Rolling Loud scrapped three drill rappers from the festival’s bill at the request of the NYPD.
According to the New York Times, Rolling Loud removed 22Gz, Sha Ek and Ron Suno from the lineup. The artists were scheduled to perform at the New York edition of the festival, which begins on Friday (Saturday 23).
The NYPD pulled a similar move a few years ago. Rolling Loud canceled the performances of five artists, including 22Gz and the late Pop Smoke, at the behest of the police in 2019.
Rolling Loud reportedly paid the artists despite canceling their performances. But Sha Ek’s manager Stanley Davis was still frustrated with the NYPD.
“The police try to associate what he’s doing with violence and negativity,” Davis wrote. “They don’t respect that he’s an artist and entertainer trying to better himself and feed his family at 19 years old. Sha Ek has performed all over the Northeast this year. The crowds at his concerts are full of kids dancing and having fun. He’s excited to keep growing his touring business and proving the police wrong.”
Ron Suno’s manager Diamond Brown also vented about the NYPD stopping his client from performing at Rolling Loud.
“How can a person who has no criminal record and no gang ties — the kid never even made a diss record — be denied to perform in his hometown after all his hard work?” Brown asked in a text to the New York Times.
A label rep for 22Gz only confirmed his removal when the New York Times asked for comment. The Atlantic Records artist is out on bail following his June arrest for attempted murder.