Jeff German on how Sheriff Young has found key support for his stance on fighting the danger of gangster rap acts

Sunday, Feb. 12, 2006 | 12:34 p.m.

Sheriff Bill Young has found some influential allies in his push to persuade Las Vegas casinos to stop booking violence-breeding gangster rap acts.

One of those allies is the most recognizable name in the casino industry - Steve Wynn, the owner of Wynn Las Vegas on the Strip.

"Las Vegas needs those groups like it needs cancer," Wynn told me late last week. "The sheriff is spot on. He's quite right."

Wynn, who has developed some of the most popular resorts on the Strip, said he telephoned Young to offer his support after reading the sheriff's remarks in this column on Thursday.

The casino mogul described gangster rap artists as a "source of trouble" for the industry, and he said he personally has no use for them.

"The real gangster rap guys carry an entourage with them that is absolutely worthless," he said. "They've got testosterone overload. They're completely confused about everything in life."

Former Las Vegas Mayor Jan Jones - senior vice president of communications and government relations for Harrah's Entertainment, the world's largest casino company - told me that she shares Wynn's opinion.

"Why do we, as the No. 1 resort destination in the world, want to jeopardize our reputation for safety by bringing in gangster rap groups that encourage violence?" Jones asked. "It's counter-intuitive."

"Las Vegas is about fun, entertainment and excitement. It's not about encouraging disruptive activities."

Days after one of his officers was ambushed and gunned down by a budding rapper, Young ripped into the gangster rap end of the hip-hop music business, saying it has brought increasing violence to Las Vegas.

Last June - after the slayings of two rappers here and a couple of shootings on the Strip linked to a Nelly concert at the Aladdin - Young wrote to the state Gaming Control Board asking for its help in encouraging casinos to stop booking gangster rap acts.

Last week the three-member board, following its own inquiry into violence and drug use at casino nightclubs, obliged the sheriff.

The board issued a memorandum notifying casinos of Young's concerns and warning that they would be held accountable for any incidents of violence tied to gangster rap performances.

Wynn said gangster rap shows aren't welcome at his casino.

"I don't allow guys in my joint with bodyguards," he said. "If you're looking for a rapper, don't check out the Wynn. You'll be disappointed."

Gangster rappers, Wynn said, simply have nothing to offer Las Vegas.

But not everyone supports Young's push to turn up the heat on the rappers.

Civil libertarians are aghast at the Control Board's edict, which they contend amounts to unlawful censorship.

"This is an effort by regulators to bully, intimidate and threaten casinos in a totally inappropriate manner," said Gary Peck, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada. "Clearly, they are playing with fire."

Peck said he doesn't condone the bad behavior associated with gangster rap groups, but he said authorities should address those concerns by improving security at concerts.

"What is troubling here is the suggestion that there is some sort of vague list of approved entertainers considered safe and acceptable," he said. "With free speech, you don't have to like what other people are saying, but the government can't censor it."

"I'm not sure anyone gave careful thought to this."

Young, however, said he has given it plenty of thought.

"This has nothing to do with free speech from my perspective," he said. "This is all about crime and keeping our community safe. How many bodies do we have to have? How many shootings? How many acts of violence?

"All I'm saying is that we shouldn't sell this as a commodity in Las Vegas."

Jeff German's column appears Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday in the Sun. Reach him at 259-4067 or german@lasvegassun.com.