Las Vegas Sheriff on Rap Ban
Yesterday I spoke to sheriff Bill Young for a feature on the rap controversy that will appear in "Las Vegas Weekly" on Thursday. During our interview I asked Young about the various interpretations of his letter written on June 5, 2005 to the Gaming Control Board. As previously written about on the Buffet, in that letter, Sheriff Young asked the Gaming Enforcement Division of the Gaming Control Board to help ponder "if we can influence the gaming industry to not book gangster rap here in Las Vegas."
The ACLU clamed that this (combined with a recent note sent to casinos by gaming authorities reminding them that they are responsible for any incidents that happened at their nightclubs) amounts to censorship. But Alan Feldman of MGM/Mirage told the Buffet the other day that his company interpreted Young's letter more as a head's up about having proper security in place. So, I began by asking the Sheriff whose interpretation was right.
Q: The ACLU says you are calling for casinos to ban gangster rap and Alan Feldman of MGM/Mirage told me he interprets your letter to mean that you only want to make sure casinos have proper security for those events, which he says they do. Which did you mean?
A: "My job is risk management; I'm more worried about safety and security than content. This isn't a First Amendment issue. If you know in advance that A is going to cause B ---and B is shootings, murders, bad publicity for the community and people hurt--- I think anyone with any sense would say maybe you want to prevent A from happening in the first place. If it was an occasional thing or one time thing I don't think it would be advantageous to us to take a position that we should not book these acts. But I based my letter on a lot of fact and history that is undisputable. You can go back to Las Vegas’ first incident when the number one gangster rap artist in America, Tupac Shakur, was killed here at the MGM. So, Mr. Feldman can have his position, but that company was unable to prevent the murder of the guy on their property."
By all accounts that I am aware of Shakur was shot in a car at the corner of Flamingo and Koval which is behind the MGM and, to the best my knowledge, not resort property. But this was typical of the feisty sheriff who I don't agree with on the issue at all but liked enough---his passion, his dedication and his concern about the community are all clearly sincere and come from the heart---- in our spirited conversation that I may vote for him. Anyway, I will post a link to the full interview after it is published in Weekly. Suffice that the Sheriff is not backing away from his opinions and has much to say on the subject of gangster rap. But the Sheriff also insisted to me he is not on any crusade of the sort that has been portrayed in the media.
Q: What is your next step?
A: "I have no next step. I wrote a letter. Gaming Control is responsible for these casinos and policing them."
Further the Sheriff pointed out to me what perhaps has not been emphasized enough: his letter was written back in June and only drew attention after the recent warning memo to resorts to mind their clubs, a memo that did not specifically mention rap.
"I wrote a very low-key letter to a body that is properly responsible for the conduct of these venues in casinos clear back in June. I've been used as a pawn in this because I saw this (problems with gangster rap) coming," Young said.
Does anybody proof your copy? Didn't think so.
Posted by: z | February 28, 2006 at 03:45 PM
Bob Dylan is coming in April - is the Sheriff worried about that rebel rouser?
Posted by: Gump | February 28, 2006 at 03:46 PM
Sounds like the time I spent in Saudi Arabia. In other words, don't go there.
Posted by: bd | March 01, 2006 at 03:57 AM
Regardless of what "Roscoe" the sheriff claims, his support of any policy that denyies a certain type of music to be performed in Vegas is tantamount to censorship and strips Vegas performers and their patrons of their rights to free speech. I think it's disgusting that this sheriff doesn't mind having a Vegas full of gambling addicts, alcoholics, strippers and prostitues, yet wants to stop American citizens from seeing 50 Cent perform.
Posted by: Obasanjou | March 01, 2006 at 07:01 AM
Get over yourselves, anyone of you would be the first to ask why, then sue one of these deep pocket casinos, if you or one of your family members was killed by a stray bullet, in the parking lot after a rap concert... facts are facts... It is a tough business, they brag killing people, constantly in jail, These guys get killed while in the studios putting down tracks,you think they care about you or your family? Fight a fight worth fighting! no one ever got shanked at a bob dylan concert!
Posted by: J_fick | March 01, 2006 at 08:53 AM
Not at a Dylan concert, but a kid was stabbed to death by Hells Angels at a Rolling Stones concert
You've never heard of violence at or after a rock concert? What planet do you live on?
And just in case anybody wants the facts, Tupac's relation to the MGM Grand is Pac, Suge Knight, and others beat down Tupac's eventual killer in MGM Grand's lobby after a Tyson fight was hosted there...
Pac wasn't staying at the MGM Grand, they weren't responsible for his security, and Pac was headed to a party elesewhere when he was killed...
And what about Common, or any other political rapper, they're not allowed in Las Vegas? Thats the problem with censorship, it means well... This Sheriff is trying to stop murders, but a ban on all rappers would mean even rappers who rhyme about being smart and not resorting to crime would be banned!
Posted by: King Nick | March 01, 2006 at 01:18 PM
There's nothing wrong w/ the sheriff making his opinion known to the gaming industry. He has valid points. No one is trampling on 1st Amendment rights here. His opinion, although more public than most, is every bit as protected constitutionally as you yours or mine.
Posted by: Matt | April 10, 2009 at 08:00 AM