Just hours before the kick-off of the Rolling Loud New York 2022 on Citi Fields, Queens, three drill rappers slated for performance this week are banned from the highly-anticipated music festival.
Ron Suno, Sha Ek, and 22Gz were reportedly removed from the lineup due to shady reasons from the New York Police Department.
In the past few months, New York City, under the leadership of Mayor Eric Adams, has been imposing a crackdown on the drill rap scene in the city, noting that the culture attributes to increasing violence and crimes in the area.
Drill Rappers Removed From Rolling Loud New York 2022 Lineup
In a New York Times report, three drill rappers all set to perform at the Rolling Loud New York 2022 music festival were banned by the New York Police Department.
Bronx MC Sha Ek was supposed to perform today, the first day of the all-hip-hop music festival ahead of the Nicki Minaj headlining performance tonight. On the other hand, drill rappers Ron Suno and 22Gz are supposedly playing on the closing day on Sunday along with Future but were removed too.
The information came from the artist's representatives. The New York Police Department had requested the removal of the three rappers from the bill. As for 22Gz, this was not the first time that he was removed days before the performance. In 2019, along with the late Pop Smoke, he and five other artists were removed from the roster, all drill rappers, because of their links to alleged gang violence in the area.
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Sha Ek's manager, Noodle, told the publication that his client has not been charged with any crimes that could justify the surprising ban on the performance. Ron Suno's team has also echoed the same sentiment, bewildered on why someone with no criminal records nor any gang ties is banned from the festival.
For 22Gz, the ban was likely connected to the June indictment on an attempted murder case. His team acknowledged the removal but refused to comment.
As of this writing, neither the New York Police Department nor the Rolling Loud New York 2022 festival organizers have issued a comment on the said removal of the three artists.
Taking place this weekend, the Rolling Loud New York 2022 will feature headlining acts from Nicki Minaj, A$AP Rocky, and Future from September 21 to September 23.
READ ALSO: Drill Music Means Gun Violence? NYC Mayor Wants To Do THIS Shocking Thing For Rap Subgenre [DETAILS]
