The NYPD has requested that music festival Rolling Loud remove artists 22GZ, Casanova, Pop Smoke, Sheff G and Don Q be removed from the lineup of this weekend’s festival in New York due to concerns of gang affiliation.

The FADER published a letter that was written by the NYPD and addressed to Rolling Loud, requeting that the five aforementioned artists be removed “due to public safety concerns.” The letter goes on to mention that the five artists "have been affiliated with recent acts of violence citywide,” and that the NYPD believes their presence will lead to “a higher risk of violence.”

Not long after, Rolling Loud co-founder Tariq Cherif made assurances on social media that the festival would still pay the full booking fees for each respective artist. Cherif also clarified that cooperating with the NYPD was essential to ensure Rolling Loud could return to New York in the future.