Report: Atlanta festival cancelled due to law that makes prohibiting firearms on event grounds illegal

This is the third article from “Reclaiming Our Time: A History of Atlanta’s Black LGBTQIA Life,” a series of editorials that presents vivid and personal accounts of one of the city’s most definitive communities. James Warren Jackson is a Black gay man

On September 2, Atlanta Black Pride is hosting a fashion show showcasing local Black queer designers along with local LGBTQ Greek organizations. The show, which is chaired by new board member and friend of Georgia Voice Tiana Clay, promises to be a diverse and incredible event.

Young Thug is being sued up to $150,000 (£124,608) over a concert he was allegedly set to perform over the summer.The rapper – real name Jeffery Williams – was allegedly due to appear at the State Farm Arena on June 18 in Atlanta but due to his recent arrest, he was unable to attend.According to court documents, Williams was set to receive $300,000 (£249,216) for a 45-minute set half of which had already been paid up front and the rest due to be paid after the event.However, concert promoter A-1 Concert Entertainment has claimed they still have not received the $150,000 advance back, as reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution via HipHopDX.“Due to his arrest and the nature of the felony criminal charges against Williams, it was immediately apparent in May 2022 that he would not be able to perform as required in the agreement,” the filing added. “To date, A-1 Concert has not received any reimbursement of the $150,000 owed to it.”A representative for YSL Touring told the publication a refund will be issued.NME has contacted a spokesperson for Young Thug for comment.The rapper was arrested on May 9 and hit with charges that included taking part in criminal street gang activity.

NeNe Leakes is remembering her late husband on what would have been his 67th birthday. On Tuesday, the former star shared a touching tribute to Gregg Leakes, who died in 2021 at the age of 66.  “Missing the man that always had a plan!” the 54-year-old wrote next a photo of her with her arms wrapped around her husband.

Young Thug has been sued by a concert promoter based in the US state of Georgia over a show that was cancelled after the rapper was arrested in May and denied bail.Prosecutors claim that Young Thug – real name Jeffery Williams – co-founded a gang that went on to commit murders, shootings and carjackings. He, fellow rapper Gunna and 26 others were charged in May in relation to allegations made against that gang.

Mariah Carey's north Atlanta home was burglarized in July while the superstar had been vacationing across Italy and the United States. The Sandy Springs Police Department confirmed the July incident at Carey's home to Fox News Digital but did not immediately provide additional details about the incident.

turned into a nightmare after her Atlanta home was reportedly burglarized while she was out of town.In July, the pop star visited Italy with her boyfriend, Bryan Tanaka, and her twins, Monroe and Moroccan. She then flew to a $20 million mansion in the Hamptons to enjoy some relaxing time on the water with her family, according to . During that time, Page Six reported, her other home was broken into.

which prompted the recent cancellation of the Atlanta festival Music Midtown, has now said that he wishes to “challenge” the live music promoter’s firearms ban inside its Georgia venues.The annual festival, which had been due to welcome the likes of My Chemical Romance, Jack White and Future from September 17-18, cancelled its 2022 edition earlier this month “due to circumstances beyond our control”.Billboard subsequently reported that recent changes to Georgia’s gun laws, which prevented Music Midtown’s owner Live Nation from banning festivalgoers from bringing guns on to the publicly owned festival grounds at Piedmont Park, were “the likely cause” for the cancellation.In a new interview with Billboard, Georgia IT worker, author and vocal gun rights activist Phillip Evans recalled how, in the weeks before the cancellation, he warned a contractor hired to handle security at Music Midtown that “should any member of your security team accost a legal carrier of weapons … [then] your company (and any involved individual) could be sued for damages”.“I urge you to honour and follow our state weapons law here in Georgia,” he added.A post shared by Music Midtown (@musicmidtown)Evans has now told Billboard that he never pushed for Music Midtown’s cancellation, and that he didn’t expect Live Nation to pull the plug on the event.“There’s nothing in my blog, in my opinion, that indicates I celebrated the decision,” he added. “I would’ve actually been thrilled had Live Nation gone ahead and had the event and said that they were following state law.”Describing himself as a “hardcore music fan” who “loves all kind of music from all eras”, Evans says that he wants Live Nation to “abide by a law”.

At the start of the month, the Atlanta-based festival Music Midtown announced it would not be going forward in September. A reason for the cancellation was not given, though Billboard reported that Georgia's gun laws, which would have permitted firearms to be brought onto the festival grounds, led to organizers nixing the show. In a new interview with Billboard, Phillip Evans, the gun activist and blogger who threatened the lawsuit against Music Midtown, says he wants to "challenge" Live Nation's weapons policy banning guns inside Georgia amphitheaters.

21 Savage has defended his own lyrics after he called for an end to gun violence in Atlanta.The rapper, who grew up in the Georgia city, tweeted yesterday (August 8): “Atlanta We Have To Do Better. Put The F****** Guns Down !!!!!”While many Twitter users supported his comments, one fan highlighted Savage’s own lyrics about gun violence by quoting the rapper’s line “spin a block twice like it ain’t nowhere to park” from his recent Drake collaboration ‘Jimmy Crooks’.Replying to the fan, Savage countered: “A song is for entertainment it’s not an instruction manual on how to live life.“In real life I give away a lot of money and spread financial literacy to my community.

Jem Aswad Senior Music EditorUTA announced today that  Robert Gibbs has joined the agency as a partner and co-head of its Atlanta office.In his new role, Gibbs will join UTA Atlanta co-heads Rich Paul, Arthur Lewis, and Steve Cohen to help grow the agency’s footprint across music, sports, film, fine arts, television, podcasts, and more, according to the announcement.“Robert’s experience in the industry, combined with his enthusiasm to help us build in Atlanta, made him the perfect choice to join UTA and our leadership team there,” said UTA CEO Jeremy Zimmer. Last September UTA and its partner company Klutch Sports Group established an office in the city.“Over the past several years the momentum at UTA has been undeniable,” said Gibbs.

Music industry veteran Robert Gibbs has joined UTA as a Partner and Co-Head of the agency’s Atlanta office.

Zack Sharf “First Kill” showrunner Felicia D. Henderson held Netflix accountable while talking to The Daily Beast about the streamer’s decision to cancel her lesbian teenage vampire series after only one season. Netflix announced the cancellation on Aug.

Killer Mike and 2 Chainz have criticised a recently introduced nuisance ordinance in Atlanta that they claim is penalising small and Black-owned businesses in the city.The rappers, both Atlanta natives, attended a city council meeting on Monday (August 1) to call for the preservation of small businesses. The father of rapper Young Thug, Jeffrey Williams Sr., was also there and argued that the ordinance’s “catch-all approach” of trying to reduce violence in proximity to clubs and establishments “penalises uninvolved parties”.In April, Mayor Andre Dickens introduced the nuisance order which aims to allow the city to close any establishment considered a “nuisance” after two reports of “violent crime or conduct” within a two-year span.

Donald Glover is addressing backlash surrounding his depiction of the Black community in his FX series “Atlanta”.

Donald Glover has rejected the criticism that his comedy-drama series Atlanta “isn’t for Black people”.The show, which airs on FX in the US and Disney+ in the UK, follows college dropout Earnest “Earn” Marks (Glover) and rapper Paper Boi (Brian Tyree Henry) as they navigate an otherworldly version of the Atlanta rap scene. The series also stars Lakeith Stanfield and Zazie Beetz.Through an Afro-surrealist lens, the show examines themes of racism, whiteness, existentialism and modern African-American culture.

Atlanta – watch it below.After touring around Europe in the third season, Earn (Donald Glover), Alfred ‘Paper Boi’ Miles (Brian Tyree Henry), Darius (Lakeith Stanfield) and Van (Zazie Beetz) find themselves back in Atlanta for the show’s final outing.A synopsis reads: “Season four finds Earn, Paper Boi, Darius and Van back in their hometown. But the question is, has Atlanta changed or have they?”Both seasons three and four of Atlanta were filmed back-to-back after production was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Donald Glover has one last thing to say. FX's has set a premiere date for the fourth and final season: Thursday, Sept. 15, the network announced Tuesday.In the series' final chapter, Earn (Donald Glover), Alfred ‘Paper Boi’ Miles (Brian Tyree Henry), Darius (LaKeith Stanfield) and Van (Zazie Beetz) are back in their hometown.