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B’nai Brith Canada Pleased Theatre Taking Steps to Cancel Performance of Antisemitic Rapper

Freeze Corleone (Le Devoir)

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Nov. 14, 2022

MONTREAL – A Montreal venue has informed B’nai Brith Canada that it is working to cancel the scheduled appearance of a notorious rapper with a history of spewing antisemitic remarks, including comparing himself to Hitler.

Freeze Corleone, a French national, was scheduled to perform at the Olympia Theatre on Dec. 4.

In 2020, Corleone’s rhetoric, including denying the Holocaust and using antisemitic tropes about Jewish wealth and influence, led his label, Universal Music Group, to drop him. His remarks caused such an uproar that France’s Minister of the Interior publicly repudiated his “unspeakable antisemitism.”

B’nai Brith took comprehensive and immediate action after discovering Corleone’s planned Montreal appearance and alerted the Olympia Theatre and media organizations, resulting in widespread coverage in French and English. The owner of the theatre has since informed B’nai Brith he is seeking to cancel Corleone’s appearance.

Patrick Levy, the theatre’s owner, told B’nai Brith that the show is no longer advertised on its website. He also committed to examining the theatre’s contractual obligations and pledged to share further information imminently.

“We are pleased that Olympia Theatre’s management disavowed Corleone’s antisemitism in recent correspondence,” said Marvin Rotrand, B’nai Brith Canada’s National Director for its League of Human Rights. “The next step is for the venue’s management to use every tool at its disposal to ensure he does not perform this December.”

“Corleone’s rhetoric goes well beyond the bounds of artistic expression,” said Michael Mostyn, B’nai Brith Canada’s Chief Executive Officer. “The Holocaust resulted in the deaths of six-million Jews. Corleone’s denial is not only inaccurate but dangerous. His hatred must find no harbour in any Canadian city, including Montreal.”