MONTEREY (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — The Monterey County Board of Supervisors today voted 4-1 to allow the Monterey Music Summit to proceed with their plans to hold their 3-day music and art event at the Laguna Seca Recreational Area in Monterey at the end May. The focus of the vote and controversy was the addition of international hip-hop music star, Snoop Dogg to the diverse line up.
The festival was in danger of having their permit revoked because of what some thought as Snoop Doggs music being violent, which could incite gang conflicts at the event. Festival promoters are working with anti-gang organizations such as Barrios Unidos and the Salinas Youth Center to help make the festival successful.
The concern about gangs is perhaps misplaced as Snoop long ago disavowed any gang connection and advocates sports and recreation programs as a way to divert at-risk youth from gang activities. Furthermore, the rapper was associated with the Crips, while the gangs currently in contention around Salinas are Latino gangs, the Nortenos and the Surenos.
Joe Fletcher, the promoter of the event, has presented over 1000 artists such as Ludacris, Clay Aiken, Ani DiFranco, Alison Krauss, Motley Crue, BB King, Hilary Duff, 50 Cent, Eminem, and Black Eyed Peas. He said. "I am very happy that the Board felt the same as I do, that you cannot censor music. I was confident that we would prevail over this controversy. We are moving full speed ahead to continue building a safe and positive festival."
Still more controversy dogged the event over the inclusion of the electronic group The Crystal Method, who's name is strongly suggestive of a drug that is particularly prominent in central California, while others expressed concerns about the political message of a number of scheduled performers.
The Monterey Music Summit is being held May 30 through June 1 at Laguna Seca Recreation Area in Monterey, CA. Over 30 performances will take place on two stages throughout the weekend, offering attendees regional favorites to international stars of pop, rock, surf punk, hip hop, folk and world beat.
Artist Line Up: Musical artists currently include: Snoop Dogg, Ky-Mani Marley, Slightly Stoopid, Coheed and Cambria, Sound Tribe Sector 9, Ozomatli, The Crystal Method, Tea Leaf Green, Melvin Seals and JGB, Moonalice, Fishbone, New Moonson, Dieselboy with MC Messinian, Albino!, Tibetan Monks and Mystical Arts of Tibet, Paula Cole, Raine Maida from Our Lady Peace, Shelby Lynn, Crash Hot, Hot Buttered Rum, West Indian Girl and others. – CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
