North Carolina City Sued After Canceling Music Festival
Written by SOURCE on July 14, 2021
In the latest case of an area trying to police hip-hop, the city of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is being sued after it canceled a music festival set to headline Moneybagg Yo, Pooh Shiesty, Big Latto, and more, due to fear of violence and gang activity.
The big-name acts were set to appear at the Carolina Summers Music Fest at the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds on July 31, but according to W12 News, the city called the organizers, Starr Entertainment, and said they wanted to pull out of the event out of fear of who was set to perform. The Winston-Salem Police Department reportedly investigated each performer’s background and believed, based on publicly available information, that they pose a danger to the city and community. Thus, the event was canceled.
The attorney for the city of Winston-Salem sent a letter to the event promoters, writing: “The city’s police department investigated each of the performer’s background and believes, based on publicly available information, there exists the chance of violence and gang activity.”
The lawsuit being filed by Starr Entertainment claims that both parties signed a contract on June 9 in which they both agreed to host the event on July 31. In the initial contract, the city retained the right to call off the agreement “on the grounds of character offensive to public moral,” according to the court documents.
Starr Entertainment claims to have lost nearly $200,000 in non-refundable deposits for artists and the venue already, and their attorney said damages could be even higher.
