Rapper Drake earlier today at Best Buy in Union Square.
Senseless violence marred a Drake concert at South Street Seaport Tuesday night, prompting police to pull the plug on the show before the rap phenom ever had a chance to grab a mic.
The raucous crowd massed on the Seaport’s cobble-stoned streets spun out of control as opening act Ninjasonik performed.
“Everybody was pushing up, trying to get to the front,” said Tamika Johnson, 31, of East New York, Brooklyn.
Johnson and her 6-year-old daughter were among thousands who turned out for the free show, part of a publicity blitz marking the release of the up-and-coming Canadian rapper’s debut album, “Thank Me Later.”
“People in the front started leaving because they were getting crushed,” Johnson said. “Then they started throwing bottles from the balconies.”
Fights broke out as rowdies tossed flower pots from the upper floors of the Seaport down onto the crowd on the street, said Jasmine Arroyo, 23, of Brooklyn.
Arroyo said the scene turned into “a madhouse” as people on the street began firing plastic bottles and “any object they could find” at the flower-pot-hurlers.
“A lot of people were drunk and falling down … fistfights within the crowds,” she said. “There were people jumping onto token booths and hopping over fences.”
The smiley-faced Drake was anything but after his gig was canceled, telling the Daily News the NYPD put the kibosh on the festivities due to “overcrowding.”
“I am humbled by the crowd that showed up in support of my performance,” he said through his spokeswoman. “Unfortunately, the show was canceled by the NYPD due to overcrowding, leaving me without the chance to give my fans a real show.”
Police officials said they received a flurry of 911 calls, but they would not immediately confirm Drake’s claim that cops cleared the stage and sent thousands of fans packing.
“The crowd wasn’t going anywhere,” Johnson said. “If he would have came out, that would have calmed everything down.”
Johnson said her daughter was devastated she didn’t get to see the “Best I Ever Had” star perform.
“She started crying because he didn’t come out,” Johnson said. “She got dried up tears on her face.”
Earlier Tuesday, more than 500 crazed Drake fans lined up to meet the Lil’ Wayne protégé at his album release inside the Best Buy store at Union Square.
With Ryan Lavis
Drake vs NYPD
Tuesday, June 15th, 2010 at 10:57 pm
Views: 380
Drake drew an over zealous crowd today at the south street seaport. Supposedly Hanson fans and Drake fans were beefing with one another. Is that was hip-hop has come to? It’s actually kind of funny. The police ended up shutting things down. That crowd is impressive (see below photos). Aubrey released the following statement. Snagged from RR.
- “I am humbled by the crowd that showed up in support of my performance and the release of Thank Me Later. I love performing for my fans but unfortunately the show was canceled by the NYPD due to over crowding, leaving me without the chance to give my fans a real show. I’m thankful for the support that the fans have been giving me… I thank you now.”
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Jourdain Racing 