Reggae singer Dexta Daps is facing some heat. The Jamaican artist played two concerts over the weekend — one in Brooklyn on Saturday and another in New Jersey the next day.
Per videos of the events shared on Instagram, it appears that both shows were attended by large crowds who did not seem to practice social distancing. In one video, the reggae singer is on a Brooklyn stage performing as the camera pans out over the apparently crowded attendees at the show, which was held outdoors.
One person who saw the video was upset that such an apparently packed concert was held in the midst of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. “The promoters, @dextadaps and all others directly responsible for the staging of this event during a deadly pandemic are a bunch of dummies,” the Instagram user commented on the post. “Trust me, the city will hit you all with some hefty fines..not excluding possible jail time…”
Another video showed Daps performing closely onstage with guest artist Ikaya in front of an apparently full crowd in Hillside, N.J., with attendees appearing crowded right up against the stage at an outdoor venue. At one point in the clip, Daps embraces Ikaya and picks her up.
The exact locations of the shows are not clear, with the ticketing pages noting that both the New York and New Jersey shows were an “exclusive day party at a secret location.”
After the NY Post first reported on the shows, promoter Steelie Bashment appeared to respond to the publication in his Instagram Stories. “Respect NY post @nypost for the article.. look at my next post.. this is NEW JERSEY NOW..” he wrote Sunday. The next Stories post was video of Daps performing his song “Call Me If,” with text above it reading “1500 people in NEW JERSEY NOW.”
In Brooklyn, which is currently in Stage 4 of reopening, large social gatherings are limited to 50 people or fewer, with masks required while within 6 feet of others. New York does allow for low-risk outdoor arts and entertainment activities, but it is not clear that those guidelines — 33 percent maximum occupancy, maintaining 6 feet distance between patrons, masks — includes allowing concerts at all.
In New Jersey, indoor concert venues are limited to 150 people or 25 percent capacity, while outdoor gatherings are limited to 500 people, with masks required for both.
Billboard has reached out to reps for Daps and Ikaya, promoter Steelie Bashment, as well as the offices of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill De Blasio, and New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and Hillside Mayor Dahlia Vertreese.
