The Budweiser Made in America festival kicked off with a show stopper on Saturday [September 3], after officers from the Philadelphia police department were summoned to break up a crowd of what was estimated to be 1,000 fans who bum-rushed the stage during Jay Electronica's set. No arrests were made, but the surge of people, who mobbed around the New Orleans emcee at his own request, did mark the end of Jay's appearance.
As a last-minute addition to the roster of 30 artists performing at the two-day event, Jay Elect wasn't expected to draw the kind of crowd that showed up for his performance at his particular Stage, but thanks to the help of Philly rapper Lil Uzi Vert, whose concert antics have cultivated a base of wild followers, he got an audience that was game for the anarchy that ensued. Prior to Electronica taking the stage, Lil Uzi is reported to have put on a show that involved him walking railings, climbing statues, and leading fans to chase him around as he performed. Many of those present for Jay Electronica's set had come about behind Uzi, who was seen prancing among them.
Video of the moment fans broke the stage barrier shows Jay encouraging them over. "If you're scared stay down there, if you're not scared come up here with me. Come up here with me. All of my people, come up here with me," he hollered, as they began to trickle through, then eventually blitz forward. "Yo, let's try to come at this motherf***ing stage. Let's try to tear this b***h down!" With the stage packed and jumping, the loudspeaker began ordering people to disperse and security made it's way up.
Source: youtube.com
