Many black musical artists have said that certain hotels around the country seem to treat them like sh-t out of racism, whether it’s the personal racism of certain security guards, or institutional racism of “we don’t allow ‘your kind’ in our establishment.” It’s 2019 and that sh-t is still happening. I remember it happened to Drake a few years ago too, and it happened to Meek Mill in Las Vegas over the Memorial Day weekend. He was in Vegas to see a friend’s show and he claims the Cosmopolitan Hotel wouldn’t let him in. Like, literally, they wouldn’t even let him enter the hotel to check in or go to the restaurant or anything?
Meek Mill is accusing the management of the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas of racism after being denied entry into the resort. According to TMZ, the rapper and two members of his crew arrived at the hotel around 3:30 p.m. on Saturday to see DJ Mustard’s show but were stopped by security before they could enter. Mill (whose real name is Robert Rihmeek Williams) went on to detail the experience that followed on his social media and claimed that the hotel threatened to have him arrested for trespassing.
“If you come from our culture you should never step foot in the cosmopolitan hotel they just really racist as hell,” Mill, 32, tweeted. “Something really has to be done in Las Vegas what they doing to black people!” In another tweet, Mill wrote, “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 [sic] party without incident!”
“The cosmopolitan hotel …. and it’s a few other hotels that be doing this to black entertainers because they don’t want too many blacks on they property!” he continued in another tweet. “Vegas notorious for this too its not just me!!!!”
Regarding the incident, the Cosmopolitan tells PEOPLE in a statement, “At The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, the safety and security of our guests is our top priority. The recent situation regarding Meek Mill related to a matter of security, not race, and any reports citing otherwise are false. 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.”
However, Meek Mill’s lawyer refutes that claim. “The assertion that the Cosmopolitan denied Meek because of capacity concerns at Marquee Dayclub is outright false,” Lawyer Joe Tacopina said in a statement to PEOPLE. 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.”
I watched some of Meek’s videos (below) and it really did look like the hotel security’s story kept changing, and it keeps changing even now. I’m sure there will be some people who are like “no, this isn’t about race at all!” but honestly, this happens every single day in America. And every month, it feels like we get some new high-profile case of a BBQ Becky calling the cops on a black person who was minding their own business, or a coffee shop which called the cops on a black customer and on and on. I completely believe that the hotel freaked out when Meek Mill came in with his guys and claimed they were “trespassing” and would be “arrested.”
The cosmopolitan hotel …. and it’s a few other hotels that be doing this to black entertainers because they don’t want too many blacks on they property! Vegas notorious for this too its not just me!!!! pic.twitter.com/HPySp2nh8h
— Meek Mill (@MeekMill) May 25, 2019
Arrested for what????? #Cosmopolitanvegss pic.twitter.com/5OvmGBrXKv
— Meek Mill (@MeekMill) May 26, 2019
Photos courtesy of WENN.
He’s been arrested, convicted and then arrested again multiple times for parole violations, so whatever, can’t say I care much.
So that’s your litmus test as to whether someone can be discriminated against?? They have a record?
I guess that’s an easy way to turn a blind eye to racism and be okay with it…
In this instance he doesn’t seem as though he did anything wrong.
Uhm, wut?
I wasn’t aware that prior arrests are grounds to bar someone from an establishment unless we’re talking a school and sex crimes.
Also, I’m going to need receipts if you want me to believe that a) this is why they denied him entry and b) that they were fully aware of his arrest record.
And since when does having a record bar someone from staying or eating at a hotel?? In Vegas?!
One of his arrests was for an IG video that showed him popping a wheelie on a dirt bike without a helmet. How many white people have ever been arrested for that “crime”?
Holy S. 3/4 of my 5th grade class would have been imprisoned. But no, we were white kids.
WTF kind of excuse is that? He has a record so he can’t be a victim of racism? That makes absolutely zero sense.
Did OP say it meant he can’t be a victim of racism? Nope. It means that establishments don’t want a criminal and his posse coming in, and that possibly their reasons had to do with security and not racism.
Since Sofiya is racist, just how much energy should anyone on the left spend caring about how she’s treated by members of either sex, right?
You are a racist, Sofiya. A racist.
Exactly. If I was a hotelier, a known criminal and his posse wouldn’t be welcomed at my hotel either.
But the same thing happened to Drake; and, as far as I know, Drake doesn’t have an arrest record. It doesn’t make sense.
Meek Mill and his attorney should ask white rappers like Machine Gun Kelly and G-Eazy if they have ever been denied entrance to any hotels in Vegas. I doubt they have.
And to add, this is Los Vegas we’re talking about. People from all walks of life come in and out of these hotels. If they denied every black person entry, I do you know how many lawsuits we would have heard about by now? I’m calling BS on Meek, sorry.
There’s literally VIDEO. Some people will bend over backwards to excuse racism…
Sweetheart, Black people experience racism everyday! They don’t have time to go retain a lawyer and file a lawsuit when they’re in town for a weekend. Please, PLEASE open your eyes.
Sure, and just because Harvey Weinstein met women and did not rape them, everyone else must be making it up, yah?
The Cosmopolitan threw away a bunch of free advertising because MM would have been tweeting about his friend’s show.
Right?? His insta is fire.
This guy acts like he’s a saint taking little responsibility for his past actions. He thinks he’s the next MLK. Y Does he get so much support from the rap industry when he’s clearly no model for young black people
The only people who throw MLK’s name around like that are white people.
I disagree. Meek has not only made a name for himself in the music game but he does a ton of work for the black community and in terms of criminal justice reform. You don’t have to be perfect to be a role model. Perfect role models are next to useless imo. Also MLK was pretty close to perfect and he was still assassinated for his opinions, Meek is doing just fine.
Because he is someone who was grossly over punished by a system that discriminates against black men and has helped found an organization dedicated to criminal justice reform.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2019/03/14/rapper-meek-mill-honored-criminal-justice-reform-work/3170693002/
So…..only those you see as good role models for kids of their race get to talk about discrimination?
The ones in this situation who are not taking responsability over their actions are the hotel management and their staff. What a way to derail the conversation.
Now Black people have to be saints to speak up about discrimination?! Wow. When you look in the mirror? That’s what a racist looks like.
I don’t know…. I live in Las Vegas, and I’m not saying it couldn’t happen, but, there is never a shortage of persons of color in any of the hotels, including the Cosmopolitan. The only color Vegas ever seems to see is green. I feel like this is probably more about him specifically than it is about his race. But I am not familiar enough with him to speculate on what the concerns would be.
Unless you’re a person of color how would know for sure Las Vegas isn’t racist because if you’re white you have a privilege you know how many stories their are. Of black peoples with money still being discriminated against because someone in a power doesn’t think because the person is black they have money oprah was deny access to a store in Paris because the worker their didn’t think she could afford anything at the high end store . Just because you never personally deal with racism first hand or you have no knowledge doesn’t mean it’s happening every day in Las Vegas.
Well, as I said – I’m not saying it couldn’t happen. But as a person who was literally at that very hotel, with many points of entry, over this extremely busy holiday weekend, I did not see a crowd that indicated people of color weren’t welcome. So, I still think this particular case may have been more about the specific person.
I’ve been hustled out of stores because they thought I couldn’t afford anything. They were right, of course, but I’m white so it’s just snobbery and not snobbery plus racism.
It’s amazing the way some of you are trying you’re hardest to deny meek mill claim of racism instead of just listing to what he saying . He was deny access and threatened with arrest because he is black man it’s doesn’t matter if he has a record he was discriminated against because the color of his skin.
To all of you on here saying you don’t believe it or Vegas just sees green, stop burying your head in the sand and pretending racism doesn’t exist. Not only have hotels flat out refused black men entry, restaurants do it, remember Starbucks? I have a friend who every time she flies 1st class, flight attendant comes over and asks for her ticket. Doesn’t ask any of the white people in 1st class. I’m wasting my time, y’all are the same idiots who thought ‘police don’t profile…until you had the videos of it shoved in your face’. Pretending or excusing racism because it’s unpleasant to you (btw it’s not even happening to you, so imagine how effing horrible it is to be on the receiving end) enables the problem.
This is the same city that drained a pool when Dorothy Dandridge dipped her toe in the water. Not siding that it did or didn’t happen, but having just returned from Vegas to see Janet Jackson, I can see it happening.
The number of white people on this thread bending over backwards to excuse and deny this is the reason why racism still exists. Period.
Exactly this! Some of these comments are infuriating.
This is probably racism but at the same time Meek Mill be hanging out with the Robert Kraft-an outspoken Trump supporter. How you gonna complain about racism but then hang with a non-family member that is a vocal Trump supporter?
Another attempt at derailing the conversation. Y’all are exhausting.
It’s only derailing because we like the guy. We criticized Travis Scott for performing at the super bowl despite their racist agenda against Colin Kapernick. And I’m criticizing Meek Mill for being friends with a guy who supports one of the most blatantly racist presidents in recent history while speaking out against racism.
I was in Vegas this weekend and it was a total shit show. I saw staff making snap decisions on whether to admit people all the time, mostly dependent on appearance. I absolutely believe Meek Mill was treated this way. It was depressing to see people treated as Meek describes, and one of the reasons last weekend will be my only visit to LV.
Vegas has had a reputation for this since its inception as a gambling playground in the late 1940s. Honestly things probably got even worse when Howard Hughes started buying up properties in Vegas because he was so virulently racist. The movie star Ava Gardner had a black maid, Reenie Jordan, who was really more of a friend/drinking buddy. Anyway Reenie was virtually chased out of one of those casinos for being black. Literally she wasn’t allowed to enter the building. I think the year was 1951, approximately. Ava was livid but even her star power (she was really A list and powerful at that point) wasn’t enough to protect her friend from this kind of discrimination. There are more stories like this from that era but that’s the one that first springs to mind. So yeah, I can believe this continued to the present day in Vegas. But more importantly, I believe that things like this happen across the country, not just in Vegas. We should listen to people who have experienced it. We probably don’t hear about it more because most of the people that get thrown out of places or denied entry don’t have huge social media followings or the kind of power to speak out about it. Racism can be systemic, like discriminatory laws and carving up congressional districts, or it can be a power tripping security guard who randomly denies entry to black people when he feels like it. It has many forms is what I mean.
“We should listen to people who have experienced it.”
LOUDER for the people in the back.
and those up above who choose not to see/hear it.
“A matter of security?” What nonsense is that? If there was a serious security risk, the hotel should have contacted the police. They didn’t. If there was an issue with entrance to the club only, they would have had no problem with them going to other hotel facilities, like a restaurant. They didn’t. They kicked them out, without telling them why, and told them they’d be arrested for trespassing.
As a white woman, I guarantee I would not have been treated that way.
It’s on video and we can’t get white people to acknowledge this shit stays happening.
I know…
Well well well…white america at its finest in these comments trying to deny this man any dignity and bring up his record….this is why all this wokeness from yal is HELLA fake.
The nasty white people and allies of theirs in these comments who can understand that this happens to people of color and to believe us …are CANCELLED as they say
It’s true. The white people that are denying this form of racism are part of the problem. This is why racism will never end in America.
WOW, am shocked by some of the comments here.
Looks like a classic case of profiling to me. I do work & research in the security and policing fields, and it never ceases to amaze what excuses professionals use to racially profile under the vague guise of ‘security’. It’s totally b.s. This kind of unfettered discretion allows explicit and implicit biases to go to work. Shame on The Cosmopolitan for the profiling and for handling this so poorly.
I’m black and I’ve stayed at The Cosmopolitan and The Aria and I’m not surprised at all. I’ve had some horrible interactions with some of the staff but oddly enough management was always great.
Unless he had a prior incident there, I don’t see how they can deny him entry. I think they were profiling him based on him being a black rapper. It really annoys me how some white people will deny and deny racism. A lot of racism is subtle. If it was blatant, they could face blowback for it. If they come up w an excuse, they use that. Racism isnt just the n word.
I’m white, married to a black man. I had never dated any POC before, I was shocked and continue to be shocked by how he’s treated. Never had any white bfs treated in ways hes been treated by people. Makes me so sad to see it.
I don’t understand why we can’t be more empathetic. Who are we to be the say on what is racism? We’re white fgs. How would we know? We don’t have the experience with it that POC do. I can understand why POC dont trust us a whole lot. Some of you will bend over backwards and do handstands to explain why it’s not racism. HOW THE FUCK WOULD YOU KNOW? i’m not perfect but damn.