Rapper The Game pulls out of Ranch Roadhouse performance following death of Edmonton man
American rapper The Game has pulled out of a performance at The Ranch Roadhouse in Edmonton following the death of a young man who was told to leave the bar on a freezing November night.
The Game, whose name is Jayceon Terrell Taylor, announced he cancelled the Jan. 16, 2019 performance in an Instagram post Sunday.
Taylor said several fans sent him messages, alerting him of the death of 20-year-old Mohamed Abdi.
Abdi's body was discovered under a truck at a car dealership near the The Ranch on Nov. 18. He had been ordered to leave the bar two days earlier, when the temperature was –16 C, because he was intoxicated.
Police ruled the death non-criminal. The Ranch launched an investigation, and Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis is also investigating.
"After being kicked out while intoxicated & not in the right mind state, he froze to death & his lifeless cold body was found … under a truck where he sought shelter because of the freezing temperature," Taylor wrote in the Instagram post.
Taylor said bar staff were negligent.
Last month, friends of Abdi protested outside the bar and launched a petition calling for its closure.
"I stand in full support of my Edmonton fans & their petition & here as stated above, forfeit the money that was given & hereby withdraw myself from my performance at that venue," said Taylor, who has 9.7 million followers on Instagram.
The rapper noted he'll try to find a different venue to perform at in Edmonton.
"If I cannot, then we will all have to sacrifice that night in Mohamed "Mo" Munye Abdi's name as well as Tyler Emes who died a year before," he said, highlighting the 2017 death of Tyler Emes, 18, who left the same bar after a night of drinking.
An AGLC investigation on Emes' death did not result in any sanctions.
In a Nov. 20 statement, The Ranch co-owner Jesse Kupina said staff took several steps to ensure Abdi's safety before he left with a friend.
He offered condolences to Abdi's family
"I am sorry," Kupina wrote. "We are actively reviewing if there is more we could have done.
"We want to make sure this never happens again."
Kupina did not respond to a request for comment Sunday on The Game's cancellation.
