*Over the weekend Meek Mill took to social media to slam the “racist as hell” Cosmopolitan hotel in Las Vegas after security barred him from entering the property to see a DJ Mustard concert.
The staffers initially claimed that they did so due to a previous fight that Meek had gotten into, which the rapper denies. The beloved Philly rapper and his lawyer believe race was the motivating factor behind the decision to ban him from the premises and threaten Meek with arrest.
“Some of these casinos have a bunch of [tactics] to keep the level of blacks down … but love to take our money!” Meek wrote on his Instagram page. “This happens to a lot of black entertainers not just me […]”
In a series of tweets and videos, the hip-hop star documents the encounter after he arrives at the hotel Saturday and shows him trying to gain a clear reason why he’s being dismissed — but security staff struggle to provide an acceptable explanation.
“If you come from our culture you should never step foot in the cosmopolitan hotel they just really racist as hell …. something really has to be done in Las Vegas what they doing to black people,” Meek Mill tweeted.
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In the video, one of the security guards says that the decision to block the rapper is “way bigger than me,” and then threatens to have him arrested for trespassing if he enters the hotel property (see Instagram video embed above).
“I’m gonna be arrested for what? Being a rapper?” Meek Mill asked.
“They telling black rappers they are banned from properties they own without incident … they just told me I was trespassing and I will be arrested I stepped in that hotel once at a [Jay-Z] party without incident!, he adds.
“The cosmopolitan hotel …. and it’s a few other hotels that be doing this to black entertainers because they don’t want too many blacks on they property! Vegas notorious for this too its not just me!!!”
Meek’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, believe the hotel turned him away because Meek is black.
In a letter sent to the Cosmopolitan, Tacopina writes: “… We have learned that the Cosmopolitan maintains a list of African American recording artists who should be denied access for no other reason than their culture and skin color.”
Meanwhile, the Cosmopolitan denies the incident had anything to do with race and claim Meek was barred because they had reached their capacity. In a statement, they stated that they have “zero tolerance for discrimination.”
They told TMZ that Meek had attempted to go to the Marquee Dayclub, inside the Cosmopolitan, to see the Mustard performance, but “[the] Marquee Dayclub had reached capacity per Las Vegas Fire Marshall code. Earlier that day, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police had been called onsite to manage a larger than usual venue crowd.”
They went on to say, “Accordingly, when Marquee Dayclub was contacted in advance of Meek Mill’s arrival, security staff clarified that he would not be granted access because of capacity issues, in accordance with both club and resort policy. Upon his arrival, it was reiterated to Meek Mill and his team for a second time that access to the venue was not permitted.”
The hotel said that Meek was told that if he kept trying to enter the building he would be arrested for trespassing.
“The assertion that the Cosmopolitan denied Meek because of capacity concerns at Marquee Dayclub is outright false,” Tacopina said in statement provided to Complex. “In the recorded video, Meek also inquired about getting a meal at one of the hotel’s restaurants, yet their security team continued to deny Meek and said he would be arrested for trespassing regardless of location in the hotel premises. The Cosmopolitan’s conduct continues to be deplorable.”
The hotel’s statement contradicts the Cosmo guard’s claim that Meek was banned because of a violent lobby incident, which he denies ever took place.
But Meek’s lawyer tells TMZ, “The racist hole that they [Cosmopolitan] have dug for themselves has just gotten deeper. Yesterday, when this incident unfolded, the chief security guard could not articulate a reason why Meek was denied entry and threatened with arrest. They’ve now come up with some fabricated claim through an anonymous source that Meek was involved in a fight on their property.”
Tacopina goes on to say… “Meek Mill was never involved in a fight on their property, ever and I challenge the Cosmopolitan to produce a video of such altercation or a contemporaneous incident report. The legal case against the Cosmopolitan just got stronger.”
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