The Frequency bar recently made the decision to discontinue hip-hop concerts after a fight at a concert early in the morning of Jan. 29 escalated into a shooting outside the club.
The bar’s manager cited a part of his lease with the property owner that has banned hip-hop concerts since 2008 to explain the decision, though neither had enforced the provision until the recent incident.
This board does not fault the manager for adhering to the lease requirements, but we do not feel the provision belongs in a lease in the first place.
The actions of a few hip-hop fans should not reflect on the entire genre. Yes, some people who enjoy hip-hop may have a tendency to fight and may own weapons that can escalate such a situation. So do people who enjoy country. And rock. And metal. It’s true those genres have not had incidents in Madison in recent years like hip-hop, but banning the music is not the answer. Hire better security or work with police on measures to prevent these occurrences.
Banning an entire genre alienates a large group of our community, and gives that group one less place to go. Madison’s history with hip-hop is not the best, but the city and restaurant owners should be working proactively to improve that instead of forcing the genre and its fans away from more and more venues. Not only does that hurt the city culturally, but it also hurts businesses economically when there is one less genre of music they can host.
A second issue with banning hip-hop: what is hip-hop? Where is the line with other genres? An arbitrary line will surely have to be drawn, and that could lead to more issues.
We do acknowledge that certain performers that have a history of violence at their shows, regardless of venue, certainly deserve increased scrutiny. A club or bar that chooses to enforce a ban on a specific performer is certainly justified in doing so.
The city and clubs must crack down on individuals who break the law and allow situations to escalate to gun violence as two men did outside The Frequency, but banning an entire genre of art is not the way to do it.
We hope the property owner will reconsider the lease, and work with the bar’s manager, hired security and the Madison Police Department to find a more sensible solution.
Do you agree with our assessment of The Frequency’s decision? Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
