Summer Jam has continued to increase its reputation as one of the biggest events in hip-hop, and unfortunately that popularity led to police being called in to quell minor rioting at the Metlife Stadium in New Jersey this weekend. Kendrick Lamar, Chris Brown and Big Sean were among the big names on the lineup, which attracted a sellout crowd...which left those without a ticket in a bad mood.
The concert didn't sell out until early in the evening, and many fans had showed up expecting to buy a ticket and found themselves out of luck. Some individuals tried to jump the line or attempt to rush the gates, at which point police were called in to handle the disruptions. Pitchfork doesn't make clear which happened first—police using pepper spray or patrons throwing glass bottles at police—but both happened.
Organizers responded by preventing anyone else from entering the event, including those who had tickets. Representatives for Summer Jam released a statement in which they promised those who hadn't been able to get into the event could exchange their tickets for full refunds.
Police haven't released the number of arrests made last night but one officer was injured during the conflict according to reports.
Those who managed to get into the concert seemed to be treated to some great performances. Interestingly, Fabolous seemed to bring out everyone but the kitchen sink during his set, including Busta Rhymes, Raekwon, Method and Red Man, Mobb Deep, Lil Kim, Ma$e and the Lox. Meek Mill got guest spots from Nicki Minaj and Future (who performed at the nearby Governors Ball on Friday), and Ty Dolla $ign got Wiz Khalifa and Dej Loaf to show up for his performance.
Things could have been worse. The Ultra Music Festival got plenty of negative attention when those without tickets rushed a security fence during 2014, trampling and seriously injuring a security guard in the process.
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