Meek Mill asked Twitter for “lawyers ASAP” after he was denied entrance into the Las Vegas Cosmopolitan hotel.
The Championships rapper posted videos on Twitter and Instagram on Saturday showing two hotel staff members telling him that he could be arrested for trespassing if he enters the hotel.
“Here’s the deal. You’re on private property,” a Cosmopolitan employee told the Dreams and Nightmares rapper in the Instagram video. “At this time, with the information that we have, we’re refusing to do business with you. We have the right to do that.”
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“Cosmopolitan hotel/casino going to extreme racist levels to keep too many black entertainers and black people …. they said they gone lock me up.. I’m like for what I’ve been once to a party with jayz ….. Some of these casinos have a bunch of Tatics to keep the level of blacks down …. but love to take our money!!!! This happens to a lot of black entertainers not just me either!! I felt crazy being put out by these white men for no reason!” Meek Mill captioned the video on Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx5z723A45V/?utm_source=ig_embed
In a second video posted to Twitter, Meek Mill and his friends ask for information as to why they cannot be on the property.
“I’m not accusing you guys of doing anything, man,” the staff member said. “Everyone is trying to chip in and put their two cents in. This is way bigger than me … obviously, you’re somebody.”
The staff member then asked the person recording the video to stop recording.
“No, no, no. Absolutely not,” they responded.
The Cosmopolitan staff member then began to read Nevada’s state code to the rapper and his group.
“If you do not leave the premise immediately, you will be subject to arrest for a misdemeanour,” the staff member read.
“For what?” Meek Mill asked.
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The 32-year-old rapper said on Twitter: “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!”
“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 jayz party without incident!” he wrote.
“I need lawyers ASAP y’all not gone treat me like I’m just a rapper and expect me to be quiet,” the Issues rapper continued.
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Following Meek Mill speaking out, The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas issued a statement on Monday saying the situation was “related to a matter of security, not race.”
“The recent situation regarding Meek Mill related to a matter of security, not race, and any reports citing otherwise are false,” the statement read. “We pride ourselves on providing an inclusive environment with zero tolerance for discrimination. Under different circumstances, Meek Mill would be welcomed to the resort but not at the compromise of his personal safety and the safety of our guests.”
The hotel noted that a club on the premises had reached capacity on Saturday.
The Cosmopolitan told CNN in a statement that the club knew about Meek Mill’s arrival in advance and that security told him he wouldn’t have access to the club because of the capacity issues in accordance with the Las Vegas Fire Marshal code.
The Stuck In My Ways rapper took to Twitter to discuss the hotel’s statement, writing: “The Cosmopolitan issued a statement that it was over capacity at a pool party why I was banned but told me I would be arrested just for stepping on their property even if I went to eat on the property ‘not at the pool party’ doesn’t even make sense.”
He continued: “And I don’t care about that casino I bring in millions every time my name mentioned on a Vegas casino event where I am always welcome … but y’all not gone just treat us like sh*t and act like it’s normal. Put some respect on our race ‘please and thank you.'”
Meek Mill’s lawyer, Joe Tacopina, addressed the hotel’s claims about capacity concerns in a statement.
“The assertion that the Cosmopolitan denied Meek because of capacity concerns at Marquee Dayclub is outright false,” Tacopina’s statement read. “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.”
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TMZ reports that Meek Mill is set to file a lawsuit this week against Las Vegas’ Cosmopolitan hotel for directing him to leave the premises and threatening to arrest him and his group.
Tacopina told TMZ he will seek “heavy monetary damages” from the hotel for “lying and humiliating Meek.”
The rapper’s lawyer alleges that there is a list of black rappers who are not welcome in a group of Las Vegas hotels. He claims that Yo Gotti and BlocBoy JB have also alleged they have been denied entry into other Vegas hotels.
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