Earlier this week, a rep for Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said JAY-Z’s Made in America festival will have to be held somewhere other than the city’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway next year due to costs. JAY-Z responded to the news in an op-ed penned for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
In it, the rapper criticizes the mayor for pulling the Parkway plug “through a media outlet” after the festival had called it home since its inception in 2012.
“We are disappointed that the mayor of the city of Philadelphia would evict us from the heart of the city, through a media outlet, without a sit-down meeting, notice, dialogue, or proper communication,” JAY-Z wrote. “It signifies zero appreciation for what Made in America has built alongside the phenomenal citizens of this city.”
JAY-Z also claimed that he received a “legal letter trying to stop the 2018 event” from the mayor’s office. This year’s festival is scheduled for September 1-2 with Nicki Minaj, Post Malone, Meek Mill and others.
Several hours after the op-ed was published, Mayor Kenney responded with his own statement via Variety that calls the entire situation an “unfortunate understanding” that all are “working to resolve.”
“The City of Philadelphia supports the Made in America festival and is greatly appreciative of all that it has done for Philadelphia,” he said. “We are committed to its continued success and thank them for their partnership. We hope to be able to resolve what has been an unfortunate misunderstanding. We are working with Roc Nation and Live Nation to resolve this issue and we are committed to continuing our partnership with the Made in America festival.”
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