Bogus was the claim that the rap duo L.E.P. Bogus Boys (above) was banned by the Chicago Police Department from performing at Marina City’s House of Blues.

On April 26, 2012, rap music websites were outraged over a story that Chicago police were shutting down the May 3, 2012, show by Count and Moonie, the south side Chicago natives who make up L.E.P. Bogus Boys. L.E.P. stands for Low End Professionals.

The Chicago hip-hop site Fake Shore Drive wrote that the boys “were notified via email that due to the violent nature of their lyrics, they were banned from performing at Chicago’s House of Blues, this ban coming from the Chicago Police Department.”

The group’s manager took time to discuss the ban on the morning radio show at Chicago’s WGCI-FM.

“We’ve performed already three times at the House of Blues – no violence, no trouble,” said Eric “E” Jones on The Morning Riot. “The situation that’s going on in Chicago is not about music. If you’re going to target music, you might as well target television more than that. It’s poverty. There’s no jobs, there’s no eating. That’s due to the violence. It has nothing to do with music.” (Left) A concert at House of Blues Chicago.

But the Chicago Police Department was not buying it. “We don’t monitor musical acts,” said Lieutenant Maureen Biggane, Commanding Officer of CPD’s news affairs department, the next day. “In the event that we are made aware of a popular performer or act coming to town, we may adjust manpower to ensure the public safety of the community surrounding the venue.”

L.E.P.’s promoter, Infrared Music Group, insisted the story was true, releasing the email they say they received from House of Blues on April 20. Read the email, “The local authorities have come to us after doing some research on L.E.P. and made it clear that we are not going to be able to have them on the bill for A$AP Rocky. See the below research they turned up. We just need to keep the peace.”

The research was from the site Hip Hop DX, which described L.E.P. Bogus Boys as having “a history tied to the streets.”

The last word on the controversy came from House of Blues Entertainment on April 30. A spokesperson said it was House of Blues, not the Chicago Police Department, that made the decision to drop L.E.P. Bogus Boys from the May 3 lineup.

“Unfortunately, the decision was initially communicated to the artist’s representation via an email that inaccurately cited the reasons and source of the cancellation,” said the spokesperson. “We apologize for any misunderstanding surrounding this decision.”