Troy Ave Sues Irving Plaza, Live Nation

The suit, filed Aug. 8 in New York Supreme Court in Brooklyn, alleges Troy Ave was to appear on stage as an invited guest of headliner T.I. during the show. Before that could happen, an unidentified “third party” attacked the artist and drew a weapon. “In addition, this third party, shot and killed another individual that was with the plaintiff … in the green room,” the complaint alleges.

The court documents also state that neither Collins nor his associates brought weapons into Irving Plaza that night. The suit claims that Collins entered the artist/VIP entrance located on the side of the building without being searched.

“While security guards, employed by the defendants Irving Plaza and/or Live Nation Concerts were located at the artist entrance, they did not provide any security functions,” the complaint states. “In fact, they did not search (either by pat down, wand, metal detector nor any other type of security device) the plaintiff … nor any of his associates for weapons or any illegal substances.”

The complaint calls the shooting “wholly preventable and would not have occurred but for the clear negligence and carelessness of the defendants in their promotion, direction, production, supervision and control of the subject hip hop/rap concert and the security for same.”

Describing Collins as “a 30-year-old promising performer with his entire career ahead of him,” court documents say “he will permanently suffer from the effects of his aforesaid injuries and that he will be caused to suffer permanent embarrassment, emotional distress and continuous pain and inconvenience.” A spokeswoman for Live Nation told Pollstar the company has no comment on the allegations.

During the green room melee, Collins was shot twice and his bodyguard, Ronald “Edgar” McPhatter, was shot and killed, according to Rolling Stone, which published a copy of the complaint.

Surveillance video reportedly showed Collins repeatedly firing a gun at an object outside the camera’s range. He claims the weapon was not his. A subsequent search of his van turned up weapons, according to the New York Daily News.

He has been released on a $500,000 bond. An attorney for Collins announced the lawsuit in a press conference outside Irving Plaza, according to the Daily News.

“He is the victim here. He did not bring a gun into this place. And we are seeking redress for the negligence,” said Scott Leemon, one of Collins’ lawyers, according to the paper.