BALTIMORE, MD (CelebrityAccess MediaWire) — The city of Baltimore has decided not to pursue legal action against the Washington, D.C.-based rapper Wale, after the performer used profanities and a racial slur during the city's free Artscape Festival.
Held in Baltimore, Artscape is a large, free arts festival that regularly draws upwards of 300,000 fans to the city's Mount Royal neighborhood.
According to the Baltimore Sun, Artscape organizers warn artists that their performances must be suitable for family audiences. Thus, they were shocked when Wale used offensive language at the event.
"He is not known to do that kind of performance," Bill Gilmore, executive director of the Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts told the Sun. "We were pretty much caught off-guard."
Gillmore added that it would not be possible to reduce or revoke payment to Wale as artists are paid in advance for the festival. He went on to note that the city is not planning any additional legal action against Wale.
"It was a tough lesson and we need to move on," Gillmore told the Sun. He added that BOPA was looking at ways to prevent a similar incident from occurring in the future. – CelebrityAccess Staff Writers
