Nixed Paul Wall, Mike Jones Concert Might Have Been A Fraud
Dozens of Paul Wall and Mike Jones fans drove out to Dothan, Alabama's Houston County Farm Center the night of December 9 to see the glittery-grilled rappers perform. But when they arrived, those fans were greeted with a sign that stated the concert was canceled, but didn't offer an explanation as to why.
Now prosecutors in Alabama's Coffee and Houston counties are investigating what happened. Was the entire event, which received serious promotion on local hip-hop stations, a scam? And if so, who's responsible for bilking fans and local promoters?
Investigators said close to 200 fans shelled out $20 a ticket for the concert. Advance tickets for the event, which also alleged to feature Chamillionaire, were sold at area stores. Some store owners contacted police when ticket holders started asking for refunds.
Tim Simmons said he booked the Houston County Farm Center through his firm, Top Dog Entertainment. He's organized a number of shows in the Dothan area in the past, including appearances by Master P and Lil' Wayne. Simmons said he was contacted several weeks ago by someone claiming to be from Swishahouse Entertainment -- the label behind Wall and Jones -- and was asked to secure a venue for the show and to help promote it. He was even sent a box full of promotional flyers to get the job done.
As payment, he was promised one-fourth of the ticket proceeds. But then on December 9, Simmons tried to call his Swisha contact and there was no answer. Meanwhile, he said someone stopped in to collect all the ticket cash from the various retailers peddling them. Simmons believes he was duped -- especially in light of the longstanding beef between Chamillionaire and both Wall and Jones.
"I was treated just like the people who bought tickets," he said.
A spokesperson for Wall would not comment on the canceled concert, and a representative for Jones could not be reached by press time. A label spokesperson said Wall was in Houston on December 9 for a photo shoot. Jones was in Florida, and a spokesperson for Chamillionaire was also unavailable.
