Cosmic Kev

Cosmic Kev

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Why Though? Made In America Will No Longer Be On Ben Franklin Parkway

Why Though? Made In America Will No Longer Be On Ben Franklin Parkway

The Made in America music festival, created by Jay-Z, has been a huge boost to the economy and tourism of Philadelphia. 

Out of nowhere, the mayor has announced that it is no longer welcome on the infamous Ben Franklin Parkway. 

No phone call, no meeting, no notice. That’s how rapper Jay-Z says the City of Philadelphia acted when it decided to end the rapper’s annual Made in America festival on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

 

“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, who founded the Labor Day weekend festival, wrote in an op-ed for the Philadelphia Inquirer posted online Wednesday.

 

“It signifies zero appreciation for what Made in America has built alongside the phenomenal citizens of this city,” Jay-Z wrote.

 

The annual festival, which has drawn acts from Pearl Jam to Rihanna to Jay-Z’s wife Beyoncé to the Parkway for Labor Day weekend since 2012, is lauded by concertgoers but seen as a nuisance by some residents and drivers annoyed by road closures and parking restrictions.

 

The entrepreneur and rapper says that MIA serves as “a multi-cultural platform that represents strength, freedom of speech and perseverance for artists and music lovers.”

 

Despite the good vibes and tourism dollars generated by the tens of thousands attending the annual festival, Jay-Z says that Mayor Jim Kenney’s administration has been trying to end the Parkway party.

 

“In fact, this administration immediately greeted us with a legal letter trying to stop the 2018 event,” Jay-Z said.

 

The 2018 festival, featuring Meek Mill, Nicki Minaj, Post Malone, Zedd and others is still set to take place on the Parkway.

 

Jay-Z points out that MIA is one of the only minority-owned festivals, with an economic impact of $102.8 million since its founding in 2012 -- not to mention paying $3.4 million in rent to the city. Former Mayor Michael Nutter was in charge when the festival began; Kenney inherited the festival when he took office in 2016.

 

“We consider this stance a failure on the Mayor’s part,” Jay-Z said. “Is this an accurate representation of how he and his administration treat partners that economically benefit his city? Do they regularly reject minority-owned businesses that want to continue to thrive and grow alongside his city’s people?”

 

NBC10 has reached out to Kenney’s office for a response to Jay-Z’s remarks. They said they were preparing a response.

 

The city made a brief statement to NBC10 Tuesday night saying the 2018 edition of the festival this September would be the last on the Parkway and that they would like to keep the festival in the city, but at another location.

 

Besides the millions Jay-Z says his festival raised for the City of Brotherly Love, he also says founders have been philanthropic, donating nearly $3 million to the United Way of Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey and encouraging social action.

 

"How does an administration, merely discard an event that generates millions in income and employs the city’s people as if we are disposable now that we have served our purpose? The city is right, in one respect, the first Made in America festival took place when there was a great need for tourism,” Jay-Z said in the op-ed. “By their admission, the festival first started as a ‘unique attraction to the City on an otherwise quiet Labor Day weekend. Over the years, tourism has grown overall.’ Our question is, ‘How do you think that tourism grew, Mayor Kenney?’”

 

Jay-Z, whose Roc Nation along with Live Nation, put on the concert said they would discuss future options and “handle accordingly.” -(Dan Stamm, NBC Philadelphia)

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