American hip-hop superstar, Rick Ross will not be making his return to Jamaica at the 2015 edition of Reggae Sumfest later this month after he was dropped by show organizers following charges stemming from an alleged kidnapping incident at his property in June.
Ross, who previously performed in the island at the 2012 Best Of Summer show in Kingston, was one of several international acts expected to grace the Catherine Hall stage in Montego Bay this summer. However, just over a week after his appearance was confirmed, news broke that Ross was charged with kidnapping and assault following an incident at an Alabama guest house in which he and another man allegedly forced his groundskeeper into a room, pistol whipping and assaulting him. The groundskeeper reported suffered a broken jaw along with a neck injury and several bruises
Ross, whose real name is William Leonard Roberts, was charged with kidnapping, aggravated assault, and aggravated battery in relation to the incident and was released on US$2 million bond on July 1.
One of the reported conditions of his release is that Ross is not allowed to leave the country while the case is ongoing, leaving Sumfest organizers with no choice but to pull Ross from the lineup.
“Rick Ross is unable to travel at this time and his management has said that Ross is saddened that he cannot be in Jamaica to perform for his fans on July 17 but he looks forward to coming back to Jamaica in the near future,” read a statement from Summerfest Productions on Saturday.
Organizers also said they are ‘working assidiously’ to find a replacement for Ross and will make an annoucement in the coming days.
International stars confirmed so far for Sumfest, which takes place from July 12-18, include Jennifer Hudson,Common and Yazz from the TV series, Empire.
