Cancelled concert leads to controversy

By Tia Lyons

Staff Writer

EL DORADO — A rap concert that was to have taken place today in the El Dorado Municipal Auditorium was hastily moved to another venue after Mayor Frank Hash canceled the auditorium contract with the promoter of the show.

Atlanta rapper YFN Lucci is set to perform at 7 p.m. today in the city park in Huttig.

Hash cited explicit and profane lyrics in Lucci’s songs and a potential for violence — as, he said, was demonstrated earlier this year when shots were fired during a performance by Lucci at a Little Rock club — as his reasons for pulling the contract for the scheduled performance in the auditorium.

The move by Hash pushed concert promoter Memory Parker to take legal action against the city and prompted the El Dorado City Council to call for the formation of a committee to help clarify to the public — and city officials — the process of booking the municipal facility.

Aldermen Kensel Spivey and Willie McGhee broached the issue during the council’s regular meeting Thursday.

Both had asked to be placed on the agenda.

Parker watched from the audience as city officials mulled over the matter — specifically, how it relates to the city’s rental contract for the auditorium.

Booking the

auditorium

Parker signed the auditorium rental agreement and paid the 25 percent deposit on the $475 rental fee on Aug. 10.

She said organizers later requested and were granted a tour of the newly renovated facility.

As promotions and ticket sales got under way for the Lucci show, which had been scheduled for today, Parker said Hash notified her that he had canceled the contract.

Speaking to a News-Times reporter prior to the council meeting on Thursday, Hash said his involvement in the matter was sparked by a conversation he had with Police Chief Billy White.

He said White advised him about a show that Lucci had performed in March at the Alpha 6ix Bar & Grill Little Rock.

Video footage of the incident showed what appeared to be a scuffle and then a man raise what looked to be a gun in the air.

Eight gunshots are heard next. No injuries were reported.

A member of the rapper’s security team reportedly fired the warning shots in an effort to restore order after a fight had broken out in the crowd and encroached on the stage where Lucci was performing.

Lucci was reportedly not involved in the incident.

Hash said he watched the video and looked into Lucci’s music, even purchasing the rapper’s latest mixtape, “Wish Me Well 2.”

After finding that many of the songs contained explicit and “vulgar” language and content, Hash said he reviewed the city’s auditorium rental agreement with Parker and decided to ax it.

“I have a responsibility to protect public property. We just spent $5.6 million (for a renovation) down there, and I couldn’t allow something like this, knowing there’s a propensity for violence,” Hash said.

“That was in Little Rock, not El Dorado. If that’s the case, anybody who ever had a violent incident occur at one their shows wouldn’t be able to perform here,” Parker said.

Hash said the lyrical content of Lucci’s music also directly violated one of the terms of the rental agreement.

Provision Four prohibits performances, exhibitions or entertainment that are “illegal, indecent, obscene or immoral.”

The contract also holds the exhibitor/promoter responsible “for the character, acts and conduct of all persons admitted to said premises or any portion of said building …”

In response to concerns about Lucci’s song lyrics, Parker said she submitted to the mayor’s office a notarized statement — which was signed by Lucci’s business manager on the rapper’s behalf — promising that Lucci would perform clean versions of his songs in the auditorium.

Parker said she also shared with the mayor plans to hire eight El Dorado police officers for security during the show, adding that she had already spoken with White about the matter.

“He still said no,” she said.

Hash questioned what “clean version” meant, noting that such wording is subjective.

“You can clean up the words, but there’s no way you can clean up the message that’s in the music,” Hash said. “He has a right to freedom of speech, and he can find another venue to say what he wants to say.”

Hash previously requested advice from City Attorney Henry Kinslow about the matter via an email and Kinslow homed in on the initials of the rapper’s stage name — the “N” is a variation of the N-word.

” … the very name (YFN) was enough to cancel the event, in addition to the high potential for violence. There is enough time for the act to find another venue in the area. I suggest they do so immediately,” Kinslow replied in an email dated Sept. 14.

Parker recalled Hash’s use of the word “Negro” last year when he responded to a request by McGhee to provide a city employee roster that identified employees by race.

“He put ‘N’ on there and said it stood for ‘Negro.’ He didn’t find that offensive, so why would he be so offended by this?” Parker asked.

Meanwhile, Parker said Lucci was understanding about the situation, and promoters were able to move the show to Huttig.

She said promoters had to refund money to holders who paid in advance for VIP tickets and backstage passes.

On Aug. 23, Parker’s attorney, the late Robert Depper Jr., filed an injunction against the city about the contract cancellation.

Sadly, Depper passed away the following day.

Parker has since hired another attorney.

“We’ll have our day in court,” she said.

A week ago, Parker requested to appear on the council’s agenda to discuss the issue Thursday.

Hash said he denied the request, explaining that he would not discuss the matter with Parker during a public meeting because of pending litigation.

McGhee said later that Parker was notified by Hash’s office two hours prior to the council meeting that her request had not been approved.

A closer look

Spivey said city officials need to take a closer look at the process for booking the auditorium and possess a working knowledge of the provisions of the rental agreement before it is signed.

She said such knowledge would help better convey the information to the public, and she asked if the information was listed on the Go El Dorado website.

Hash said no.

Spivey said the existing contract raises many questions.

“What is the process by which the city enters into the contract? What is the procedure? Who is the auditorium manager?” she asked.

Spivey turned to Provision Four, saying, “It doesn’t define what ‘decent’ is. Who defines that?”

She pointed out that provision further states that should the auditorium manager deem any part of the exhibit or performance “illegal, indecent, lewd …”, then the promoter has the option of deleting or revising such portions of the show or canceling the event.

Spivey also expressed concern about potential infringement on citizens’ First Amendment rights.

“I do understand concerns about safety, so it needs to be better evaluated before we sign the contracts,” she said, adding, “The city needs to be fair to the general public … Everyone needs to know what the expectations are so we can be fair across the board.”

Other cities have community affairs departments to deal with such matters, Spivey said.

Kinslow said Alderman Billy Blann had reminded him that there used to be a city commission that oversaw operations at the municipal auditorium.

“That building belongs to the citizens of El Dorado,” Blann said.

“Just like fire trucks and other city property, but that doesn’t mean the citizens can do whatever they want with it,” Hash said.

After further discussion, the council agreed to form a committee. McGhee recommended that Spivey serve on the committee and Blann said he would also like to participate.

Spivey said the auditorium manager, listed on the rental contract as Carolyn Waller, the mayor’s secretary, should also be part of the committee.

Tia Lyons may be reached at 870-862-6611 or by email at [email protected].

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