Despite a report by Complex magazine claiming rapper YG broke a contract with San Diego State by performing “F— Donald Trump” at the GreenFest concert, the artist did not sign a contract that would have disallowed him from doing so.
He will be paid in full for his March 3 performance, according to Associated Students Public Records Act Coordinator Raven Tyson.
The A.S. GreenFest committee did request he not play the song, but were advised by Live Nation, the company that contracted the concert, there was a possibility he would still perform it, she said.
“On the night of the concert, YG indicated that he wanted to play the song ‘FDT’ even though he had been asked not to by Associated Students,” Tyson said. “Associated Students indicated that payment would not be withheld if he played the song. YG was paid his full $60,000 fee for performing at Greenfest.”
In response to a public records request for the contract between YG and the university, she said SDSU was not involved in the contracting process.
During his performance at the GreenFest concert on March 3, headliner YG said he would play the song even if A.S. requested him not to.
“I’mma be real with y’all,” he said. “If your school don’t want to pay me for the s–t I’m about to do, I’mma take the L, because there’s some real s–t going on in the United States of America.”
Complex magazine reported on March 4 that YG would not be paid the $60,000 fee for breaking a clause in his contract that prevented him from singing ‘FDT.’
The media outlet tweeted “.@YG reportedly broke a $60K contract to play ‘FDT’ at SDSU’s #GreenFestConcert2017” with a link to the article the same day.
.@YG reportedly broke a $60K contract to play “FDT” at SDSU’s #GreenFestConcert2017. https://t.co/x7Xw6fHSiV pic.twitter.com/2LI9Hsk1QV
— Complex (@Complex) March 5, 2017
The Tweet garnered 1,296 retweets and 2,045 likes.
A.S President Jamie Miller also said the report was not true.
“As far as proof of payment, we have not yet processed payment which is typical at this point, but he will be paid in full,” Miller said.
Many students reacted to his comment on Twitter, supporting his decision to perform the song.
Twitter user @audreyeallen posted “SDSU: ‘Hey YG, you will not get paid your 60k if you play ‘FDT’ YG: plays FDT anyway,” on March 4.
SDSU : “Hey YG, you will not get paid your 60k if you play FDT”
YG : plays FDT anyway
— Audrey Allen (@audreyeallen) March 4, 2017
User @Shenaniganz22 also posted on Twitter showing her support.
“Shout out to @YG for playing FDT even though it means he won’t get paid. Not just bc it’s a good song but it’s relevant and important,” she tweeted the night of the performance.
Shout out to @YG for playing FDT even though it means he won’t get paid. Not just bc it’s a good song but it’s relevant and important
— Shannon Crowley (@shenaniganz22) March 4, 2017
The tweet generated 245 retweets and 750 likes.
GreenFest Committee Chair Linda Dawood confirmed the committee did ask YG not to play the song.
The committee declined to comment further.
YG and his team did not respond to The Daily Aztec for comment.
