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JAY-Z demands Made in America Festival be held on ‘Rocky’ steps in Philadelphia

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ABC/Randy HolmesJAY-Z says his Made in America Festival must be held on the Rocky steps in Philadelphia, or he will move the event to another city.

The founder of Roc Nation issued his ultimatum following news that next year the city planned to move the annual Labor Day Weekend event from the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philly, Variety reports.

‘I want to be on the ‘Rocky’ steps,” JAY-Z says, according to his Roc Nation COO Desiree Perez. He’s referring to the famous “Gonna Fly Now” scene from the 1976 film starring Sylvester Stallone.

“The name of the festival is Made in America, it’s Labor Day weekend,” Perez tell Variety. “We chose that space. This is a symbolic space in the birthplace of America for freedom and everything we stand for.”

After the mayor’s office told a local newspaper of the plan to cancel the event next year because of excessive costs, JAY-Z wrote an angry op-ed letter in the Philadelphia Inquirer slamming the mayor’s decision.

“We are disappointed that the mayor of the city of Philadelphia would evict us from the heart of the city, through a media outlet, without a sit-down meeting, notice, dialogue, or proper communication,” he wrote. “It signifies zero appreciation for what Made In America has built alongside the phenomenal citizens of this city.”

Mayor Jim Kenney responded with a statement calling the situation an “unfortunate misunderstanding” that they are “working to resolve.”

“This is a bullying tactic,” Perez responds. Perez says that Roc Nation is “in shock” over the decision by the mayor’s office.

The 2018 Made In America Festival will be held on the parkway September 1 and 2 featuring Nicki Minaj, Post Malone, Meek Mill, Miguel, Janelle Monae, Ty Dolla $ign, and many more.

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