During a council meeting on 5 October 2009, councilman Warren Wright will discuss the possibility of barring all hip-hop shows and performances. He argues that the hip-hop themed events attract violence to the downtown area, which is being redeveloped, citing an incident in September 2009, after a concert featuring the hip-hop band Plies at the Harborside Event Center, in which a bouncer was stabbed outside of local club.

According to Morris Moore of allhiphop.com the idea of banning hip-hop music has the support of the city’s mayor, Randy Henderson, who told Fort Myers’ News Press that he was offended by rap music. “If there’s a legal way to do that, it’s a worthy idea,” Henderson is quoted as saying.