"Near Riot": NYPD Shuts Down Drake's Seaport Concert

Where's Freddynyc aka Mengle with a racist remark? Oh probably got deleted already.

OMG RACIST EVERYONES RACIST. ugh

I saw Sugar Hill gang at this same venue and there were no problems what so ever. I just hope this does not prevent concerts from happening there in the future.

all this for a canadian kid who got shot and spent the latter part of his teens wheelchair-bound?

I was down there. It looked like they were holding a free crack giveaway.

I rode my bike past the Sea Port yesterday (6/15) around 7:15ish and it was a mad house. All this talk of black and white, and what kinds of show which brings certain kinds of people is all bullshit. That crowd was black, white, latino, asian, etc... The one true commonality was they were all young.

nice. its strange when an incisive, intelligent comment is posted here, it stands out---ha

Bread and circuses.

I blame Hanson.

drake and hanson? even if you were there behaving yourself, you're still a criminal

I blame All the Drake fans on the second floor by Pizzeria Uno. Arrests need to be made for the two assholes that through the chair and table from the balcony! These guys are in almost all the videos I've seen posted to the internet. No self respecting Hanson fan will act like that. For shame Drake fans, for shame... Next time handle yourselves better.

These people are wild animals and belong in cages.

Wild animals DON'T belong in jail and HUMANS are so not SUPERIOR

no one said anything racist at the beginning of the thread. It is the folks saying "racist" who seem to think the word "rap concert" = "black concert."

That reveals more about the folks using the word racist than anything else.

OHH!! Now I know where I've seen this dude. He's the guy from that ridiculous Sprite commercial. That many people showed up to see that loser? And Hanson? Wow, kids must be REALLY bored these days.

This is why we're fractured. Folks, we have to own this behavior, ok? When bad things happen, stop pointing fingers. Stop blaming "them". It's "us". It's all "us". These are events that test our racial lines and whatever other invisible lines that magically divide our society. A lot of people will profess to want a race-neutral nation. Ok, well, why don't you start now?

+1

I'm with you Potty.

Thats america right there. those are our kids. if they aint acting right its a problem for all of us. we've got start acting like what we are, one community.

Well said.

uneducated inner-city youths doing what they do best. good job nypd

if one of those rowdy kids were mishandled by the cops, there would be a lawsuit. If one of those rowdy kids were shot, their families would say "he was a good, bright kid."

Gothamist commenters racist?

No way!

Anyway, Drake is wack.

Overhyped.

Thank you

Doesnt Drake live in Mineola

+1

I was gonna mention that, but you beat me to it.

No one actually mentioned race, AT ALL, in the posts above. Not untill the people who started calling everyone else "racists", that is. It is THEIR bias that clouded the whole issue, they want to see everything in terms of black and white. But in reality, all any one said was, "oh, a riot at a rap concert, wow" (Maybe thats because rap music glorifies violence, not because its listeners may or may not be of a certain skin color)...

Damn, my comment was supposed to be to Valeriob, IDK what happened...

Why are you bitches calling others racist for factual comments that don't mention race at all?

Fact: this was a rap concert.

Fact: this was a free rap concert

Fact: there was a roit at this free rap concert.

Therefore I could say, "Great, a roit at a free rap concert!"

Only a true racist would make this a race thing. (gregorybutler)

Do you have any fucking questions?

This comment board is probably the dumbest thing I have ever seen in my life. It makes me sad. I used to love this city because people didn't give a f**ck. Now only stupid people live here. Thank for confirming that idiocy reigns supreme now. Oh question for fleshtone. WHY in the name of everything pure and holy would you want to see a shit show like Super Furry Animals. Their music sucks. I mean if it was like FNM or god even Pinback I would have said ok. But that band. Lord you probably live in Greenpoint, No, no, Bushwick. Loser. Actually scratch that you all on this post are

Hahaa! Oh No! The bad man made fun of a band I like! Somebody do something!

But seriously, it's exquisite the way you can complain about the commenters here and then in the same breath try to guess my neighborhood, knowing only that I like SFA (and other subtextual clues - they're everywhere!). It's too bad your post got truncated, you seemed to be in the middle of another gem.

What you really just said is that you are getting older.

Fact: you are an idiot. It's called subtext. Look it up.

Who would've thought that the crippled Canadian kid from Degrassi would've caused so many problems.

If you weren't a racist before, you could easily become one.

yeah. i f'in hate the white people in this thread.

Yeah, all those suburban white kids come into town and make a mess. Or, those white guys at that radio station who have no idea how to plan a free concert. Or, you.

I remember when Super Furry Animals had a free show at the Seaport get cancelled. The crowd rioted. No wait, we calmly went on with our day.

BUT THEY'RE ALL SUCH GOOD KIDS!

does anyone know the exact age you turn on the youth as an adult? because i'm only 28 and all i can think is "kids these days!"

All this over a Canadian rapper? I think it's time for Snow to make a comeback.

Infoooormer, blublehblahblehdoodahblehblahbleh, a licky boom boom down!

People go crazy for free concerts all the time, and when the crowds go over what organizers are expecting, it's a sh*tstorm. Example:Justin Bieber at a Long Island mall last year.

The Justin Bieber situation was different. Science tells us that if you place a massive compound of horny teenie boppers into close proximity of the element 'overrated child stars', an explosion with an end product of 'stupid' will result.

I can't believe how racist people reading a New York news site can be. I have been to a number of non-rap concerts that have turned into riots--actual riots not this weak "throwing chairs" crap--and I am white as can be. Now let's add stuff like soccer riots in of so civilized Europe into the equation. But please continue to write that this is an issue of skin color.

You're not even racists. You're just stupid.

I agree. Those people who input race into the equation probably only attend James Taylor & Hootie & the Blowfish concerts which never devolves into anything close to a riot.

This was poor planning on the promoter's fault for having this type on concert in such a small area. Not to mention canceling a concert abruptly that 10k-25k people were waiting for hours to see doesn't really help the situation.

Am I the only one who noticed that almost everyone in that attendance is white? So yeah...

EXACTLY!

Hate The Drake, and on NY1 there was a clear visual of this woman throwing not one but TWO chairs from the balcony. NYPD should seek her out and lock her ass up. Also I agree with canceling the show since there were people were conducted themselves in a disgraceful manner.

Bloomberg and Kelly are doing such a wonderful job.

It never ceases to amaze me just how racist the average "liberal" White New Yorker is - thank you Gothamist, for providing this anonymous forum so my fellow New Yorkers can show what they really think about me and people who look like me.

I think condemning New Yorkers as close minded racists based on the anonymous internet comments of ~40 people is about as stupid as you can get

i mean it rests on the assumption that the people posting here are somehow representative of new yorkers....or even new yorkers at all, which you don't know

Why do you presume that everyone posting is a "liberal"? Did you see yesterday's story about how 25% of NYC voters identify with the tea party?

So, a few bad acts by a few individuals leads you to indict an entire race?

Do you know what the phrase "Confirmation bias" means?

How would you like it if we judged your race by the conduct of the Hells Angels or the Mafia?

How could you not like The Drake?

So, there's never ever been a riot at a White concert?

I guess Altamont was all really really really light skinned Black people?

Also, the guy who pulled out a gun and was stabbed at Altamont was an African American. Is it still a "white" concert?

The guy who allegedly pulled out a knife was black. There is not proof and eyewitness accounts state that he did not. It was apparent Racism at the hands of the Hells Angels.

Uh, have you ever seen Gimme Shelter?

The footage clearly shows him pulling out a gun, not a knife. I'm sure it's on the internet - google it. The Hell's Angel was acquitted when the jury saw the footage

Anyhow, my original question was never answered. What makes something a "white" or "black" concert? The color of the artists skin? The crowd? I go to plenty of concerts with diverse crowds and have never really had any trouble.

Wait concerts are either white or black?

I have been to countless concerts in all types of venues and have never seen anything like this.

I know I'm a cranky middle-aged man, but why would so many people go to something like this? Ugh, all those smelly, sweaty folks? I love how people in the videos are laughing when douches start to throw chairs. It would have been great if one of the people shooting video got hit in the head with a plant. Laugh now, idiot.

Once again, if there were a free concert attended by Yeshiva students, it would probably have gone on without police using mace, just sayin'.

I do not agree. My neighbor has driven a school bus for a Yeshiva and a school bus for a public school for about 20 years, and says by far the Yeshiva kids are worse in terms of behavior. He entertains me with stories of them throwing themselves over the seats, and pelting things at each other. I'm not saying this is how all Yeshiva kids act, I'm just saying it is possible for any one group of people to act in such a manner.

I really don't think we can say what another group would do in this situation, because the fact of the matter is, it was too small a space, it had balconies and other tight spaces, and it was a multitude of people who had all been waiting a long time. It was a recipe for silliness, and once again, I don't think we can definitively say any one group of people would've acted differently.

This type of behavior at hip hop shows is the exact reason the NYPD uses hundreds of horses for riot control.

i'm really getting tired of these racist gothamist comments. here's an account of some of the things that happened tonight from my perspective, a concertgoer.

http://ratgrenade.tumblr.com/

I stopped reading after you claimed Rick was the bully in Degrassi. If you can't even get your facts straight about a TV show...

While he was not a stereotypical bully, Rick did almost kill his girlfriend..

Has there ever been a large gathering of fans at a rap concert where there hasn't been any violence? People can't even be cool at a f*cking birthday party without shooting someone.

RACIST!!!

And Yes summer jam happened without incident a week ago.

So, having read your blog: you were... how many blocks away from whatever happened at the Seaport?

Bottom line, you're completely clueless about what happened there.

way to cut and paste essentially the entire story without quotes so it appears as its yours. makes it seem as though you were there.

Nothing to see here. Just another New York wilding. They're happening frequently these days.

You know, the raver kids never used to do this shit.

We still dont act like this ever!!

the R in our mantra stands for RESPECT.

What I can't believe is that Hanson was on this bill.

Who knew that they even still exist?

sounds good, but nobody ever considers how maybe just maybe this is part of the agenda, that maybe for some strange reason someone somewhere figures out that the best way to make young hip hop fans look like idiots is to put 25000_ kids into some free venue that couldnt support that type of crowd and then cancel the concert,,,,you think?

anyway skrew drake, never heard of him.

anyway, everyones favorite big satr rapper, poopdizzy, poof daddy, Peedidz, or whatever they call him now,

sean combs started his career with a nice riot at a city college concert in the early 90's where 9 people where trampled to death. but just like emporor bloomturd the third

the more money you make the more people forget your major screwups..

"but nobody ever considers how maybe just maybe this is part of the agenda, that maybe for some strange reason someone somewhere figures out that the best way to make young hip hop fans look like idiots"

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you cannabis-induced PSYCHOTIC PARANOIA.

the estimate was 10,000? for a free drake concert? do they even fucking live in this city?!

Will be interesting to find out which idiot thought a rap concert @ SSS was a good idea. Place (balconies, bad corners, tight spaces, lousy staircases) is not set up for 5K, much less 10 or 25K people. The pub crawl & St. Patty's green bracelet gigs are bad enough and to be avoided at all costs. This ain't the old Seaport with Pete Seeger playing in the rain to a mellow crowd in the 70's. What did they expect?

I was wondering why I had no packages delivered to my desk after 2pm.

It also doesn't surprise me that a low-rated, low-rent radio station like 92.3 sponsored this stupidity. CBS Radio should not be proud to own a useless broadcasting outlet like that. At least the junk they play on their Fresh station doesn't cause riots. Not a lot of wilding going on to Phil Collins or Norah Jones.

I'm surprised the pier held up.

Hate The Drake.

Got to LOVE THE DRAKE!

A riot at a rap concert? Who could imagine any violence breaking out with such an educated and sophisticated audience. Honestly, you never saw riots break out when John Coltrane played but, then again, he was playing music and not a barbaric approximation of it.

The funny thing is that Hanson was also set to perform. But no mention of this at all. So now it's 3 white brothers were also to perform do you still believe it was all becuase of a rapper?

It has less to do with race or rap and more to do with the very simple formula for a riot:

- Give something away free and/or promote it widely

- To what becomes too many people (predominantly young males) who are bored, tired of waiting around, inconsiderate to the point of no respect for others, and posturing to impress their friends, potential rivals or any girls in the vicinity

- In a venue that is not designed for either that function or crowd capacity

- Add music or sport (or the anticipation of it) that's full of swagger and/or violence

- With a dash of drugs or alcohol or simply "bad apples" and

- Bingo! Ridiculous and mayhem all around

Examples:

AC/DC in NZ

DMX in Colorado Springs

Metallica in Chile

Li'l Wayne in the UK

Football riots in Manchester (and many other locales)

Marilyn Manson in Kansas City

Raiders fans in Oakland

Dead Prez in WA

Rolling Stones @ Altamont

The Who's Cincinnati Stampede

Limp Bizkit at Woodstock

Necro in Vancouver

And on and on ad nauseum.

Blame for all of this starts with the parents who did or didn't raise every single one of those rioters (rioters being distinctly different from the regular, non-disruptive attendees, of course).

Racist!!

Not racist, it's the truth.

Who the fuck are you to judge anyone - not once but at least twice in this one comment section alone?

If you want to judge, judge your own self-righteous, pedantic, judgmental attitude.

You impress no one with your holier-than-thou bullshit!

You are not too smart. What the person is saying is inherently racist in both instances. While you may be ok with biggotry and hate toward a group based on race/ethnic background, I am not and will continue to call it like I see it. Read several of the comments further down. I am not alone in these feelings. I was not the one judging, dumbass. The judgement was made by the OP.

The commenter made no mention of race. Isn't that correct?

You assumed the commenter was referring to blacks. Yet the rioters seems to be of all shades. So, you are the one with the problem.

Even if they were all black, they behaved like barbarians. That is how the commenter referred to their behavior.

In fact, the commenter praised the music of a black man, John Coltrane. That is not something a racist would do, is it, O Smug One?

It is your presumption that is the problem. Fools like you cry racism when there is none. You belittle and trivialize it. By crying it falsely, you weaken the charges it when it really happens.

I find judgmental, self-righteous fools like yourself as harmful as racists. You feed of each other.

As my favorite rabbi said" "Judge not, lest ye be judged."

slow down there, there`s a lot of rap/hip-hop/spoken word or whatever you want to call it out there, you are showing your ignorance trashing an entire genre and all of its fans, a genre that Coltrane would have most likely embraced and collaborated on. Try listening to what there is before you turn your nose up. Steve Coleman for example, just one of the great jazz artists who has MCs in the band, or the piles of brilliant and positive MCs out there. Just like in all music, there is the good and the trash, and the crowds that follow them

I agree with you about condemning all hip hop, but we are talking about a Drake concert here. Can you even compare him to more conscious hip hop?