Cameo shooting shocks Cincinnati hip-hop community

The news of the shooting at Cameo nightclub stirred shock and disappointment among the local hip-hop and rap scene.

"It hurts my soul, especially being a music advocate in the city," said Kick Lee, a local music producer and composer who has worked on a number of feature films.

As one of the few hip-hop nightclubs in the city, Cameo's crowded dance floor has attracted world-famous rappers.

Lil' Wayne and Drake were spotted there in 2014. Photos show a cheerful Weezy, smiling among the throng in a white knit cap, while Drake chilled in the back calmly sipping a drink.

News of the shooting hurts but won't destroy the local rap scene, Lee said.

Cameo isn't the the biggest venue devoted to rap and hip-hop. OTR Live in Over-the-Rhine, which is operated by the same owner as Cameo, is bigger and regularly attracts big artists. And Cameo, in the East End, is more dance club rather than a concert hall.

But the shootings could reinforce the perception that rap and hip-hop are dangerous and could strengthen the resistance by some to more clubs opening in the city, Lee said. Whoever is involved in the shooting doesn't represent the local rap and hip-hop scene, he said.

"We need more venues for hip-hop because there's that fear about what the hip-hop realm attracts," Lee said.

Lee said he would often go to Cameo to support DJs and performers. He never felt threatened. Cameo is owned by Julian Rodgers, who has owned and operated a number of nightclubs around the city. He owned the former Mixx Ultra Lounge on Main Street. Rodgers also organized the Cincinnati Summer Jam last year that brought in artists T.I., Young Jeezy and 2 Chainz to BB&T Arena at Northern Kentucky University.

Cameo opened in 2013 after the previous club in that space, a gay bar called Adonis, closed.

Some described Cameo as popular but not central to the local music scene. It is more like a place for parties and after-parties from shows, said Gilbert Stowers. Stowers co-owns Black Owned Outerwear, one of several black-owned clothing stores that regularly sells tickets to events at Cameo.

The club's Facebook page advertises birthday parties and DJ nights.

"It's typically a good time, so the shooting, the size of the shooting alone, was surprising," Stowers said. "It is typically a music venue, hip-hop club."

Both Stowers and Lee remained positive about the future. Lee wants the community to come together to make hip-hop venues more welcoming. He hopes, in part, to do this by growing the local rap scene. He will launch a music accelerator to coach young rappers, producers and musicians on how to succeed in the music industry.

"This is not the end," Lee said.