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Rapper denies he spoiled a Don Toliver show after taking a gun into Toyota Center

Houston police say he entered through a loading tunnel with a handgun and was arrested inside the venue.

Don Toliver

Don Toliver performs on stage in dramatic backlighting, wearing sunglasses and a diamond chain, with gold-tipped braids framing his face.
Photo: Sanchez Productions, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A Houston rapper identified as Josh Kream has denied ruining a Don Toliver concert after being arrested at the rapper's sold-out Toyota Center show on a weapons charge, AllHipHop reported. "That's not true at all," Kream told reporters Friday, adding that he was "still in shock, actually, a little bit."

Authorities accused Kream of carrying an unholstered handgun inside the venue. The Houston Chronicle reported he arrived with 20 to 30 minutes left in the show and entered through a loading tunnel typically reserved for artists, VIPs and backstage personnel; Kream said he cooperated with security and passed through a metal detector without issue.

He made his way to the VIP section and watched for a few minutes before venue security and police approached him with the allegations. The concert stopped abruptly around 10:40pm, shortly after Toliver performed "Kryptonite" and "Too Many Nights." Venue officials and Toliver's label, Atlantic Records, cited safety concerns for fans, the artist and staff as the reason for cutting the show short.

Kream was held at the Toyota Center security office before being transferred to Harris County Jail. He was charged with unlawful carrying of a weapon in a public place, a misdemeanor, released on bond, and is due in court August 19. He said he's confident he'll be cleared: "If something's b#######, sometimes you just gotta play along with it," he said. "It's unfortunate what happened, but I've overcome worse in my life, so this is not really that big of a deal."

Before the shutdown, Toliver had delivered an energetic performance, even joining fans on the floor for several songs. Just days earlier, Houston City Council Member Edward Pollard and rapper Bun B had presented him with a proclamation recognizing August 11 as Don Toliver Day.

The arrest followed an earlier report that the same show was cut short over a reported gunman, before Kream was identified as the man taken into custody. Toliver, for his part, has stayed busy since: he and Kanye West released a surreal new video for their song "OK", directed by Bianca Censori, part of an eventful stretch in hip-hop news for the Houston rapper.

The facts

  • Houston rapper Josh Kream was arrested at Don Toliver's sold-out Toyota Center show
  • He is accused of carrying an unholstered handgun inside the venue
  • Kream denies ruining the concert and says he passed through a metal detector
  • The show stopped around 10:40pm after Toliver performed Kryptonite and Too Many Nights
  • Kream faces a misdemeanor charge of unlawful carrying of a weapon in public
  • He is due in court August 19
  • Houston Council Member Edward Pollard and Bun B named August 11 Don Toliver Day

How this checks out

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