2/10/2015
By Ivan Pereira and Stephanie Grella
Kanye West is already brewing up controversy in New York City and he hasn’t even taken the stage.
Some residents, business owners and community leaders are angry that the rapper will be performing a free, 45-minute concert at Flatiron Pedestrian Plaza inside Madison Square Park Thursday night, saying the area is not appropriate for such a large-scale and loud show. Although the park space won’t be closed to parkgoers during the “Roc City Classic Show” at 8 p.m., 10,000 people are expected to attend — and that doensn’t sit well with some of those who enjoy the area.
“I love public music, especially in parks, but it just seems like an odd location for it,” said Jeanie Mony, 45, a dog walker who frequently uses the park.
Crews began setting up the stage Tuesday for the concert and it will be up until Friday morning, according to Roc Nation, Jay Z’s media company, which is producing the show.
Community Board 5 and Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer sent several letters over the last few months to the city and the producers asking them to rethink the location for the concert. Brewer said she didn’t know why the show — which is one of several concerts related to the NBA All-Star Game this weekend — couldn’t have been held somewhere else, like Times Square.
“I can’t imagine what this going to look like. It is a plaza that is too small for this crowd,” she said.
Roc Nation declined to comment about the complaints, but said it sent a letter to residents and businesses last week informing them about the road closures that will be put in place two hours before the show.
“The NBA is not involved in this event,” Mike Bass, NBA Executive Vice President of Communications, added.
Brewer was skeptical that nearby businesses would reap any benefits from the show.
West, 37, made headlines at the Grammy Awards on Sunday when he unexpectedly took the stage when Beck won Album of the Year. He later went on a rant about Beck shouldn’t have beaten Beyoncé.
The city said there will be a huge presence of cops as well as officials from the transportation department and sanitation department at the park to make sure there are no issues.
“The city is committed to ensuring safety at all events while minimizing traffic disruption and impact on local residents, and this event is no exception,” Emil Lissauer, the acting director of Citywide Events Coordination and Management, said in a statement.
