Madison Square Garden Will Not Host AIDS Benefit Concert Because of ‘Security Concerns’
New York City's Madison Square Garden will not host an AIDS charity concert because Garden executives had concerns about "the violent reputation of hip hop," the New York Daily News reports. LIFEBeat, the music industry's AIDS foundation, had wanted to host a benefit concert on April 9 at Madison Square Garden, which has 5,600 seats. However, Garden executives cancelled the plan because of concerns about security. The concert features performances by Jay-Z, R. Kelly and Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, who have "had trouble with the law," the Daily News reports. The concert will instead be given at the Beacon, which has 2,900 seats. The Daily News reports that LIFEBeat executives are "unhappy" with the change because the foundation could have raised "thousands more dollars" if the concert had taken place at Madison Square Garden (New York Daily News, 2/22).
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