The battle between Lil Wayne and Columbia concert promoters over the rapper’s no-show last year is over.
Terms of the settlement reached last week are not being released, said Joe McCulloch, the attorney representing the promoters of last September’s Fall Ball at Colonial Life Arena, which was supposed to be headlined by the rapper.
Promoters All for One wanted Lil Wayne to give back his $65,000 advance and pay their concert costs and legal fees.
Lil Wayne refused to enter the Columbia arena because he would have to go through a metal detector, even though his representatives agreed to the screening, court documents said. His contract with promoters did not include whether any security checks were required before entering the arena, the lawsuit said.
The rapper waited in his limo an hour while promoters and police worked on a compromise. He was refused a request to use a bathroom inside the arena before leaving without appearing on stage, according to court documents.
Colonial Life Arena, which is owned by the University of South Carolina, gave out refunds even though the rest of the Fall Ball bill, including chart-topping Cardi B and Two Chainz, performed after going through metal detectors.
Refunds were started for the 5,299 tickets sold. Promoters said in their complaint that they suffered “ongoing public criticism and humiliation” that damaged relationships within the music industry.
All for One also sued the arena, the university and Ticketmaster over the refunds and whether security checks of artists were even required. But a settlement was reached with them, said McCulloch, who declined to release details.
Lil Wayne received, in advance, $65,000 of his $110,000 payment for his expected 40-minute performance. The promoters withheld the remaining $45,000 after the rapper didn’t perform.
Efforts to reach Lil Wayne’s New York attorneys were unsuccessful.
Disputes like the one involving Lil Wayne in Columbia are rare because weapons screenings of artists and their entourage are becoming more common, music industry experts said.
Still, in another incident in South Carolina last year, country artist Jamey Johnson’s show at the House of Blues in North Myrtle Beach was called off over a reported beef over having weapons backstage.
