February 26, 2013
New York Gun Buyback Program Offers Beyonce Tickets as Exchange
Who doesn’t want a Beyonce concert ticket? One man seems to believe the singer is enough to entice young gunslingers to turn in their illegal firearms in exchange for a ticket to see her live in concert.
Hip-hop mogul, Michael “Blue” Williams, the head of Family Tree Entertainment, pitched the idea to the city’s first private-sector gun buyback program called “Guns for Greatness.” Williams, who managed musical artists like Outkast and Cee-Lo Green, said that if the program is approved he will give away tickets to see Beyonce live at her Mrs. Carter World Tour, which kicks off in April and ends at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center in August.
“The Beyoncé show is coming to Brooklyn; the Jay-Z show is coming to Yankee Stadium. Our goal is to reach out to individuals who are in my industry, in my world and who I have an association with and get their support,†Williams said.
“I think we should all work together to help get guns off the streets.”
So far Williams has raised $75,000 for the program with a goal of $100,000. He is also awaiting the approval of Police Commissioner Ray Kelly to facilitate the program.