Killer Mike and 2 Chainz have criticised a recently introduced nuisance ordinance in Atlanta that they claim is penalising small and Black-owned businesses in the city.The rappers, both Atlanta natives, attended a city council meeting on Monday (August 1) to call for the preservation of small businesses.
The father of rapper Young Thug, Jeffrey Williams Sr., was also there and argued that the ordinance’s “catch-all approach” of trying to reduce violence in proximity to clubs and establishments “penalises uninvolved parties”.In April, Mayor Andre Dickens introduced the nuisance order which aims to allow the city to close any establishment considered a “nuisance” after two reports of “violent crime or conduct” within a two-year span.
It would also address businesses that previously managed to avoid closures by allegedly exploiting loopholes, such as changing property ownership.Killer Mike explained that he’d last attended a meeting in May to address “the importance of small and local businesses” but said he doesn’t feel like much has changed in the time since.
Instead, he highlighted that Atlanta’s continued development – prioritising large corporations over smaller, community-based ventures – has taken hold (via Rolling Stone).“As Atlanta grows, corporations are going to be coming into here,” the Run The Jewels bandmember said.
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