
Williams also said after reading on E-40's Web site that the rapper dubs himself “The Northern Ambassador,” that there might be security concerns between rival southern and northern gangs.
The interim police chief cited Visalia's geographic location as the northern-southern gang boundary as the chief cause of concern.
When asked should he be more concerned about Crips and Bloods than nortenos and surenos, Williams stated that the “crip and blood” was just another way of saying “norteno and sureno.”
“We did not discourage anything, we welcomed him to perform,” Williams said. “I am just confused how an icebreaker comment now becomes the headline. Does any of the blame for the concert's demise go to an amateur, inexperienced promoter, and simply a promotion that fell through?”
While the city asked for the Police Department to look at what type of added security measures would be needed for the concert due to “gang concerns,” the VEC ultimately was the one to cancel the event, city Deputy City Manager Leslie Caviglia said Thursday night.
The show has since been rescheduled for a Fresno venue on the same day.
Caviglia referred to E-40, aka Earl Stevens as a “gangster rapper,” citing his lyrics as evidence.
“The city did not shut the concert down, in fact we invited Ms. Thompson to hold the event on a different date due to time constraints,” Caviglia said.
“Ms. Thompson wanted to assume the contract after the Emergency Council canceled, but it was not possible considering the narrow window of time.
“I didn't know who E-40 was, but I looked up some of his lyrics online, and they were pretty strident,” Caviglia said.
But Thompson said that the VEC, a 75-year-old organization charged with assisting the city's poorest residents with emergency food, transportation, clothing and shelter needs, was pressured by its sponsors to back out of the concert.
VEC Executive Director Reyes Zaragoza said that many sponsors, including corporate, faith-based and individuals, raised concerns about the potential for gang violence at a hip-hop concert, and threatened to withdraw support from the organization if they went through with the concert.
Zaragoza said former Police Chief Bruce McDermott was one of the people who urged him to say no.
“They basically told me they didn't think it was the best match for the organization, and it may be the reputation that hip-hop has developed, I don't know, but they were concerned there might be violence,” Zaragoza said.
“It is all perception, and I had to do what was best for the organization,” Zaragoza said.
Hip-hop music has longtime been stigmatized as violent in nature, especially following the early to mid-1990s with the emergence of “gangster rap” music.
Zaragoza said the city as a whole may not be ready to embrace hip-hop music with open arms.
“I can't change other people's perception,” Zaragoza said. “If it were a country music concert, it probably would have been different.”
McClure, a Valley resident, said the organization's decision to cancel was indicative of the climate against hip-hop music here.
By assuming that a hip-hop concert would attract gang violence, the organization's scoffers were promoting a stereotype rather than looking at what the concert was created for, McClure said.
“This was Hip Hop for Hunger, this was not just some concert, we were trying to raise money for what we believed to be a good cause,” McClure said. “And for them to just write us off because this is a ‘redneck community,' or whatever, just shows the mindset here.”
Stevens' manager, OLH group CEO Omeezy Helton, said that the city was incorrect with their assessment of the Vallejo artist.
“He's not a gangster rapper, he is respected in the community, he owns several businesses, has a wife and children, and the district attorney sent them a memorandum that said ‘Earl Stevens is not affiliated with any gang,' Helton said.
In addition, Helton said, hip-hop music has achieved mainstream status for over a decade, citing the effect the music has on the economy and the cross cultural appeal it has.
“I bet when the chief goes home, his daughter is probably gettin' hyphy and goin' dumb, she's the one who misses out with them canceling,” Helton said, referring to E-40's most recent single “Tell me When to go,” which is on heavy rotation on Valley radio stations and MTV.
His single peaked at No. 16 on Billboard's Hot 100 single chart last week.
“We've been to Ft. Wayne, Hawaii and Salt Lake City and have not had a fight or violence,” Helton said. “I mean, if we can go to Salt Lake City, why should this be any different?”
Williams said that while he was informed that other E-40 concerts had gone on without incident, Visalia's location made the venue unique.
“This was different, because it was not the artist, we never had a problem with the artist, but it was the audience that would be in attendance,” Williams said.
Helton said that the local E-40 fans, many of whom heard about the cancellation on the local radio stations Wednesday afternoon, are the ones who lose.
“The thing I don't understand is that they didn't give us a chance,” Helton said. “Until you accept something, how can you pass judgment on it?
“And what does the chief's comment say for the rest of the community? If this is a ‘redneck community' then blacks, Latinos and Asians should just quit, because their voice isn't the one that's going to be heard,” Helton said.
“Someone needs to stand up and speak out about this injustice,” Thompson said. “But I am scared that I will be in danger because of my stand.”
THIS IS SOME BULLSHIT FUCKING COWBOY SHITKICKERS THINK THEY RUN SHIT IN VI$ALIA, HOW IN THE FUCK IS THERE GOING TO BE HOMIE CONCERTS WHEN THEY WONT EVEN LET E40 DO A SHOW, FUCKING BULLSHIT! Scraps wouldnt have even showed their faces!!!! It was a charity event for fucks sake, now they moved the event to Fresno.
