Six Black tenants are being evicted and accused of participating in criminal or wrongful activity over a rap music video in California after an advocate says they were "unaware."
The tenants residing in the Del Monte Manor apartment complex in Seaside received eviction notices after allegedly participating in "an unauthorized and unpermitted film project involving what appeared to be a music video on the premises," the Monterey County Weekly reported.
TeraCorp, the management company for Del Monte Manor, is accusing the tenants of providing electricity and additional help for the music video.
The song titled "We Crippin'" features two rappers N.Sane Ready and Da Bigg Homie allegedly boasting about killing rivals and engaging in other gang violence. Behind the rappers in the background appears Del Monte Manor apartment complex.
The video was shot May 26 in response to the fatal shooting of Tremain Calloway days earlier.
Calloway was driving on Yosemite Avenue near the apartment complex when he was killed by alleged Crips gang members, according to KSBW.
An advocate of the tenants, Princess Pope, says those in the music video may not have known of the content of the song. Pope also said an eviction notice is a harsh consequence for the tenants.
“The tenants I talked to thought they were part of a memorial for Tremain Calloway,” Pope said.
Del Monte Manor is the largest low-income housing complex on the Monterey Peninsula and is owned by three local civic organizations and two churches.
Among those being evicted are two military veterans and a family receiving government assistance.
A representative of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said they are aware of the evictions and are unable to intervene.
“Unless there are allegations of unlawful discrimination and a formal complaint has been filed, HUD has no authority to intervene in ongoing evictions, and as such, does not and cannot get involved, as evictions are legal actions to be adjudicated by a judge through the judicial system,” the representative told Monterey County Weekly.
