Jay-Z's 'Surprise' NYC Concert: Officials Pull The Plug

[NelsonG]

By James Montgomery

Late last month, we here at RapFix learned that Jay-Z was planning a surprise Time Square show around the release of his Magna Carta Holy Grail album … but now, thanks to the folks at the New York Post, it appears that plan has hit a snag.

See, when The Post broke the news of Jay's concert — which was set to take place atop the marquee of the Ed Sullivan Theater — they wrote it would "turn rush-hour Times Square into a gigantic street party," a bit of hyperbole that understandably didn't sit well with the NYPD. So after the Mayor's office supposedly office signed off on the show (which was set for Monday), the city yanked approval at the last minute … and now, the paper is citing sources that say Police pressured NYC to do so, after they learned about the show in that first Post story.

"Details about the performance were leaked to The Post beforehand," the paper wrote, "creating a logistical nightmare for cops given the hordes of fans such an event would draw."

Thanks a lot, bros! Of course, the Post also quoted an NYPD source that speculated the concert was canceled "because of the holiday weekend. [City officials] were concerned about fireworks and terrorism," so we're not entirely sure who's to blame for the show's demise … or, even, if it's entirely dead. After all, three years ago, Jay and Eminem wanted to perform in Times Square, too, and after the city canceled that show due to safety concerns, the duo ended up performing atop the Sullivan Theater anyway (a rep for Jay could not be reached for comment on the matter).

In the end, perhaps it's just best to put all the blame on NewsCorp CEO Rupert Murdoch. After all, his company does own The Post ... Yeah, let's just do that.

[url=http://rapfix.mtv.com/2013/07/03/jay-zs-surprise-nyc-concert-officials-pull-the-plug/]View the full article[/url]