The
fallout from the Back2School Jam concert continues, as promoters have issued an
apology to fans and placed the blame for the evening’s violent climate on Nassau
Coliseum management. The
Sept. 30 concert, presented by Hot 97 and Big League Entertainment, was to feature
rappers Yung Joc, T.I., Foxy Brown, Lloyd Banks, DMX, and Jim Jones. While
Yung Joc, Lloyd Banks and G-Unit, and DMX gave performances–some rife with technical
problems–the show’s organizers maintained that the problems started long before
any of the entertainers hit the stage. "I
would like to send my sincere apology to all those who might have had an unfavorable
communication, interaction or experience at this event," said Big League
CEO Michael Green. "I would especially like to apologize to the artists that
were unable to perform due to the abrupt close of the show." According
to the concert’s organizers, Hot 97 DJ Funkmaster Flex, Foxy Brown, and Jim Jones
could not get past the venue’s security in order to make appearances at the show.
While
Yung Joc’s performance took place without incident, fans waited almost two hours
in between sets. When
rapper Lloyd Banks did perform, organizers said his set was truncated to just
30 minutes. Banks,
G-Unit, and 50 Cent managed to give controversial performances, taking jabs at
former labelmate the Game, DMX, and Jim Jones during a shortened set that included
performances by Mobb Deep, Tony Yayo, and 50 Cent. According
to witnesses, 50 Cent’s microphone was cut several times during his performance,
prompting the rapper to declare: "man, I’m never coming back here. Every
time I come to Nassau they ask me to leave!" Independent
production manager Divine, who was working with Lloyd Banks and G-Unit on Sept.
30, also said the backstage area was poorly organized and became an issue. For
over nine years, Divine has worked with artists such as Busta Rhymes, Tweet, Missy
Elliott, Marcus Miller, Naughty by Nature, Eve, and Queen Latifah. "The
Coliseum had one person dealing with over 200 people’s access to backstage,"
Divine claimed. "There was an unusual amount of police present and they were
also disrespectful. The police on horses allowed there horses to defecate right
in front of the back stage ramp. I had to personally walk my artists around the
feces." Green
claimed many of the artists had to wait for hours to attain credentials to enter
the building and that his company was never allowed to control that process. "To
add insult to injury, the building wouldn’t allow Big League support staff ‘All
Access’ to help manage the show backstage. In our opinion, we were set up to fail,
performing a hi-wire act without a safety net." That
"hi-wire act" came to a climax when sound problems continued into DMX’s
set; his microphone was cut several time s during his performance. According
to Nassau police, DMX jumped off the stage and fought with the sound person. Authorities
said the rapper and his entourage allegedly left the stage but returned to throw
bottles of water at the crowd. When
an audience member tossed a steel folding chair at the stage, police claim a member
of DMX’s entourage threw the chair back into the audience, striking a woman in
the head. The
woman was treated at Nassau University Medical Center for a laceration to the
head and other injuries. Foxy
Brown did appear at the venue, as did Jim Jones, but neither performer took the
stage due to issues backstage and with the venue’s sound system. Green
claims his company has worked closely with Nassau Coliseum and other venues in
the New York area for almost 10 years promoting Hip-Hop events. "It
is our feeling that Nassau Coliseum is not a venue which operates in a way that
is conducive to our goal to put on a well-organized and fully supported Hip-Hop
or R&B concert event," Green said. "It saddens Big League Entertainment
to announce we will not work with Nassau Coliseum in the future." Representatives
for Nassau Coliseum could not be reached for comment at press time. Green
also said that Big League Entertainment intends to file suit against T.I. and
his manager for breach of contract. Green
claimed he canceled T.I.’s performance on Sept. 30 because the rapper violated
an agreement by performing at a show in the New York area a week before the Back2School
Jam. "I’m
going to sue the hell out of him," Green said in published reports.
