NBA YoungBoy has faced a couple of security and venue issues during his highly successful and ongoing "MASA" tour, but this is the first one that goes beyond the concerts themselves. According to a report from The Oklahoman, the Oklahoma County Jail increased its weekend staff and prepared for a surge of arrests ahead of his Oklahoma City performance on Saturday night (November 1).
Rev. Derrick Scobey, a Black jail trustee, reportedly accused officials responsible for the decision of "overt" racism. The correctional institution's interim administrator Tim Kimrey defended the "proactive" decision by chalking it up to urban and metropolitan surges of population across many concerts and live shows, not a racially biased consideration for the Baton Rouge lyricist alone.
Then, during the meeting in which trustees debated this matter, Scobey convinced Kimrey to increase staffing for a Christian worship event. As for the venue for this show, the Paycom Center's director of marketing and public relations said they weren't aware of this jail staffing increase. "Nor did we ask them to [increase jail staff]," Lucy Albers reportedly stated.
"Gaulden's career [has] a long history of legal issues that began in 2016," the jail reportedly stated concerning previous NBA YoungBoy controversies. "He has maintained a largely prolific output notwithstanding his incarcerations. Gaulden has infamously spent several years on house arrest from 2021 to 2024."
Read More: NBA YoungBoy Reportedly Stunk Up The Miami Heat Locker Room So Bad It Had To Be Disinfected
NBA YoungBoy OKC Concert
While the jail cited recent concert cancelations and other concerns in their arguments, the Oklahoma City Police Department reportedly did not do anything to change course in direct relation to the show. Myles Davidson, a fellow jail trustee and District Three County Commissioner, reportedly agreed with Tim Kimrey's decision.
"t’s important to understand that this is an artist whose shows have, in some places across the country, been cancelled due to concerns about violence," he stated. "And yet, Tim [Kimrey] didn’t look away from that reality. He leaned in, he planned, he communicated. He brought people together."
We will see if this controversial decision impacts staffing decisions and event planning in Oklahoma City moving forward. Elsewhere, hopefully the rest of NBA YoungBoy's tour goes smoothly.
