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Nas Speaks on Kidnapped Concert Promoter

Nas claims no fault in incident, blames shoddy business practices of promoter.

At the top of the year Nas was paid $300,000 to perform at a New Year's Eve concert in Angola, but his no-show at the event caused more trouble than it was worth. When the Queensbridge MC failed to show up, American concert promoter Patrick Allocco and his son say they were abducted at gunpoint by the concert sponsors and held for hours after they failed to deliver the rapper.

 

The U.S. Embassy in Angola eventually stepped in and had the Alloccos released, putting them up in a hotel while the parties attempted to work out a resolution. However, Allocco and his son remained in Angola until February 19 because Nas didn't repay the full amount right away.

 

The "Hate Me Now" rapper recently went on record to tell his side of the story.
"Basically he was a promoter that I never worked with and he wanted me to come to Africa for New Year's, which, for me, I thought, would be the best way to spend New Year's," Nas told MTV News. "The business wasn't handled. There was nothing sent to me, and there were no flights," he said. "By the time he did send money — he did eventually send money to me — but it was too late to go. I didn't even have a visa to get in the country. So that's canceled, the show's canceled."
Responding to Allocco's claim that travel was indeed properly arranged ahead of time, Nas went on to say, "That was just all wrong. Anytime I'm supposed to go to Africa, it happens. When people take care of business, it happens.... You booked the flight but no return flight. I didn't have a visa, and you didn't send money till after I was supposed to jump on the plane to another country, and that's just the way it went down."
Allocco is currently considering filing a lawsuit against the rapper for damages.

 

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(Photo: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images)

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