SHREVEPORT, La. — Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux has taken to social media to thank Rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson for a very successful Humor & Harmony weekend which took place Aug. 8-11 in the city’s Red River District..
“Thank you for believing in Humor and Harmony,” he wrote on Facebook. “Thank you for showing our guest Shreveport Hospitality and love. A special thank you to all the city directors and employees, especially, SPAR’s Shelly Ragle, Marla Mitchell of the Convention Center (ASM), Attorney Marcus Edwards, Terrence Green, Gary Norman, SporTran Transit’s Dinero Washington, all First Responders to include Shreveport Police Department Chief Wayne Smith, Shreveport Fire Department Chief Clarence Reese, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office Sheriff Henry Whitehorn and staff, Shreveport City Marshal James Jefferson and staff, Business Leaders, and the entire Shreveport Community.”
The Republican mayor acknowledged the long hours put in by the community for the four-day event and said the event “exceeded many expectations.”
“Shreveport, we demonstrated this past weekend what the word teamwork means. Thank you once again, for your remarkable I love Shreveport attitude.
Let’s keep the positive momentum going!” added Arceneaux in a lengthy post shared to the City’s official Facebook page.
The event featured comedy shows, musical acts, a celebrity basketball game, and additional activities. City officials estimate that attendance was in the thousands as celebs including Dave Chappelle, Katt Williams and Matt Rife took the stage.
Chase Boytim, owner of Fatty Arbuckles, told a reporter at the local ABC affiliate that he is thrilled to see investment returning to his Shreveport neighborhood. “It was so busy, but it was just great to see… I’ve always said that [the area is] underutilized, and, you know, being so close to the casinos and hotels, it would be easy for something like this to happen,” said the pub owner.
50 Cent brought his G-Unit Studios to Shreveport in April of this year, telling Billboard, “ We see Shreveport as a beacon of inspiration and creativity.” Founded in 2005, 50 Cent’s G-Unit Film & Television Inc. has created a diverse range of content for various platforms and networks, with its standout achievement being the STARZ TV series *Power*. At present, 50 Cent has multiple shows airing on the STARZ network, including Raising Kanan and Ghost. Of the event, he said via Instagram that he doesn’t know how to “top it.” As previously reported by Biz New Orleans, the rapper’s production endeavors may utilize the state’s tax credits causing an uptick in Louisiana’s film and television job creation.
“The integration of 50 Cent’s G-Unit Studios and entertainment ventures have already proven to be hugely successful with the recent Humor and Harmony festival this past weekend,” added Wade Marshall, Superintendent of Independence Stadium and a fellow music composer. “[This is] a huge economic win for the city. On the film side of it we are looking at a huge industry revamp in Shreveport / Bossier. With the expansion of more studio space and infrastructure we can expect to see a domino effect across the board which includes every business and industry that supports film being affected or created. This also will grow our local film crew and talent to match that expansion. This in turn will bring other productions into town because we have the industry to support it. Hollywood South will be alive and well in our area and we are excited for the future.”
